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Slackliner

Daniel Laruelle of South Africa walks on the line during the Highline Extreme event in Moleson peak, western Switzerland on September 15, 2017.
Fifty of the Worlds best slackliners compete until September 17, 2017 on six different lines ranging from 45 meters to 304 meters. — AFP

From a distance

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un watches a launch drill of the medium-and-long range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12 at an undisclosed location. Kim vowed to complete North Korea’s nuclear force despite sanctions, saying the final goal of his country’s weapons development is “equilibrium of real force” with the United States, state media said on Sept. 16. — AFP

PSEi finishes with new record high

By Arra B. Francia
Reporter

INVESTOR CONFIDENCE grounded on looming tax reform and end to the Aug. 22-Sept. 19 Chinese “ghost month” propelled the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) to a new record-high finish on Thursday.

The bellwether index rose 1.13% or 91.03 points to 8,144.91 yesterday, marking its highest finish since April 10, 2015 when it ended at 8,127.48. PSEi also posted an intraday all-time high of 8,169.64, 32.67 points more than the previous intraday record of 8,136.97 on April 7, 2015.

The all-shares index edged up 0.83% or 39.56 points to 4,815.91, while all six sectoral indices ended with gains of 0.15-1.79%.

“The stock market’s surge to a record high underpins investor confidence in the local economy and in the Philippine capital markets. The Philippines remains a favorite among emerging markets as it continues to provide attractive returns,” PSE President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Monzon was quoted as saying in a statement.

Analysts attributed the bourse’s performance yesterday to expectations that Congress will approve before yearend the first of up to five tax reform packages which the administration needs to spend about P8.44 trillion on infrastructure up to 2022 in order to spur economic growth faster.

Wall Street yesterday also hit record highs (story on S2/6), while a number of major Asian markets slipped: Japan’s Nikkei 225 and Topix Index, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng, Shanghai-Shenzhen’s CSI 300, the S&P/ASX 200 and MSCI AC Asia Pacific shed 0.29%, 0.32%, 0.42%, 0.33%, 0.10% and 0.10%, respectively.

“The tax reform program — it has been talked about that soon it will be looked into before the year ends in October. So this may have contributed to the positive attitude of the investing public. The tax reform is important, as long as it’s crafted properly because the government needs that,” Summit Securities, Inc. President Harry G. Liu said in a phone interview.

UPCC Securities Corp. equities trader Aristotle D. Reyes, Jr., while citing tax reforms as well as one of yesterday’s drivers, also noted that “[i]nvestors are speculating that it’s time to buy, because ghost month is almost over… so it’s an opportunity for some investors to take a jump into the equities market.”

Diversified Securities, Inc. equity trader Aniceto K. Pangan said PSEi could be “heading to 8,200” by “the end of the year,” adding that it could even reach 8,400-8,500 should the first tax reform package be enacted.

For Summit Securities’ Mr. Liu: “[d]efinitely now we’re seeking for record high” and “[t]he index will stop when the issues are overly priced…”

“[A]s of now — for me — 10,000 is supposed to be the direction, hopefully within the year or next year,” he said.

“As long as it starts to move above the new high, then the development of the market is towards the 10,000, based on my technical reading.”

Court orders Maynilad rate increase

By Victor V. Saulon
Sub-Editor

A QUEZON CITY COURT has granted the petition of Maynilad Water Services, Inc. for enforcement of an arbitral award granting a tariff hike after the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) refused to implement the same.

“This decision confirms that the concession agreement works, and restores investor confidence in the public-private partnership program of the government,” Maynilad President Ramoncito S. Fernandez said on Thursday in separate disclosures of the utility’s controlling stakeholders Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) and DMCI Holdings, Inc.

“This also ensures the continued implementation of Maynilad’s capital expenditure projects that are intended to benefit further our customers.”

The disclosures said the decision by the Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 93 of Quezon City granted the petition on Aug. 30, 2017.

The petition was filed in July 2015 after the refusal of MWSS and its Regulatory Office to implement the Dec. 29, 2014 final award that resulted from arbitration between Maynilad and the regulator.

The final award upheld the 13.41% rebasing adjustment that Maynilad proposed for the fourth rebasing from Jan. 1, 2013 to Dec. 31, 2017.

MWSS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its next move after the court decision.

Erik S. Dy, spokesperson of Solicitor General Jose C. Calida, declined to comment, saying: “The Office of the Solicitor General has yet to receive a copy the RTC decision.”

Shares of MPIC yesterday closed down 0.29% at P6.77 apiece, while those of DMCI rose by 1.97% to end P16.60 each.

Maynilad, however, said MWSS may yet question the ruling with the Court of Appeals within 15 days of receiving a copy.

“Once the RTC decision confirming the final award and ordering its immediate implementation becomes final and executory, Maynilad’s 2017 average basic charge would increase by 9.89% which represents the balance of the 13.41% rebasing adjustment that has yet to be implemented,” Maynilad said.

The company said the adjustments will translate to an average increase of P3.41 per cubic meter (/cu.m.) to the 2017 average basic charge of P34.51/cu.m.

Maynilad said households with monthly water consumption of up to 10 cu.m. will see an increase of P11.56 in their monthly bill, to P130.18 from P118.61. Those with monthly water consumption of 20 cu.m. will see a P43.76-per-month hike to P488.05 from P444.29.

“Residential customers who consume 20 cu.m. per month constitute 29% of our total billed services,” Jennifer C. Rufo, Maynilad officer-in-charge for corporate communications, said, adding that “[t]he RTC decision is still appealable.”

“The MWSS has 15 days from receipt of the decision to file its appeal.”

The company said in the disclosures that “[i]f and when implemented, the tariff increase would also ameliorate Maynilad’s claim against the Philippine Republic for an ongoing revenue shortfall in this respect, as recently determined by a three-man arbitral tribunal that unanimously upheld Maynilad’s claim against the Philippine Republic.”

A separate arbitral tribunal last July 24 ordered the government to reimburse Maynilad at least P3.425 billion for losses incurred from Jan. 1, 2013 to March 10, 2015 from delayed implementation of its rebased water rates. The tribunal ruled that Maynilad is entitled to recover from the Republic its losses from Sept. 1, 2016 onwards.

MPIC is one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.

An employee of Maynilad Water Services, Inc. checks meters in this undated photograph which the utility e-mailed to journalists on Aug. 8. Maynilad has been pressing the government to implement a Dec. 29, 2014 arbitral ruling that upheld its tariff hike, as well as a July 24 decision on compensation for at least P3.4-billion losses from delayed implementation.

Foreign chambers pitch reforms to Duterte gov’t

By Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan
Reporter

FOREIGN BUSINESS chambers in the country yesterday set the tone for engagement with the over one-year-old government of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, unveiling reform proposals under their continuing “Arangkada Philippines” initiative that was launched in 2010 at the beginning of the previous administration.

In their Sept. 14 annual report, titled: “Implementing the 10-point agenda” — referring to guideposts the current government has adopted in order to spur overall economic growth faster and reduce the ranks of the poor when it ends its term in mid-2022 — the seven members of the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines (JFC) said this year’s recommendations were drawn from unfinished reforms in past “Arangkada” (accelerate) lists, the government’s own blueprint as especially contained in the 2017-2022 Philippine Development Plan, as well as inputs from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines “and other sources.”

The JFC said its “extensive menu of policy suggestions” is designed to ensure that “the Philippines will be rated in future years much closer to the other ASEAN-6 economies that it currently lags behind,” referring to bigger economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The reforms are grouped under the topics: continuing the macroeconomic agenda; increase competition and the ease of doing business; infrastructure building; rural development; human capital development and reproductive health; science, technology, and arts; and poverty alleviation and social protection program.

Recommendations include various tax reforms, pushing the government “to double” gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate to nine percent (compared to 7-8% officially targeted up to 2022), “supported by a clear long-term industry policy”; growing merchandise exports by 15% a year (compared to 5-9% annually under official targets until 2022); strengthening delivery of microfinance and micro-insurance products and services; improving transparency and the regulatory environment; opening up further telecommunications, retail and public utilities; an aspiration for foreign direct investments to exceed $10 billion partly by making the Foreign Investment Negative List “more positive” by reducing restrictions; creation of independent regulators for railways, airports and seaports; improving the public-private partnership framework “to free up fiscal space,” speeding up power projects and drafting a renewable energy road map; mass transit systems for Cebu and Davao cities; reviewing the average effective tax rate for large-scale mining to make sure it is not more than what is imposed across Asia and the Pacific; increasing the public education budget to four percent of GDP; further revising curricula to narrow the skills-jobs mismatch; allowing foreign schools to operate and foreigners to teach in the Philippines; as well as reducing fertility rate to 2.1% in 2022 from 3.1% in 2015.

“I think at this stage, there is progress being made,” American Chamber of Commerce Senior Advisor John D. Forbes said in a press conference yesterday at the sidelines of the “Arangkada” report launch in Manila Marriott Hotel in Pasay City.

“But the question is: is it going to continue and increase the pace?”

Think tank says PHL political governance weakest in Asia

By Melissa Luz T. Lopez
Senior Reporter

THE PHILIPPINES has the weakest governance system in Asia, an international think tank said, noting that abrupt policy changes under President Rodrigo R. Duterte have not delivered substantial gains despite his popularity among Filipinos.

“The quality of political governance has deteriorated sharply under the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte,” the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, Ltd. (PERC) said in its latest Asian Intelligence report published on Wednesday, citing the possibility that the tough-talking leader would put the entire country under martial law.

“Although many Filipinos are impressed with Mr. Duterte’s strong, direct approach to dealing with problems, the results he has achieved have been disappointing. Mr. Duterte has consistently overestimated his ability to solve major problems and to translate his policies into action,” it noted.

“Moreover, some of his policies could actually be producing exactly the opposite results from which they are intended, leaving the Philippines worse off.”

BusinessWorld asked Malacañang for comment but had yet to receive a response as of early last night.

PERC gave a 4.38 average score for the Philippines for 2017 under a 10-point grading scale, with 10 being the best possible score and zero as the worst.

The country got 5.21 as its highest score in terms of “government effectiveness,” but received a 3.32 grade in terms of “vulnerability to disruptive or extra-constitutional” changes in government.

The other categories were regulatory quality (4.93), rule of law (4.31) and control of corruption (4.14).

The Philippines’ average score is the lowest among 12 economies in the region which PERC covered, next to Indonesia (4.52), Vietnam (4.75), India (4.94), Thailand (4.97), China (5.54) and Malaysia (6.24).

Singapore was rated with the best political institutions at 8.84, followed by Japan (8.24), Hong Kong (8.04), Taiwan (7.23) and South Korea (7.06).

Mr. Duterte won the May 2016 national elections convincingly with 16 million votes in a five-way race, as he dangled the promise of ridding the country of crime and illegal drugs in three to six months upon assuming office. He later on conceded that such a feat was impossible, as he is now on his second year in Malacañang.

PERC analysts said the country’s poor scores reflected the government’s “inability to deal” with the terrorist attacks in Mindanao, as the battle to retake Marawi City stretches to a fourth month.

Moreover, Mr. Duterte’s pivot to China and away from the United States “has not yet produced any dividends” one year since such declaration in October last year, despite the promise of billions of dollars in investments that would support his administration’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure initiative. Economic managers expect over $9 billion of official development assistance from China and Japan to support big-ticket infrastructure projects over the next five years, which in turn is expected to propel economic growth to as fast as 7-8% by 2022 by improving connectivity and ease of doing business.

Aquino to be charged over Mamasapano operation

OMBUDSMAN Conchita Carpio-Morales has affirmed the finding of probable cause to charge former president Benigno S.C. Aquino III before the Sandiganbayan for the Mamasapano operation of 2015, the Office of the Ombudsman said in a statement on Thursday, Sept. 14.

Mr. Aquino, the statement said, will face trial for one count of violation of Section 3(a) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019) and one count of Usurpation of Official Functions (Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code).

The “botched 2015 Mamasapano operation,” as the Ombudsman’s statement describes that incident, was a police operation in pursuit of terror suspects that led to the slaughter of 44 members of the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Special Action Force (SAF) by Muslim-Filipino rebels who had forged a peace deal with Mr. Aquino’s government. The aftermath of that operation led to the biggest crisis in Mr. Aquino’s presidency and stalled a planned autonomous region from his peace deal with the rebels.

In a Consolidated Order approved last Monday, Sept. 11, Ms. Morales denied the separate motions for reconsideration filed by Mr. Aquino and complainant Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) and affirmed the findings in a Consolidated Resolution last June 13.

She said “President Aquino’s act of utilizing the services of the preventively suspended (Alan L.M.) Purisima for Oplan Exodus prior to and during its implementation, despite an OIC PNP Chief having been already designated, caused Purisima to perform under pretense of official position, the acts pertaining to the PNP Chief without being lawfully entitled to do so, in violation of Article 177 of the RPC on Usurpation of Official Functions.” It added that “President Aquino’s act of utilizing the services of Purisima for Oplan Exodus under the aforesaid circumstances constituted an act of persuading, inducing or influencing another public officer to perform acts constituting a violation of the order of preventive suspension and a commission of usurpation of official functions in violation of Section 3(a) of R.A. No. 3019.”

Mr. Aquino in his motion said all actions he carried out during the briefing for Oplan Exodus and its implementation were perfectly within the bounds of his powers and functions as the President. He noted, among other things, that “his only intent was to utilize the expertise of Purisima and not for Purisima to command or plan anything but just to help him understand what (SAF director Getulio P.) Napeñas (Jr.) and his people were talking about and that he was a passive receiver of information regarding an on-going operation.”

Mr. Aquino also claimed he was denied due process as he was not informed of the nature and cause of the accusations against him.

The VACC, on the other hand, claimed reckless imprudence and negligence on Mr. Aquino’s part in at least three instances: approving Oplan Exodus which was later found to have serious flaws; allowing a suspended officer to oversee the operation; and failing to send reinforcement and aid to the SAF 44 as they were besieged by anti-government forces.

The VACC, for its part, said Mr. Aquino’s negligence is the proximate cause of the deaths of 44 SAF soldiers within the contemplation of the law on reckless imprudence. Complainants added that the first act that set off the chain of events that led to the death of SAF 44 was President Aquino’s reckless imprudence and negligence in at least three instances (1) approving Oplan Exodus which was later found to have serious flaws; (2) allowing suspended Purisima to lead and oversee Oplan Exodus, tactically, strategically and operationally; and (3) failing to send reinforcement and aid to the SAF 44 as they were besieged by superior anti-government forces, until they died.

Ms. Morales, for her part, said the “theory that 44 counts of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide lie against respondents is clearly bereft of merit.”

The statement said: “In affirming the charges, the Ombudsman reiterated that ‘any negligence during the planning, preparation and actual implementation of Oplan Exodus was subsequently broken by the occurrence of an efficient intervening cause,’ which was the intentional act of shooting by the hostile forces. The Ombudsman added that ‘on certain points of law concerning the quasi-offense of reckless imprudence, the careless act is single whether the injurious result affects one person or several persons, and criminal negligence remains one and the same and cannot be split into different crimes and prosecutions.’ In other words, in an instance of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide, only one count of Information may be filed against an accused regardless of the number of deaths involved, and only one penalty is imposed, not as many counts as the number of deaths.”

The Ombudsman also “highlighted that the prescribed penalty for reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide as insisted to be filed by VACC is only four months and one day to four years and two months (except in an instance arising from the use of motor vehicle). On the other hand, Usurpation of Official Functions carries the penalty of six months and one day to four years and two months while the graft charge carries a penalty of imprisonment of six years and one month to fifteen years.”

Ms. Morales noted, contrary to Mr. Aquino’s claim, that “the evidence on record regarding the extent of Purisima’s actual participation…shows that he was certainly much more than a mere resource person.” The Ombudsman also junked Mr. Aquino’s claims that he was denied due process.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte had earlier belittled the Ombudsman’s case against Mr. Aquino as being designed to fail. He has also since criticized Ms. Morales for her “selective justice” in the exercise of her office. Ms. Morales was appointed by Mr. Aquino to her position and also stood as witness in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato C. Corona as pursued by Mr. Aquino.

The Informations against Mr. Aquino are set to be filed before the Sandiganbayan, the Ombudsman’s statement said.

Avoiding carmaggedon

By Zsarlene B. Chua, Reporter

“If we [were able] to solve the traffic problem in Metro Manila then that would [give us] a Nobel Peace Prize,” said Brian C. Gozun, dean of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business at De La Salle University Manila, during a recent forum on transportation demand management (TDM).

While this was said partly in jest, it was telling of how massive the problem has become – in fact, during the one-day forum held at a coffee shop in Poblacion, Makati, two of the main resource persons were over an hour late mostly due to the ever-present heavy traffic at the main thoroughfares in the metropolis.

And solving it might really warrant such a prestigious prize since Metro Manila has been cited as having some of the worst traffic conditions in the world: in a 2015 article posted on its web site, Waze (the community-based GPS, traffic and navigation app), said that the Metro Manila has the “worst traffic in the world” with a traffic index score of 0.4 in urban areas, followed by Bandung, Indonesia with 0.5, and Guatemala with 0.6. The study covered 38 countries.

The same app pegged the average commute of a Filipino at 45.5 minutes, followed by Jakarta at 42.1. In contrast, in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, which had the best traffic index score, the average commute is 37.5 minutes.

Waze is not alone in showing what the denizens of Metro Manila go through every single day – the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2014 noted the country is losing P2.4 billion a day because of heavy traffic and warned it could balloon up to P6 billion a day by 2030 if not solved.

“Preliminary analysis in the study showed that the average low income group households have to spend no less than 20% of their monthly household income for transport. Without intervention, traffic demand will likely increase by 13% by 2030, and transport cost will be 2.5 times higher,” the report posted on its web site said.

Local data also showed that the metropolis is fast running out of usable roads for motor vehicles. The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) noted in 2014 that there are only 1,032 km of national roads in the National Capital Region (NCR) serving 2.1 million registered cars at the time, which meant there is only a kilometer of road for every 2,000 cars.

That was back in 2014, and the number of cars has increased over time. As BusinessWorld motoring columnist Vernon Sarne mentioned in his Sept. 6 column, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) recorded 474,341 new vehicle registrations in 2016, 25% of which were in Metro Manila.

(In the same column, Mr. Sarne noted there are 3,723 km of local roads aside from the main roads but that most cars pass through the main arteries anyway so gridlock ensues.)

The government currently has in place several projects meant to alleviate traffic, most of which include building new road infrastructure including the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 project – meant to connect the South Luzon Expressway via Buendia, Makati to the North Luzon Expressway via Balintawak, Quezon City using a 14.8 km elevated expressway. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2019.

And then there’s the $7-billion Metro Manila Subway project which was approved by NEDA on Sept. 12. The subway system is meant to traverse Quezon City, Pasig, Makati, Taguig, and reach the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City. The project will be funded by a JICA loan with a targeted completion date of 2025.

But while the projects are all well and good, Marie Danielle V. Guillen of the German Corporation for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH, or GIZ for short) remarked during the forum, “we can’t build our way out of congestion.”

TDM
So what do we do in the meantime while we wait for these projects come into fruition?

Well, according to Mr. Gozun and Ms. Guillen, people should start thinking about Transportation Demand Management because “there is really no one best solution to the traffic problem,” Mr. Gozun said.

Transportation Demand Management, TDM for short, is “the flipside to infrastructure,” according Mr. Gozun in his presentation.

“It focuses on understanding how people make their transportation decisions and helping people use the infrastructure in place for transit, ridesharing, biking, and tele-working,” he added.

His Powerpoint presentation noted that TDM is “cost-effective in guiding the design of our transportation and physical infrastructure so that alternatives to driving are naturally encouraged and our systems are better balanced.”

The goal of TDM is to “maximize the efficiency of an urban transport system by promoting more effective, healthy, and environment friendly modes. And discouraging unnecessary public vehicle use,” said Ms. Guillen.

TDM measures are meant to influence whether, why, when, where and how people travel, motivating them to shift their modes of travel (walk, cycle, take transit, rideshare), make fewer trips (shop online, telecommute), and drive more efficiently (do several things on each trip, avoid peak traffic hours and congested routes).

Cities such as Guelph in Canada and Seattle in the USA, among many others, have applied strategies in order to keep on “moving people and goods rather than motor vehicles,” according to the Seattle Mobility Plan published on the city’s web site in 2008.

Several TDM strategies include congestion pricing (as Singapore does), flextime/telecommuting, and car-free planning.

The strategies include the improvement of transport options (e.g. walking and cycling improvements, rideshare/commute trip reduction programs, carsharing services, and guaranteed ride home programs, among others), economic measures (e.g. the aforementioned congestion pricing, distance-based fees, parking pricing and regulations, fuel tax increases), smart growth and land use policies (transit-oriented development, parking management, car-free planning, transport planning reforms, among others), and other programs like school and campus transport management, freight transport, and tourist transport management.

In Metro Manila, while there are a lot of options for transportation aside from private cars like the MRT/LRT, buses, jeeps, tricycles, and UV Express (though their reliability and safety can be a concern), both Mr. Gozun and Ms. Guillen advocate the shift from motorized to non-motorized modes of transport like cycling.

“The funny thing here is, cycling is a good recreational sport. A lot of people do cycling for recreation… but [they] don’t use bicycles to go to work. Some people are okay with cycling as a sport but cycling [is not used] for utilitarian purposes,” said Mr. Gozun.

He acknowledged, citing a 2008 study he authored alongside Ms. Guillen, that despite the benefits of cycling and other non-motorized modes of transportation as a way to commute, there are barriers to their use that are still relevant now, including “unavailability of bicycles, inability to use bicycles, security issues, and a perceived hostile environment.” But he maintained that cycling is a good way to avoid traffic and stakeholders should look into this option to lessen the traffic build-up.

Ms. Guillen, meanwhile, noted that several cities are taking such initiatives, pointing to Marikina which has branded itself as a “cycling city” after adding bike lanes to existing roads in 2000.

(Of course, the Marikina initiative isn’t fool-proof as just last year, Lorelie Melevo died after being run over by a dump truck while cycling along a bike lane on Mayor Gil Fernando St. in Marikina.)

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in 2014 proposed that all roads to be constructed should come with bike lanes. The initial proposal included four meters of side walk and four-meter bike lanes, though consultations with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) pared the numbers down to one meter each.

Among other initiatives in Metro Manila’s cities include Pasig City’s “Carless Sundays” which, as it name suggests, prohibits motorized vehicles from plying the usually busy streets such as F. Ortigas Jr. Ave. every Sunday from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. The program started in 2012.

“There is a need to promote the use of non-motorized transportation, specially biking, as an alternative healthy and environmentally sound mode of transportation which could also reinforce the Pasig Green City initiatives, conserve foreign exchange, and promote small and medium scale enterprises,” said a city ordinance quoted by GMA Network on its web site in 2012.

Again, these might all be band-aids to the great yawning cut that is the traffic problem in Metro Manila, but these band-aids – while not perfect – might be able to influence a greater movement that would save everyone from Carmaggedon.

JRU notches 7th win after beating Letran

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Reporter

THE Jose Rizal University (NCAA) Heavy Bombers strengthened their hold of solo third place in the standings of Season 93 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) yesterday with a gutsy victory over the Letran Knights, 77-68.

Absorbed a tough loss in their last game, the Kalentong-based JRU made sure not to fall for a second straight time just as it gave its tournament push a favor by notching its seventh win in 11 matches, on track for a Final Four spot if it gets to sustain its form.

The contest got off to a competitive start with the protagonists fighting to a 12-all stalemate at the end of the first quarter.

The Heavy Bombers though would make a spirited run in the second canto, led by guard Teytey Teodoro and Ervin Grospe, to seize command of the match.

JRU steadily built a lead as the frame progressed, outscoring Letran, 24-15, to create a 36-27 cushion by the halftime break.

The Vergel Meneses-coached Heavy Bombers maintained their dominance over the Muralla-based Knights early in the third canto, building a 14-point lead, 48-34, in the first five minutes.

They would use it as a jump-off point to hold sway as the quarter drew to a close, 58-45.

Letran upped its intensity in the fourth quarter, knowing that it had to double its efforts if it was to come back in the game.

The Knights cut down their deficit to eight points, 66-58, with four minutes remaining in the game.

JRU, however, answered with five quick points after to stretch their lead anew with the game down to its last two minutes.

It was an advantage that the Heavy Bombers would not let their hands slip away from en route to winning the match.

Teodoro and Grospe each had 15 points for JRU with guards Jed Mendoza and Mark dela Virgen finishing with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

For Letran (5-6) it was JP Calvo who led the way with 21 points. Rey Nambatac had 14 points while Bong Quinto had a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds.

“We just focused on our end-game composure. Last time around we were not able to do it and that did it for us against Arellano. This time around we made sure that we would not be rattled to come up with the win,” said Teodoro, named player of the game after.

“It’s a big win for us but we must continue taking it one game at a time and stick to the game plan of Coach Vergel,” he added.

Meanwhile, the NCAA caps off the week with a triple-header also at the FilOil Flying V Centre today.

Opening game at 12 noon will see league-leading and still unbeaten Lyceum Pirates (11-0) battle the Arellano Chiefs (4-6).

Next will be the encounter between the Perpetual Help Altas and College of St. Benilde Blazers at 2 p.m.

The final game at 4 p.m. will be the collision of defending champions San Beda Red Lions and Season 93 hosts and rivals San Sebastian Stags.

Motivated Diaz, Alora to compete at 2017 AIMAG

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Reporter

THE 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) will begin this weekend in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, with Filipino Olympians Hidilyn Diaz and Kirstie Elaine Alora bannering the Philippines’ campaign.

Part of the country’s 100-plus delegation, both women said they are very determined to come up with a podium finish in their respective events to bring pride and honor to the country and at the same time provide further “motor” to do what they are doing.

Admitting to having a difficult time getting back to the grind of training after the long layoff she had after her silver medal-winning performance in last year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 26-year-old weightlifter Diaz said that the about-to-begin indoor tournament carries much weight as far as her career goes not only for now but for the future as well.

“It is really challenge. After one year this will be my comeback. So during training there were a lot of questions on my part if I still have it in me. Whether I can match or even double what I did in Rio. I put a lot of sacrifices and discipline as I prepare for the AIMAG, so we will see,” Ms. Diaz shared to sportswriters at a luncheon meeting last week hosted by the College of St. Benilde, where Ms. Diaz is a Business Management student.

“I’m not really pressured of what others can do but it is more of me. I relaxed for four months after Rio so the comeback is filled with a lot of questions like what I have said. I really have to work hard to sustain the strength and discipline,” added Ms. Diaz, who also shared that she is using the 2017 AIMAG as one of the gauges if she would compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

But the competitor that she is, Ms. Diaz said the goal is always to do well in every competition she joins in.

“My goal is to have a podium finish, particularly to finish first. Some of my competitors in Rio will be there and I have seen them on their social media posts how they have been training hard. It’s a challenge but I’m willing to take it on,” said the Olympic medallist who is set to begin her campaign at the AIMAG in the women’s -53 kilogram (kg.) event on Sept. 19.

PAYBACK FOR ALORA
While Ms. Diaz had her struggles early in training, the case is the not the same for taekwondo jin Alora, who is to enter the AIMAG not lacking in motivation especially after the tough experience she had in the recent Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Ms. Alora, an Olympian in Rio in 2016, lost in the finals of the women’s kyorugi -73 kg. category to Cambodian Sorn Seavmey, 13-6, something that she is aching to make up for at the AIMAG.

The loss marked the fourth time that Ms. Alora, a Benildean alumna, lost to Ms. Seavmey in various tournaments.

“The loss hurt which was why I did not waste much time going back to training as soon as I got back from the SEA Games,” said Ms. Alora also during the luncheon meeting.

“I want to do well and beat Seavmey if I get to face her along the away. The SEA Games was a learning experience and I’m bent on using the lessons from it to do well in the competition,” added Ms. Alora, who is also to compete on Sept. 19 in the women’s -73 kg. category.

The 2017 AIMAG will run until Sept. 27.

Influential business group flags series of impeachment cases

THE INFLUENTIAL Makati Business Club (MBC) in a statement on Thursday, Sept. 14, flagged the series of impeachment cases of late that the group warned may have an “unfavorable impact” on the government’s socioeconomic agenda.

“The Makati Business Club remains steadfast in its position that an impeachment process is a vital part of the country’s democratic system of checks and balances,” the group said, adding:

“However, we are deeply concerned over the unprecedented number of impeachment complaints lodged against high-ranking officials from the President, the Supreme Court Chief Justice, the Ombudsman and the COMELEC (Commission on Elections).”

“We believe that the impeachment process engraved in the Constitution must not be invoked arbitrarily to persecute and silence individuals with opposing views, nor to undermine independent institutions, the bulwark of our nation’s democracy,”

“The impeachment cases must be substantiated by strong evidence of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, corruption or other high crimes, and not supported by mere accusations or anecdotes,” the group also said.

“We also wish to express serious concern over the implications of impeachment cases on our nation’s development.”

“We worry that these would divert the attention of Congress away from addressing the heavy legislative agenda which, in turn, will have an unfavorable impact to the attainment of the government’s ten-point socioeconomic agenda.”

“Undoubtedly, impeachment cases will also negatively affect investors’ perception to the economic and political stability of our country. As such, we respectfully remind Congress to be judicious in applying this ultimate accountability tool and to treat this as a weapon of last resort, as our Constitution intends it to be.”

Despite its character as being essentially a business organization, the MBC, founded in 1981, has also taken an active civic role in the country’s modern history — beginning with the aftermath of the Aquino assassination in 1983, when the Central Business District of Makati became the new Plaza Miranda of street protests against the Marcos dictatorship, to the later chapters of the Estrada and Arroyo administrations.

Luke Rockhold takes on David Branch at UFC Fight Night 116

FORMER Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion Luke Rockhold returns to the Octagon on Sunday (Manila time) where he will take on David Branch in the main event of “UFC Fight Night 116.”

To take place at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mr. Rockhold (15-3) makes his UFC comeback after losing the middleweight gold to reigning champion Michael Bisping in June last year.

In losing the belt by knockout (punches) in the opening round, Mr. Rockhold saw his title reign come to an abrupt end after securing the belt in his previous fight over Chris Weidman.

Against Mr. Branch (21-3), the former champ and currently number three-ranked fighter in the division aims to get his career back on track after suffering an injury that derailed his supposed UFC return in November against Ronaldo Souza.

Mr. Branch (#9), meanwhile, is out to extend his 11-fight winning streak.

His last win was over Krzysztof Jotko by split decision last May. Other fights in UFC Fight Night 116 are welterweight Mike “Platinum” Perry against Alex “Pitbull” Reyes, middleweight Hector “Showeather”Lombard vs. Anthony “Lionheart” Smith, lightweight Gregor “The Gift” Gillespie versus Jason “Nicoya” Gonzalez, welterweight Kamaru “Nigerian Nightmare” Usman (#13) against Sergio “The Panther” Moraes, and heavyweight Justin “El Blanco” Ledet versus Zu “8th Wonder” Anyanwu.

UFC Fight Night 116: Rockhold vs. Branch will be shown live on Sunday beginning at 10 a.m. over Hyper Ch. 91 in SD or 261 in HD on Cignal TV. Replay is at 6 p.m. on the same day.

In the Philippines, Cignal TV, the country’s foremost direct-to-home (DTH) company, is the home of the UFC after the two groups agreed to an extensive deal that will see the UFC beamed on various platforms. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

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