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France to fine companies if gender pay gaps not erased

PARIS — French companies will have three years to erase their gender pay gaps or face possible fines under plans presented by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Wednesday to unions and employers.

Men are on average paid 9%more than women in France, even though the law has required equal pay for the same work for the past 45 years, the government said.

Under the plans, companies with more than 50 employees will be required to install special software hooked up directly to their payroll systems to monitor unjustified pay gaps.

The aim was to roll out the software in companies with more than 250 employees next year and in 2020 for firms with 50 to 249 workers.

If a company fails to erase a pay gap detected by the software over three years, labor inspectors could impose a fine of up to 1% of the firm’s wage bill.

“The software is not a magic wand, but it will reveal certain differences in the pay between men and women,” Philippe told journalists after meeting with unions and employers.

The government aims to iron out the details in the coming month with employers, unions and experts and include the plans in a broader labor reform package to be presented to parliament next month.

Companies will also have to be more transparent about their gender pay gaps: they will be required to publish them on their Web sites and internally unions will have access to data by job role and seniority.

The government’s plan met with concern among employers who attended Philippe’s presentation.

“The additional burden must not be counter-productive, deactivating entrepreneurs,” said Jean-Michel Pottier, vice-president of the CGPME federation of small company employers.

Union leaders who attended Philippe’s presentation were open to the government’s plan, but some also had reservations about what criteria would be used for determining whether a pay gap existed. — Reuters

With Manila condo, TLDC targets college students

By Arra B. Francia, Reporter

TORRE LORENZO Development Corp. (TLDC) turned over its P2.37-billion residential condominium across the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila on Thursday, with more than 80% of the units sold.

“We are building upgraded residences for students, we want to make sure that is very similar to their homes, that’s why we have university condos near schools,” TLDC President and Chief Executive Officer Tomas P. Lorenzo told reporters on the sidelines of the turnover ceremony in España Boulevard, Manila.

Located seven minutes away from UST, Torre Central’s units range from 16.55 to 37 square meters, with the most affordable ones priced at between P2.7 million to P3 million.

TLDC said it has sold 86% of the 475 units in the building, with the remaining 14% kept as part of the company’s policy to lease out the units by itself to boost recurring income.

Amenities at Torre Central include study rooms, meeting rooms, a fitness gym, and swimming pool.

Entrance to the building features RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology, which immediately sends notifications to parents of student residents when they leave and come back to the premises.

The company is targeting the high-end market for the project, not just university students, but also young professionals and overseas Filipino buyers.

“We’re hitting a certain market, the budget is P15,000 to P20,000 per month. We’ve been doing this since 2001, so we know there’s a market. You’re getting hotel quality. The management is hotel level,” Mr. Lorenzo said.

Torre Central is the TLDC’s fourth completed residential condominium, following its buildings near the De La Salle University along Taft Avenue and near the University of Perpetual Help in Las Piñas.

The company has three more similar projects in the pipeline, as it is now building the third Torre Lorenzo along Taft Avenue, near the University of the Philippines Manila, and near the Ateneo de Manila University in Katipunan, Quezon City.

Apart from student residences, TLDC is also ramping up its portfolio in the hospitality sector with the construction of four hotels set to be completed in the next five years.

The company targets to generate P2.4 billion in reservation sales this year, 38% higher than what the P1.8 billion it generated in 2017. TLDC currently has a P6.2-billion inventory for student residences.

Mandated lending concerns

Nestor V. Tan, BDO Unibank, Inc. president, gave a very incisive talk to the FINEX general membership recently on the state of the banking industry in the Philippines. He discussed the need for balance in the approach to the regulation of the industry which has seen a major shift in priorities. Prior to the global financial crisis, regulations encouraged economic growth over stability. The present state has shifted towards the other extreme, with the need to ensure stability taking precedence over growth. He also discussed the differences between the developed world and the Philippines, asking in the process whether the regulatory framework should consider said differences. Among these distinctions between the developed countries and ours are: (a) overbanked vs unbanked; (b) dispersed ownership vs. family controlled setup; (c) service fees vs. intermediation fees; (d) transactional vs. relationship banking; and (e) emphasis on internal profits vs growth. He likewise identified key metrics of the Philippine banking industry vis-à-vis its peers like Indonesia, Thailand and India.

As Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) president, I am sure Mr. Tan’s speech will receive a lot of attention from our regulators. We expect and hope that his exposition will trigger a review of regulation so that it can be fine-tuned to be responsive to the needs of the country at this stage of economic development.

In this column, my focus would be on one aspect of the critique on regulation — mandatory lending. Three points were made related to this policy intervention. One, in terms of efficiency pain points, the compliance cost as a percentage of revenue in the Philippines is quite high, around 8-9%, which exceeds the 6-7% of Indonesia and the 3-4% of India. Contributing to regulatory cost is mandated lending although it adds less than 1%. Two, the mandated lending for agri-agra in the first quarter of 2016 was shown to be P744.3 billion. Yet the cost of production for all areas planted/harvested for the same period was only P329.5 billion, of which technically the credit requirement for the planted/harvested area would only sum up to P197.7 billion. This is as per data from the Agriculture Credit Policy Council. In other words, the presentation illustrates that the mandated loans is over 300% the needs of the sector. Finally, the mandatory allocation rule is a one size fits all policy not cognizant of bank differentiation whether in size or market focus.

The presentation makes a way clear case for reviewing and even scrapping the mandatory lending requirement. It is poorly designed and it forces lending to a sector whose needs do not reflect such volume of support. It is not market friendly and it forces financial institutions to lend to a sector that it is not designed to serve, thus exposing them to heightened risk level. Their lending decisions can be distorted and there is a potential damage to the banking sector out of bad loans that can lead to the deterioration of health of financial providers.

This writer totally agrees that the agri-agra mandated lending rule is out of sync with market realities. However is the same argument valid when mandating lending to MSMEs?

In the same presentation, the metric of credit to SMEs as a percentage of gross domestic product for 2015 was shown. The Philippine record is 3.7% which pales in comparison to Indonesia’s 10.7% and Thailand’s 42.1%. As a response, the BAP is providing policy inputs to support financial inclusion for unbanked and underbanked individuals and SMEs. Also it is recognized that 69% of Filipinos don’t have an account at formal institutions, while 47% borrow money, but mostly from informal sources (72%) and only few from banks (4%).

For this reason, I would argue that there is still space for a reasonably designed mandatory lending policy in the MSME field considering that 99% of all enterprises in the Philippines are still in this category. With MSMEs contributing up to 30% of the country’s gross value added, would it be too much to ask that these MSME’s get at least 10% share of intermediation flows from our banking sector. However, the definition of who should benefit from the priority lending regulation needs to be re-examined and the mechanics enhanced by way of incentives as against pure penalty. Clearly, the unreasonable issues concerning the agri-agra mandate with its supply-demand mismatch is polluting the good intent of the MSME mandate.

Without some kind of intervention, studies clearly show that banks will engage in credit rationing due to uncertainty issues such as agency problems, asymmetric information, adverse selection, and monitoring problems. The credit-rationing problem is more pronounced in the SME sector because of size, volatility of earnings, opaqueness or lack of transparency, governance, lack of distinction between the business and the enterprise person, etc. The situation is aggravated by structural rigidity in the legal, institutional, and regulatory framework. The tendency to exclude SMEs from lending becomes more pronounced.

The primary rationale for advocating priority lending is market failure when money fails to flow to areas and sectors due to perceived risk as well as urban bias. It constitutes affirmative action so that resources are channeled to vulnerable sectors of the economy, which nonetheless has the potential to increase productivity and spur economic development. It is also part of an inclusive policy so that the small and disadvantaged are able to equitably participate in national growth.

 

Benel D. Lagua is Executive Vice-President at the Development Bank of the Philippines. He is an active FINEX member and a long time advocate of risk-based lending for SMEs.

Your Weekend Guide (March 9, 2018)

Rex Smith returns for concert

AMERICAN singer-actor Rex Smith returns for an exclusive one-night only concert entitled Broadway and Beyond on March 14, 8 p.m., at the Newport Performing Arts Theater at Resorts World Manila. Having performed on Broadway stages for over 30 years, the pop singer will be singing Broadway hits from The Phantom of the Opera, Grease, Jesus Christ Superstar, to The Sound of Music, along with his hits “Simply Jesse,” “Let’s Make a Memory,” “You Take My Breath Away,” “Everlasting Love,” and “Speechless” among others. He will be joined onstage by young Filipino singers Lilibeth Garcia, JV Decena, and Joaquin. Tickets are now available at the RWM Box Office and all TicketWorld outlets.

Dalagita by Dulaang UP

DULAANG UP’s Ang Dalagita Ay ’Sang Bagay Na Di-Buo, an adaptation of Eimear McBride’s novel A Girl Is A Half-Formed Thing, directed by Jose Estrella from Rody Vera’s Filipino translation of the adaptation by Annie Ryan features Skyzx Labastilla as Dalagita, playing her from fetus to young womanhood, and everyone she meets throughout her life. Alternating in the role are Missy Maramara, Opaline Santos and Hariette Damole. There are performances on March 7, 8, 9 at 7 p.m., and March 10 and 11 at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., at the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theatre, Palma Hall, UP Diliman. For inquiries, call the Dulaang UP office, 926-1348 or 981-8500 local 2449.

Jef Cablog’s Confluence

ALLIANCE Française de Manille, with the support of Galerie Francesca and the Embassy of France, presents Confluence, the 5th solo exhibition of Jef Cablog until April 20 at the Alliance Française de Manille Gallery. The exhibit features mixed media works and paintings in relation to environment degradation and overconsumption.

Nenita and Ninay dolls

FESTIVAL MALL in Alabang, Muntinlupa City is celebrating International Women’s Month with a showcase of a dozen of Patis Tesoro’s Nenita and Ninay dolls, dressed in their best Filipiniana finery. The dolls are on exhibit at Festival Mall’s Expansion Hall, Upper Ground Floor, Expansion Wing from March 8 to 18.

Fassbinder films shown

THE GOETHE-INSTITUT Philippinen presents a retrospective of the works of German filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Eleven of his films including a documentary about him will be screened for free every weekend in two venues: the Ili Likha Artists Village in Baguio from March 10 to April 1, and the Cinematheque Centre Manila from April 7 to April 22.

Himala: Isang Musikal

AICELLE SANTOS stars as Elsa, a young woman who is looked upon as her desperate town’s savior, in Himala: Isang Musikal. The last show will be on March 10, 8 p.m., at the PowerMac Center Spotlight, Circuit Lane, Circuit Makati, Makati City. The musical is based on the 1982 Ishmael Bernal film starring Nora Aunor. For tickets, visit TicketWorld (www.ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

’Night, Mother

PETA closes its 50th theater season with Marsha Norman’s Pulitzer-prize winning drama, ’Night, Mother, featuring Eugene Domingo and Sherry Lara. The show runs until March 18 at the PETA Theater Center, No. 5 Eymard Drive, New Manila, Quezon City. For tickets and schedules, visit TicketWorld (www.ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

Kinky Boots returns

ATLANTIS’ production of the musical that earned every Best Musical award including the Tony, the Grammy, and London’s Olivier Award, returns with performances until March 18 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza in Makati City. With music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, and directed by Bobby Garcia, Kinky Boots is about Charlie, a struggling shoe factory owner, who teams up with Lola, a crossdressing entertainer, to save the business. For tickets and schedules, visit TicketWorld (www.ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

Silent Sky

REPERTORY PHILIPPINES presents Lauren Guderson’s Silent Sky from March 2 to 25 at the Onstage Theater in Greenbelt 1, Makati City. Directed by Joy Virata, the show tells the true story of astronomer Henrietta Levitt and her discoveries in the 1920s. For tickets and schedules, visit TicketWorld (www.ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

Spanish films

TO CELEBRATE International Women’s Day, Instituto Cervantes treats moviegoers to “Espacio femenino: Spanish Female Directors,” a series of movies directed by Spanish female filmmakers. The film cycle, held every Saturday, 6 p.m., at the FDCP Cinematheque Manila, aims to highlight the relevance of female filmmakers in the film industry. On March 10, Leticia Dolera’s 2015 comedy Requisitos para ser una persona normal (Requirements to Be a Normal Person) will be screened. This will be followed by Vicky Calavia’s 2017 documentary María Moliner on March 17, and a series of short films called Riot Girls: Españolas en corto on March 24. Entrance is free on a first-come, first-served basis. For details, visit http://manila.cervantes.es.

Music at Shangri-La

IT’S a musical March at Shangri-La Plaza, with all girl acoustic group The Three of Us on March 10, 6:30 p.m., at the East Atrium, followed by South Border performing its famous R&B classics at 7 p.m. Throwback Thursdays continues on March 15 with a playlist of memorable songs from ABBA, and March 22 will feature the Carpenters, performed by the Bernie Pasamba Quartet. Former Side A front man Joey Generoso will perform his newest rock ballads on March 24, 7 p.m., at the Grand Atrium.

Amorsolo at Yuchengco

THE Yuchengco Museum and Young Artists Studio will hold Back to Basics, a drawing and art appreciation workshop inspired National Artist Fernando Amorsolo. The three-day course, facilitated by Avie Felix and Oliver Ramos, will be held on March 10, 17 and 24, 2 p.m.-5 p.m., at the Yuchengco Museum, The price of P6,800 is inclusive of materials. There will also be a talk called “Conversations: Remembering Amorsolo,” with art critic and historian Cid Reyes and Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo, the daughter of Fernando Amorsolo, on March 10, 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Entrance is P300. For reservations, e-mail info@yuchengcomuseum.org or call 889-1234. The Yuchengco Museum is at RCBC Plaza, corner Ayala and Senator Gil J. Puyat Aves., Makati City.

Comedy nights

COMEDY MANILA presents Funny Fridays: Can’t Stop Laughing at 8:30 p.m. every Friday at the Teatrino in Promenade Greenhills, San Juan. For tickets (P500) and schedules, visit TicketWorld (www.ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

When the CEO wants to cheat on taxes

I’m the accounting manager at a medium-sized corporation engaged in food manufacturing. It’s about my new boss and the CEO of our company who wants me to shave something out of our gross income so that we’ll pay the lowest possible tax to the government and put up a bigger net profit. I’m afraid of losing my job of 25 years. I’m too old to seek employment elsewhere. What can I do? — In a Dilemma.

We owe it to ourselves to succeed. After that, everything we owe to the national internal revenue agency. Really, it’s an ethical issue that will depend on your personal values as there are ethical issues that can be described at times as exceedingly complex, when you must consider a bigger context, like the possible closure of your organization and dismissal of people as a result of tax cases that may be filed later on.

This is not to mention the possibility of the company officials being dragged into a legal controversy.

Managerial ethics are difficult to define in an exact manner. However, it can be best understood when compared with the requirements of the law and the individual’s free choice as reflected in our own personal values.

In your situation, tax evasion is illegal per se. However, if you don’t follow the instructions of the CEO, you may be in for bigger trouble. Your boss may put you in hot water or put you in the freezer for some time where you can do nothing.

Of course, you can retaliate by filing a labor case. Now, if that happens you may prepare for a bigger battle more than you can imagine. On the other hand, the CEO and the organization are aware of the possibility that you may use the illegal request as a defense and may withhold their fire.

Instead, it may offer you a handsome separation package, should you wish to resign sand save yourself the trouble.

Many ethical cases involve a conflict between one’s personal values and the organization, if not the organization versus society and the government as a whole. Which one should prevail — your individual concerns or the organization’s objective of profitability, in general?

One recent ethical test case is the infamous vaccine that has been in the news in our jurisdiction. In this case, should this kind of vaccine which has not yet been approved by medical authorities and drug administrators in its home country be allowed for export to other countries like the Philippines where the standards are sometimes much lower, and not as stringent as those found in First World countries?

Ethical decisions entail real conflict between your individual self and that of the organization and other employees. And so, it’s really up to you to decide on your situation. But before you make your final and firm decision, try to explore answering the following questions:

1. Would you consider sending a whistle-blower’s letter to the Board of Directors as a dangerous idea? Yes or no. Explore.

2. Are you the only one who knows about the CEO’s illegal request? If no, what are the other peoples’ positions? Are they supporting the CEO?

3. Would you like to be transferred to another work function or department to avoid performing the task? What are the chances?

4. Would your deputy agree on the same kind of arrangement, if ever you decide to move on to other opportunities elsewhere?

5. Have you exhausted all possible means and make recommendations to the CEO certain allowable tax avoidance options that may be legally acceptable?

6. What’s the chance that your management would put you in a difficult situation by charging you with every imaginable offenses against the company?

7. Last, how about early retirement? You may be able to get sizeable separation benefits.

Managers and their CEOs engage in unethical behavior for many, varied reasons. These include greed, ego, and pressure from the Board of Directors purposely to increase profits or appear successful to people and other organizations. However, it is only managers like you who carry the tremendous responsibility for setting the ethical climate in your organization. You must be the first one to act as a role model for ethical behavior, even if others can’t do it.

Once again, it is only you who can make the decision.

elbonomics@gmail.com

What to see this week

4 films to see on the week of March 9-16, 2018


Selfie from Hell

Vlogger Julia from Germany falls ill upon visiting her cousin Hannah in the US. Hannah is prompted to discover the cause and comes across Julia’s blog entries. Horrific events occur when Hannah gets deeply immersed in the Web. Directed by Erdal Ceylan, it stars Alyson Walker, Tony Giroux, and Meelah Adams.

MTRCB Rating: R-13


Ajin: The Immortals

Based on the manga of the same title by Gamon Sakurai, the story focuses on hospital intern Kei Nagai who, after an accident, realizes that he belongs to Ajin, an immortal race. With the government subjecting him to various experiments, fellow Ajin Sato comes to the rescue. However, Kei recoils from Sato’s violence. Directed by Katsoyuki Motohiro, it stars Tekaru Satoh, Mamoru Miyano, and Go Ayano. The Strait Times’ Boon Chan remarks, “There are enough twists and turns to keep one engaged and the good news is that they feel organic to the fantasy world conjured up here.”

MTRCB Rating: PG


Ang Pambansang Third Wheel

Trina has always been the third wheel in relationships. When she meets the man who passes her standards, she finds out that he is a single father with an eight-year-old son (and his mother is still around). Trina is challenged finally to go beyond being the third wheel. Directed by Ivan Payawal, it stars Sam Milby, Yassi Pressman, and Alonzo Muhlach.

MTRCB Rating: PG


Tomb Raider

YOUNG Lara Croft solves the puzzle of her father’s mysterious death by traveling to his last destination — a tomb on a mythical island off the coast of Japan. The perilous adventure earns her the name “Tomb Raider.” Directed by Roar Uthaug, it stars Alicia Vikander, Walton Goggins, Hannah John-Kamen, and Dominic West.

MTRCB Rating: PG

Sectoral distribution of public expenditures

How PSEi member stocks performed — March 8, 2018

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Thursday, March 8, 2018.

Government borrowing up 129% in 2017 at nearly P759 billion

GOVERNMENT borrowing doubled in 2017 to its highest level in five years, according to the Bureau of Treasury (BTr).

Last year, total government borrowing was P758.93 billion, up 129%.

The record remains P866.86 billion, set in 2012. The 2017 level also exceeded the P631.29-billion borrowing target.

At the end of 2017, the government borrowed P731.36 billion from domestic sources, or 96% bringing local loans to about 96% of the total. Funds sourced externally amounted to P27.57 billion.

Domestic borrowing in 2017 grew 106%, while foreign borrowing turned net positive in 2017 from minus P24.113 billion in 2016.

The government borrows to finance its budget deficit and pay down debt.

In December, total debt amounted to P229.95 billion.

The largest portion of domestic borrowing was generated by two retail Treasury bonds (RTB) last year, raising P437.1 billion in March and November.

The government also raised P270.03 billion from auctions of Treasury bonds in 2017, up from P233.95 billion a year earlier. Meanwhile, P26.23 billion was raised from Treasury bills.

Foreign project loans hit P33.42 billion, up from P18.79 billion a year earlier. Program loans on the other hand amounted to P35.11 billion, sliding from P35.59 billion booked in 2016. — Karl Angelo N. Vidal

Panel releases findings on solar FiT qualification

THE Department of Energy (DoE) committee evaluating the process of endorsing solar projects for the 20-year guaranteed rate under the feed-in-tariff (FiT) system has released its findings without resolving the claims of those left with unviable solar farms.

In a 12-page report, excluding attachments, members of the panel said their study “revealed several challenges” in the implementation of the FiT guidelines. They came up with 10 recommendations, including directing the department’s legal services to respond to all pending inquiries as to the basis for exclusion of projects from the solar FiT.

The order to the legal team was meant to “resolve with dispatch” the pending legal actions before the department, and to determine whether the petitioning project qualified before the March 15, 2016 deadline, and within the 500-megawatt (MW) installation target.

The FiT system offers guaranteed payments on a fixed rate per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for 20 years for emerging renewable energy sources in a “first to build, first to FiT” race. Electricity consumers who are supplied with electricity through the distribution or transmission network share in the cost of the FiT through a uniform charge per kWh. That charge is used to pay the solar power developers.

In its report, the panel recommended that the DoE’s Renewable Energy Management Bureau (REMB) strictly comply with the timeline within the FiT eligibility guidelines “for the timely issuance of the required certificates and issuances.”

“In lining up the permitting, it must, therefore, be necessary that all documentary requirements are deemed to have been secured prior to the authority to connect. This protects the process as well as the integrity of the grid, which we are now seeing as a very important consideration in allowing intermittent renewable energy resource to connect,” the committee said.

It recommended that the REMB be directed to coordinate with the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines and the Philippine Electricity Market Corp. in providing the complete checklist of documents that will be used as the basis for issuing an authority to connect.

The DoE committee also recommended tweaks in the definition of terms, including aligning them with those used by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to prevent confusion.

“For policy consideration, it is recommended to change the word ‘Successful Commissioning’ of Sec. 6 (e) of Department Circular 2013-05-0009 to ‘Commercial Operation’ since what is endorsed to the ERC for FiT Eligibility are those projects which attained commercial operation,” it said.

The committee’s report was requested by the Senate energy committee in a hearing late last year. Some solar power developers received a copy of the report.

In June 2016, the DoE endorsed seven solar projects to receive a rate of P9.68 for each kWh they feed into the electricity distribution or transmission network, while 17 others are to get P8.69 per kWh, ending speculation about the outcome of its installation target for the renewable energy.

The 24 solar projects that were endorsed to receive the guaranteed FiT were developed by 20 companies, which in all have installed 525.95 MW or 25.95 MW more than the department’s target of 500 MW.

Former Energy secretary Zenaida Y. Monsada said that the 500-MW installation target was exceeded by around 300 MW. She left to the current administration the resolution of the rate for those that failed to make it to the DoE list. — Victor V. Saulon

Norway, Switzerland tout trade potential of EFTA agreement

NORWAY and Switzerland see the potential for increased trade and investment opportunities after the Philippines ratified a free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), ambassadors from those countries said.

“This agreement is beneficial to both parties and will encourage and stimulate cross-border trade,” Norwegian Ambassador Erik Forner said in a statement Thursday.

“FTAs achieve better results for our respective workplaces, our consumers and for the improvement of living standards than restrictive international collaboration,” he added.

Norwegian businesses hope to tap the agreement to expand activity in the areas of fisheries, seafaring, maritime transport, energy as well as financial services, he said.

Swiss Ambassador Andrea Reichlin said trade agreements “provide entrepreneurial incentives, as well as the highest political commitment to move forward in the best interest of (their) respective citizens and in managing global commerce.”

Swiss businesses, he said, are eager to offer services and innovative technologies in Clean Tech, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy and precision engineering.

The other two EFTA members are Iceland and Liechtenstein.

Once the in force, all four members of EFTA and the Philippines are expected to lower tariffs on a list of commodities to be negotiated, while a broad range of goods and services will be granted free market access. — Janina C. Lim

House panel: Probable cause to impeach Sereno

THE House of Representatives’ justice committee on Thursday voted 38-2 to find probable cause to impeach Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P.A. Sereno.

The committee, chaired by Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo V. Umali, tasked a technical working group to prepare the articles of impeachment as well as a report that will be voted upon by the committee members on March 14.

The group is composed of vice chair Representatives Arnulfo P. Fuentebella of Camarines Sur (4th district), Doy C. Leachon of Oriental Mindoro (1st District), Henry S. Oaminal of Misamis Occidental (2nd District), Strike B. Revilla of Cavite (2nd Ddistrict), and Vicente S.E. Veloso of Leyte (3rd District).

Asked which among the charges against Ms. Sereno are the strongest, Mr. Umali said: “Lahat malakas naman eh. ’Yung SALN (Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth), ’yung tax, ’yung violation of collegiality of the Supreme Court, siguro ’yung clustering. ’Yung mga major. ’Yung iba kasi siguro iko-collapse na lang ’yon, iko-combine into one article.” (All the charges are strong: [regarding] SALN, tax, violation of collegiality of the Supreme Court, and maybe the clustering. The major ones. The others are probably going to be collapsed and combined into one article.)

Mr. Umali said it’s up to the rules committee, headed by Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo C. Fariñas (Ilocos Norte, 1st District), when it will calendar the committee report for the plenary.

Mr. Fariñas said earlier in an interview that the House is likely to tackle Ms. Sereno’s impeachment in the plenary “when we return on May 14.” Congress will go on a break starting March 21.

The committee also approved a motion by Deputy Majority Leader Juan Pablo Bondoc (Pampanga, 4th District) to declassify a psychiatric evaluation report on Ms. Sereno and others matters covered by the executive session conducted last Feb. 27, with the aim of having these form part of the evidence against the Chief Justice.

The others who voted on probable cause are: Deputy Speakers Raneo E. Abu (Batangas, 2nd District), Mylene J. Garcia-Albano (Davao City, 2nd District), Fredenil H. Castro (Capiz, 2nd District), Gwendolyn F. Garcia (Cebu, 3rd District), Ferdinand L. Hernandez (South Cotabato, 2nd District), and Eric D. Singson (Ilocos Sur, 2nd District);

Deputy Majority Leaders Mr. Bondoc, Anthony M. Bravo (COOP NATCCO Party-List), Jose Angel N. Campos, Jr. (Makati City, 2nd District), Vincent P. Crisologo (Quezon City, 1st District), Eugene Michael B. De Vera (ABS Party-List), Arthur R. Defensor, Jr. (Iloilo, 3rd District), Alfredo A. Garbin, Jr. (AKO BICOL Party-List), Aurelio D. Gonzales, Jr. (Pampanga, 3rd District), Gerald Anthony V. Gullas, Jr. (Cebu, 1st District), Ann K. Hofer (Zamboanga Sibugay, 2nd District), Roger G. Mercado (the lone district of Southern Leyte), and Victoria Isabel G. Noel (AN WARAY Party-List).

Representatives Romeo M. Acop (Antipolo, 2nd District), Marlyn L. Primicias-Agabas (Pangasinan, 6th District), Rose Marie J. Arenas (Pangasinan, 3rd District), Rodel M. Batocabe (AKO BICOL Party-List), Ciriaco S. Calalang (KABAYAN Party-List), Lucy Torres-Gomez (Leyte, 4th District), Ruwel Peter S. Gonzaga (Compostela Valley, 2nd District), Benhur B. Lopez, Jr. (YACAP Party-List), Roy M. Loyola (Cavite, 5th District), Rodante D. Marcoleta (SAGIP Party-List ), Abigail Faye C. Ferriol-Pascual (KALINGA Party-List), Johnny Ty-Pimentel (Surigao del Sur, 2nd District), Xavier Jesus D. Romualdo   (the lone district of Camiguin), Ron P. Salo (KABAYAN Party-List), and Carlos Roman Uybarreta (1-CARE Party-List).

The two dissenters are Representatives Kaka J. Bag-ao (the lone district of Dinagat Islands) and Jose Christopher Y. Belmonte (Quezon City, 6th District).

Also on Thursday, Ms. Sereno, in a speech at the annual convention of the Philippine Women Judges Association (PWJA), said she “will not yield” and will “continue to fight” amid calls for her removal from office.

“All kinds of lies, threats, harassment, and bullying have been throw my way but I will not yield,” the Chief Justice said.

She added: “That is why I must fight to have my day at the Senate Impeachment Court. This fight is a fight for Judicial Independence, for the right of every Member of the Court to confront her accuser face to face in a trial type proceeding.”

“Indeed, I look at any forum to try me other than the constitutionally exclusive forum of impeachment as an admission by the complainant and my other detractors that after 15 hearings, they have failed to come up with any evidence with which I can be convicted in the Senate.” — Minde Nyl R. dela Cruz and Dane Angelo M. Enerio

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