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LTFRB: Uber motorists may operate in other platforms

By Patrizia Paola C. Marcelo

THE LAND Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) yesterday allowed Uber Philippines (Uber Systems, Inc.) operators accredited by the company to transfer to the two other transport network companies (TNCs), Grab Philippines (MyTAXI.PH Inc.) and UHOP during the month-long suspension of Uber.

In Board Resolution No. 19 series 2017, the LTFRB said that accredited transport network vehicle service (TNVS) may transfer to Grab or UHOP, but must provide proof of accreditation issued by Uber, and proof of insurance coverage as TNVS.

TNVS who wish to transfer to Grab or UHOP during the month-long suspension of Uber must be in the accredited list of Uber submitted to LTFRB and are not required certificates of public convenience (CPCs) or provisional authorities (PAs).

LTFRB also requires Grab and UHOP to submit a list of TNVS operated daily, to ensure coverage of the affected TNVS under the terms and conditions of Grab and UHOP, including incentives and similar benefits.

“The decision of the Board is based on the urgency of the matter for public service, particularly the riding public for their convenience and benefit, as well as the TNVS who were displaced because of Uber’s irregular conduct,” Board Member Aileen Lizada said in a statement.

HEARING ON UBER SET
LTFRB is also set to conduct a hearing on the manifestation and motion filed yesterday by Uber, offering to pay a P10-million fine in lieu of the issued month-long suspension.

Uber said it has filed a second pleading urging the LTFRB to accept a fine rather than a suspension. LTFRB on Tuesday denied the motion for reconsideration filed by Uber as regards the suspension.

“We are also offering financial assistance to driver partners, as we work to urgently resolve this matter, and hope to be able to serve the Philippines again as soon as possible,” the company said in a statement.

Ms. Lizada said that in addition to the prayer, Uber also submitted folders of the TNVS with proposed financial assistance, and requested that a hearing be conducted on Aug. 23.

“Just like in any other hearing, we will be…hearing Uber’s side and if there is a need to hear the TNVS of Uber as well, as regards financial assistance, we will do the same. We will not be pressured to fast-track everything,” Ms. Lizada said in a statement.

ARCADE CITY
In another development, LTFRB wrote to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) yesterday, seeking assistance to shut down Arcade City, a ride-sharing app that calls itself the “Uber alternative.”

In a letter addressed to DICT Secretary Rodolfo A. Salalima, LTFRB Chairman Martin A. Delgra III said his agency has requested “the possibility of disconnecting the operations” of Arcade City, a US-based company that launched its app in the Philippines this month.

LTFRB warned Arcade City on Tuesday to “cease all operations,” saying it is a transportation network company (TNC) which has not coordinated with the agency.

Arcade City, however, released a statement yesterday saying: “We forgive the LTFRB for ordering Arcade City to ‘cease operations’ before they understood what Arcade City is and is not, specifically how Arcade City is different from Uber.”

The statement said further: “Driver entrepreneurs may freely identify as Arcade City drivers, but Arcade City does not require payment from riders or drivers.”

“Arcade City will continue recruiting and activating drivers all across the Philippines to provide service in the gap left by Uber’s abrupt withdrawal yesterday.”

Arcade City in its statement also said it “embraces a new peer-to-peer model of ride-sharing. Instead of controlling drivers from a corporate headquarters, Arcade City frees drivers to build up their own transportation businesses like true entrepreneurs.”

“Drivers are free to set their own rates, build their own recurring customer base, and offer additional services like deliveries or roadside assistance. Riders can review driver profiles in advance and choose the driver they prefer,” the statement added.

Emma Stone tops Forbes list of best paid actresses

LOS ANGELES – Oscar-winning Emma Stone capped a perfect 12 months on Wednesday as she knocked Jennifer Lawrence off the top spot on Forbes’ 2017 list of the world’s highest-paid actresses.

ACTRESS Emma Stone poses on arrival for the AFI Life Achievement Award Gala honoring Diane Keaton in Hollywood, California on June 8. – AFP

Stone, 28, who won best actress for her role as a struggling performer in La La Land, made $26 million in pre-tax earnings in the year up to June, according to the magazine’s annual chart.

Friends star Jennifer Aniston, 48, also leapfrogged Lawrence, grabbing the runner-up spot with earnings of $25.5 million, with residual income still coming in from the television sitcom Friends and endorsement deals with brands such as SmartWater and Emirates Airline.

Lawrence’s $24 million was enough for third spot but a shadow of the 27-year-old’s earnings in the last Forbes list.

The star, who took the best actress Oscar for 2012 comedy-drama Silver Linings Playbook, topped the 2016 chart for a second successive year with $46 million.

The actress, who has spoken out on equal pay for women in Hollywood, saw her earnings dip this year after the conclusion of the Hunger Games franchise, but continues to make money from movie deals and an endorsement deal with fashion brand Christian Dior.

Forbes compiles its annual celebrity earnings lists from box office and Nielsen data, as well as from interviews with industry insiders.

Melissa McCarthy and Mila Kunis – on $18 million and $15.5 million respectively – rounded off the world’s five highest-paid actresses.

The top 10 – also including Emma Watson, Charlize Theron, Cate Blanchett, Julia Roberts, and Amy Adams – made a combined $172.5 million, down 16% from last year’s $205 million total, said Forbes.

The actors’ list due to be published later in the week is expected to show once again men banking far more than their female counterparts.

The issue of pay disparity grabbed headlines in 2014 after a leak of stolen e-mails from Sony Pictures Entertainment showed that Lawrence was paid less than her male co-stars in the hit movie American Hustle.

Last year, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid actors at $64.5 million, more than double Stone’s total this year.

It has been an incredible few months for Stone, who completed a clean sweep of Hollywood’s major prizes in February with an Oscar for her performance as an aspiring actress in La La Land.

She had already picked up trophies at the Golden Globes, British BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Born Emily Jean Stone in Scottsdale, Arizona to a homemaker mother and businessman father, Stone began acting in youth theater in Phoenix.

At the age of just 14, she made a PowerPoint presentation entitled “Project Hollywood” to persuade her parents to allow her to drop out of school and pursue a movie career.

She has appeared in more than 20 movies since her 2007 debut in Superbad but really came to the fore as a major talent in The Help, Tate Taylor’s 2011 drama about the racism faced by black maids in 1960s Mississippi.

A string of hit films followed, including two Spider-Man movies and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Birdman, which earned Stone a best supporting actress nomination. – AFP/Reuters

China reasserts ‘indisputable sovereignty’ over South China Sea, pushes for ‘joint development’

By Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral
Reporter

THE CHINESE government’s position regarding its “indisputable sovereignty” over the South China Sea is “consistent,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday, as it evaded questions regarding its supposed assurance to the Philippines that it would stop expanding the areas it occupies in the disputed waters.

Spratly
An aerial photo taken though a glass window of a Philippine military plane shows the alleged on-going land reclamation by China on mischief reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, west of Palawan, Philippines, in this May 11, 2015 file photo. REUTERS

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana said in a congressional hearing last Monday that China and the Philippines had reached a “modus vivendi” in the widely contested sea that forbids encroachment and new occupation of reefs.

Asked to confirm Mr. Lorenzana’s comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying, in a press conference, did not give a categorical answer, but reiterated that China had sovereignty over the Spratly Islands, a South China Sea chain, and nearby waters.

She added that China remains dedicated in settling the dispute peacefully among countries “directly” involved.

China claims most parts of the strategic waterway, where trillion dollars’ worth of ship-borne goods pass through annually. But the Asian power’s maritime ambitions were challenged by the Philippines, another claimant nation, in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, which issued a ruling last year in Manila’s favor.

The tribunal, in its July 2016 verdict, said China violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights by blocking fishing and oil exploration as well as by building artificial islands there.

Taking office shortly before the legal victory against China, Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte set aside the landmark ruling in pursuit of friendlier ties with Beijing, which also involves billions of dollars in Chinese aid and investment.

‘BROADER OPTIONS’
Meanwhile, Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano said early this week that the Philippines is working on a «commercial deal» with China to explore and begin drilling oil in contested parts of the sea within a year.

Commenting on Mr. Cayetano’s statement, Ms. Hua said in the same news conference that China had set a proposal to the Philippines in the 1980’s to “shelve differences and seek joint development” in the sea.

“Over the decades, China has been implementing this proposal in handling the relevant disputes in the South China Sea and developing the bilateral relations with the littoral countries of the South China Sea,” she explained.

“The relevant cooperation and joint development shall not impair each other’s own position and the final delimitation of boundary,” she added.

“China believes that as long as we follow the spirit of mutual trust and win-win results, China and the Philippines surely have the wisdom and ability to find a way of joint development that is acceptable to both sides, which will bring benefit to the two peoples and make the South China Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation.”

The Department of Energy (DoE) announced last month that a moratorium on oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea is expected to be lifted before December. The Philippines suspended explorations at Reed Bank in late 2014 as some contract areas fell within the scope of the arbitration case filed by the Philippines against China.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto C. Abella said that while the Philippines is open to “broader options for partnerships”, any energy deal with “foreign entities” must be constitutional.

“We are not limiting ourselves to exclusive economic relationships,” Mr. Abella said.

Road Warriors, Bolts look to pad PBA cards

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Reporter

TOP half teams NLEX Road Warriors and Meralco Bolts look to fortify their win-loss cards in the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup when they take on separate opponents in the resumption of festivities today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Road Warriors, Bolts look to pad PBA cards
The Meralco Bolts play the Phoenix Petroleum Fuel Masters in the return of the PBA Governors’ Cup today. — ALVIN S. GO

Took a break on Wednesday to give way to the campaign of Gilas Pilipinas in the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup in Beirut, Lebanon, the season-ending PBA tournament returns today with NLEX (5-1) and Meralco (4-1), currently second and third in that order in the standings, taking on the Blackwater Elite and Phoenix Petroleum Fuel Masters, respectively.

The Road Warriors engage the Elite in the 7 p.m. main game while the Bolts battle the Fuel Masters in the curtain-raiser at 4:15 p.m.

NLEX returns to action after a gutsy win over Meralco in its previous game, 100-94, on Sunday.

It relied on a late charge to get the victory that effectively halted Meralco’s erstwhile unbeaten run while also padding its own push to the top.

Import Aaron Fuller led the Road Warriors to the win with 25 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks while Kevin Alas and Larry Fonacier scored 21 and 16 points, respectively.

JR Quiñahan was the other NLEX player in double digits with 10 points.

“We passed a difficult test tonight against Meralco. Hopefully we get to sustain this in our upcoming games,” said NLEX coach Yeng Guiao, whose team is expected to parade newly acquired player Cyrus Baguio.

Out to spoil NLEX’s thrust is Blackwater, which finally broke through the win column in its last game.

After opening their campaign with three straight losses, the Elite (1-3) won their game against Phoenix, 92-86, on Aug. 6, getting a major lift from new import Henry Walker, who had 32 points, 15 rebounds and five assists.

Not new to the game in the local pro league, having had previous stops in the PBA in the past, Mr. Walker did not waste much time proving his worth as a replacement for original import Trevis Simpson.

“Special thanks to our new import, who gave the inspiration for everybody for us to come out winners of this game,” said Blackwater coach Leo Isaac of Mr. Walker postgame.

“Going to the last nine minutes of the fourth quarter he was suffering from cramps so he was challenging the locals to take charge. Not being able to move properly, he was shouting at his teammates to ‘take the shot’ or ‘play defense.’ That’s a great sign of a proven winner, to challenge his teammates to be on top of the situation when he was not 100%,” the coach added.

Meanwhile, in the first game, Meralco looks to bounce back after absorbing its first defeat in the conference last time around against NLEX.

Import Allen Durham is bannering the Bolts with averages of 24.4 points, 18.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists.

Meralco, though, will be without guards Baser Amer and Mike Tolomia for some time as they play for the national team seeing action in the 29th Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia.

On the part of Phoenix (2-3), it tries to wiggle out of a three-game losing skid following a strong start of 2-0.

Eugene Phelps is the top man with 27.6 points, 16 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game for the Fuel Masters, who are to play today with new players Jeff Chan and Dylan Ababou, two players they got in separate trades recently.

China blockbuster joins top 100 grossing films worldwide

SHANGHAI – Fresh from shattering China’s box-office record, patriotic blockbuster Wolf Warriors 2 has claimed another slice of history by becoming the first non-Hollywood film to break into the top 100 all-time grossing movies worldwide.

The flag-waving action movie’s plot line of Chinese soldiers saving war-ravaged Africans from Western baddies has resonated in an increasingly self-assured China, and the film last week became the country’s all-time top earner less than two weeks after its release.

The strength of those domestic receipts has now propelled the film onto industry monitor Box Office Mojo’s all-time 100 list, where on Wednesday it knocked 1994’s Forrest Gump from the No. 100 spot.

Box Office Mojo said Wolf Warriors 2 had grossed $682.1 million worldwide, nearly all of it in Chinese cinemas.

But it looked likely to climb still further up the list – latest figures from the official China Movie Data Information Network said Wolf had already raked in 4.75 billion yuan ($710 million) in domestic sales as of Wednesday.

That would put it nearly another 10 places higher on Box Office Mojo’s list, in the company of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

With special effects, stunts and explosions worthy of Hollywood, Wolf boasts the ominous tag line “whoever offends China will be hunted down no matter how far away they are.”

It depicts a Chinese former special forces operative’s fictional foray into an unnamed African war zone to rescue compatriots and downtrodden locals from rebels and blood-thirsty Western mercenaries.

The movie is directed by martial arts expert Wu Jing, who also plays the lead role of Leng Feng, and a cliff-hanger ending sets the stage for a third installment and another likely windfall.

Wolf is riding a wave of patriotic fervor whipped up by the ruling Communist Party. This summer has also seen the release of the film The Founding of an Army, which chronicles the origins of the People’s Liberation Army.

Cinemas across China have been ordered since July 1 to show short clips promoting “core socialist values” and President Xi Jinping’s “Chinese dream” political credo before each film.

Wu said in an interview published Tuesday: “I’ve only taken a match and lit up people’s patriotism with a spark.”

Wolf Warriors 2 will have work to do to climb up to the top ranks of the list, which is headed by Avatar (2009) at $2.7 billion, followed by Titanic (1997) and Star Wars: the Force Awakens (2015). – AFP

Chinese nationals can now get visa upon arrival, extend up to six months

CHINESE NATIONALS visiting the Philippines are now given a Visa Upon Arrival (VUA) and may stay in the country for up to six months, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced on Thursday.

Chinese tourists leaving their hotel in Manila -- AFP
Chinese tourists in Manila leave their hotel in this file photo taken on August 24, 2010. AFP

In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Jaime H. Morente said the move is in line with the government’s “bid to draw more tourists and investors” from China.

The program applies to Chinese nationals who are part of tour groups organized by operators accredited by the Tourism department; businessmen endorsed by local and foreign chambers of commerce and other government agencies; and athletes and delegates to conventions and exhibitions.

Mr. Morente also cited Department Circular 041 issued by Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II that ordered the grant of VUA to Chinese nationals.

Under the rules, visiting Chinese nationals “may apply for landed visas at the BI for an initial authorized stay of 30 days and they may apply for an extension up to a maximum period of six months.”

“Through this scheme we aim to facilitate the expeditious entry and admission of Chinese nationals into the country and thus attract more tourists and investors from China,” Mr. Morente added.

The VUA program will be implemented at the main airport, Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), and eight other international air- and seaports across the country, namely: Clark, Mactan, and Kalibo airports; and Manila, Puerto Princesa, Subic, Laoag, and Caticlan seaports.

VUA applicants should be holders of valid passports, with a return ticket, and should not be in the BI’s blacklist or subject of an Intepol red notice.

A fee of $25 plus P10 legal research fee will be charged for every applicant. Applications should be filed at least 10 working days before arrival in the Philippines.

“If the applicants are qualified, the BI commissioner shall issue an order approving the VUA and the same shall be presented by the Chinese passengers to immigration officers upon their arrival in the country,” the BI also said.

Immigration officers, who will implement the VUA program, are also furnished with the order.

In a statement last March 10, the BI said that Chinese nationals topped the Bureau’s list of registered aliens. According to the BI’s Annual Report of Aliens, there are 28,189 Chinese nationals currently in the country.

However, Chinese nationals also topped the BI’s list of foreign nationals barred from entering the country. According to the NAIA-BI Statistics, 1,594 Chinese nationals were barred from entry at the country’s main gateway. — Kristine Joy V. Patag

South Korea outplays Gilas Pilipinas, 118-86

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Reporter

THE Philippines saw its promising run at the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup in Lebanon come to a screeching end early yesterday morning after it was routed by old nemesis South Korea, 118-86, in the quarterfinals of the high-profile continental basketball tournament.

South Korea outplays Gilas Pilipinas, 118-86
Gilas Pilipinas failed to stop South Korea’s fluid offense in their quarterfinal set-to early yesterday morning to fall, 118-86, and bow out of contention in the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup. — FIBA ASIA CUP WEB SITE

Failing to stop the South Koreans’ fluid offense, Gilas Pilipinas scrambled all game long en route to bowing out of contention, a turnaround from the solid start it had in the Cup that had it sweeping all its three games in group play.

The Koreans’ guns were ablaze right from the start, outscoring Gilas, 11-6, in the first five minutes of the match, towed by crisp passing and shooting.

Christian Standhardinger, back for Gilas after missing their previous game, led a rally back to seize the lead, 16-15, with two minutes to go. It was, however, the last time the Philippines would take the lead as South Korea maintained its distance the rest of the way.

The first quarter ended with the Koreans holding a 26-18 lead.

At the start of the second period, the South Koreans attempted to pull away but guard Terrence Romeo, Gilas’ leader in scoring in the tournament, would keep the Philippines in the match, scoring 22 of the team’s total 31 points in the frame behind a torrid six-of-nine shooting from beyond the arc.

The Koreans though would still be up, 57-49, at the halftime break.

In the third quarter, the South Koreans finally succeeded in what they failed in the previous canto of blowing the game wide open.

Displaying precise marksmanship that came from different directions, the Koreans kept Gilas guessing en route to taking a 24-point cushion heading into the final quarter, 86-62.

Despite holding a commanding lead, the Koreans kept steady amid a last-ditch stand from Gilas in the payoff period and continued to lord it over Gilas up to the final buzzer.

When the battle smoke cleared, game numbers showed the domination that South Korea had over the Philippines.

It shot better both in two-point — 62% to 46% — and three-point — 76% to 44% — land; had more assists, 34-14; had more rebounds, 34-30; more fastbreak points, 17-7; more steals, 9-2; and more blocks, 4-2.

Sekeun Oh led Korea’s balanced attack with 22 points and five rebounds while Sunhyung Kim had 21 points.

Big man Jongkyu Kim had 15 and Seounghyun Lee finished with 14 points.

Mr. Romeo was the high point man anew for Gilas with 22 points, all in the second period, while Mr. Standhardinger had 17 points.

RR Pogoy and Jayson William (Castro) wound up with 12 and 11 points, respectively, while Japeth Aguilar ended with seven points and nine rebounds.

Next big tournament for Gilas Pilipinas is the FIBA World Cup qualifier which will begin in November.

Marvel’s battle-scarred The Defenders find teamwork tough

NEW YORK – Riding the slipstream of the Avengers, X-Men and Fantastic Four, The Defenders is promising to bring a more tortured and cerebral superhero vibe to Netflix’s ever-growing repertoire of Marvel series.

The Defenders
www.facebook.com/defenders/

The show unites for the first time the titular characters from the streaming service’s four standalone Marvel series – Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, and Daredevil – when it premieres on Friday.

They join forces to battle a threat to their home town of New York in the shape of the malign Alexandra (Sigourney Weaver), who seems to be linked to the shady multinational conglomerate known as The Hand.

But the group starts out as a tenuous alliance between four very different characters, all of whom are used to going it alone and have little time for the concept of team spirit.

The group’s first meeting doesn’t augur well for things to come, with Luke Cage and Danny Rand – alias the Iron Fist – even coming to blows.

Actress Krysten Ritter says Jones, a young woman with a tortured past, a penchant for booze and a colorful vocabulary, is “very reluctant” in particular to be part of a team.

“Everybody’s so used to working on their own, they all feel that their way is the best way,” said Mike Colter, who plays Cage, at a roundtable with journalists in New York.

“So sometimes each one of us gets really determined to force our way of doing things because it’s the only way we know.”

What persuades the four heroes to band together, says Colter, has to be something really big – a danger to “a larger number of people than just the people of Harlem” that threatens the whole city.

‘CHARACTER FIRST, DRAMA FIRST’
Filmed entirely in the Big Apple, The Defenders is steeped in the culture and custom of New York, a real-life backdrop that feels more organic than the fictional cities of Gotham or Metropolis.

“Historically, some people shot other places for New York. To some degree it’s effective when you deal with people that have never been to New York,” said Colter, 40.

“But if you’ve been to New York, you immediately can tell. New York is very important because I think it symbolizes a sort of freedom to the world.”

The Defenders is distinguished from many superhero series and movies in the time it takes to explore the internal conflicts that haunt each of its heroes.

Jessica Jones, in particular, is struggling to find her place in the world, scarred by “traumas and injustices” after losing her parents in a car accident, says Ritter, 35.

When they are brought together, each of the four Defenders is in transition, without a superhero costume, in search of an identity.

“I built (Jones) from the ground up, based on her back story, on what she’s been through in her life and how she views the world – with a little sense of humor on top of it to lighten things up,” said Ritter.

She added that she sees Jones as “a character who has super powers” rather than as a superhero.

“For me, it’s character first, drama first. I just approach it like I would any other acting part.” – AFP

2 Mindanao local government execs dismissed for ‘Serious Dishonesty’ in asset statements

THE OFFICE of the Ombudsman has dismissed two high-ranking town officials in Mindanao for failure to declare properties they own in their Statement of Assets and Liabilities (SALN). The two are Mayor Montasir M. Sabal of Sultan Sumagka (formerly Talitay) in Maguindanao and Vice-Mayor Nacianceno M. Pacalioga, Jr. of Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur. Both were also meted the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding public office, cancellation of eligibility and forfeiture of retirement benefits. They will also be facing perjury and graft charges. The Ombudsman, in two separate statements released yesterday, said the local government officials’ nondisclosure of real properties “constitutes Serious Dishonesty as the acts were done fraudulently and were committed several times.” The Ombudsman cited records showing that Mr. Sabal failed to disclose his ownership of five real-estate properties located in Davao City and Cotabato City. Mr. Pacalioga, on the other hand, failed to declare 10 parcels of land located in different barangays of Dumingag. Mr. Pacalioga has defended that he did not need to declare these as he had already waived his rights over them in favor of the Dumingag United Subanen Association, Inc. and a certain Roel Dumayon prior to the years in question. — Mindanao Bureau

Lyceum puts unbeaten record on the line versus streaking Letran Knights

LEAGUE-leading Lyceum Pirates stake their unbeaten record in Season 93 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) anew today this time against the hot Letran Knights.

Lyceum puts unbeaten record on the line versus streaking Letran Knights
The Lyceum Pirates stake their unbeaten record against the Letran Knights today in NCAA Season 93 action at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City. — ALVIN S. GO

Set for 2 p.m. at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City, the Pirates (7-0), the lone undefeated team left in the ongoing season of the country’s longest-standing collegiate league, try to sustain their best start ever in the NCAA by adding the Knights (5-3) to their list of conquered.

Lyceum, however, will have to do it sans head coach Topex Robinson, who will serve his one-game suspension after being ejected in their previous game against the Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) Generals.

Opening today’s end-of-week triple-header is the match between EAC (3-4) and the San Sebastian Stags (3-4) at 12 noon with the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers (3-3) colliding with the College of St. Benilde Blazers (2-5) at 4 p.m.

In its last game against EAC, Lyceum saw itself in a tough battle that even got the usually cool and collected Robinson out of character.

Mr. Robinson was ejected midway in the second quarter after two quick technical fouls called on him when the game was heated.

But it didn’t stop the Pirates from registering their seventh straight victory, 97-93.

In the NCAA, there is a league rule that a player or coach ejected will be meted out an automatic one-game suspension.

“Yes, [he] is suspended,” said NCAA Management Committee Chair Fr. Glyn Ortega, OAR, of host San Sebastian, of the case of Mr. Robinson.

CJ Perez and Jaycee Marcelino led Lyceum with 20 points each in the win over EAC.

Mike Harry Nzeusseu finished with 17 points.

On the part of Letran, currently in the midst of a four-game upswing, it is looking to fortify its place in the top four.

The Knights’ latest win was over the San Sebastian, 79-75, in overtime last Tuesday.

Rey Nambatac took charge for Letran with 23 points.

The Knights, however, lost improved big man Jeo Ambohot in said game after injuring his right wrist.

He is said to be about for two months. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

John Cleese says comedians needed more than ever

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina – Monty Python star John Cleese said Wednesday that the need for comedy was greater than ever, as he accepted the “Honorary Heart of Sarajevo” award at the Bosnian capital’s film festival.

British actor John Cleese arrives for the 23rd Sarajevo Film Festival late on August 16, 2017, where he is to receive the ‘Honorary Heart Of Sarajevo’ award for his “extraordinary contribution” to film. / AFP

The 77-year-old British actor was presented with the award for his “extraordinary contribution” to the art of film, which he described as “very generous.”

“I’m almost embarrassed to be put in the same category as some of the people who won this award, like Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese and (British director) Stephen Frears,” he said.

“But I accept it not as a film person but more as a comedian, because I think at this time in world history we have never needed comedians more.”

Cleese created and starred in the hit television series Fawlty Towers and his most prominent work in the movies includes the four Monty Python films and A Fish Called Wanda.

The latter film was projected at an open-air screening to the 3,000 festivalgoers in Sarajevo after Cleese accepted his award.

Created as an “act of resistance” during the city’s 1992-1995 siege, the Sarajevo Film Festival is now in its 23rd edition.

Cleese praised festival director Mirsad Purivatra for setting up the event in a small cinema in that “terrible time” during Bosnia’s civil war.

“What a wonderful statement of what one can do when you can do nothing, you must be very proud,” he said.

The festival regularly attracts big names, with past guests including Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

On Sunday, triple Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone was also awarded a “Heart of Sarajevo.” – AFP

Millennium Global buys majority stake in Calata

By Arra B. Francia, Reporter

AGRIBUSINESS FIRM Calata Corp. said it will be welcoming new management that will oversee the company’s operations, amid steps taken by the local bourse to delist the firm following several violations of disclosure rules.

Millennium Global logoIn a disclosure to the stock exchange on Thursday, Calata said Millennium Global Holdings, Inc. will be purchasing a total of 2.5 billion shares from the firm, effectively giving MGHI an 81% stake in Calata. This will be taken from the increase in authorized capital stock by up to 10 billion common shares with a par value of P1 apiece.

“Because it would appear that the company’s lack of experience in effectively complying with strict regulatory regulations might compromise public shareholders’ interest as a result of possible sanctions which may be imposed upon an erring listed entity, on Aug. 17, 2017, the board of directors decided that it would be in the best interest of the investing public to welcome new management which shall inject a new but related line of business into the Company,” Calata Chairman Joseph H. Calata said in a statement yesterday.

Last July, the Philippine Stock Exchange initiated involuntary delisting proceedings for Calata after the firm committed 29 violations of Section 13.1 of the PSE Disclosure Rules from Nov. 29, 2016 to June 20. It also incurred 26 violations of Section 13.2 of the same rules from Oct. 6, 2016 to March 16 and from April 26 to May 2.

The violations were related to the timely disclosure of the disposition of shares by a company’s directors and principal officers and disclosure of updates of previous disclosures on material information that may affect investor decision.

Calata was also found to have violated the so-called blackout rule which prohibits directors and principal officers who have obtained material non-public information to trade their company’s shares within a prescribed period.

Following the acquisition, Calata said it will be transferring all its assets and liabilities to Agriphil Corp. and/or a private firm.

“The transaction intends to transfer the existing agribusiness of Calata Corporation to Agriphil Corporation, a private entity or such other private entity,” the company said.

The board will also wait for shareholder approval in order to make amendments to the company’s articles of incorporation, which will see a change of name, primary purpose, principal place of office, as well as the capital stock increase.

In a separate disclosure, MGHI noted that after the acquisition, it will be using Calata to purchase the business of its subsidiary, Millennium Ocean Star Corp. (MOSC). Established in 1981, MOSC is an exporter and importer of seafood and aquaculture products in both the local and international market. The company began as an exporter of squid balls to Hong Kong until it eventually expanded to create a major plant in Cebu City.

MOSC now exports an average of 3,000 metric tons of various seafood items every year, which includes squid, cuttlefish, octopus, and coral reef fishes. The company further imports around 2000 metric tons of several seafood products per month for local distribution.

To date, MOSC has 11 plants in Luzon, seven in Visayas, three in Mindanao, and one in Hong Kong alongside several buying stations and processing and storage facilities in different parts of Metro Manila. For further growth, the company said it is currently fast tracking its expansion in Vietnam.

MGHI shares went up by 17.15% to 28 centavos each yesterday.

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