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Budget panel may face jail time

PHILIPPINE STAR/KJ ROSALES

A LAWMAKER on Tuesday said members of the House of Representatives’ budget panel could face legal cases for what he alleged as falsification of documents for approving the budget bill this year despite having blank line items.

Marikina Rep. Stella Luz A. Quimbo, the House budget committee’s officer-in-charge (OIC), on Monday said the bicameral conference committee allowed legislative staff members to fill in the blanks in the budget bill’s committee report to “implement corrections.”

She asserted there are no infirmities to the P6.326-trillion national budget, citing the budget as valid and constitutional.

“When she admitted to what happened, she confessed that there was falsification of legislative documents,” Davao City Rep. Pantaleon D. Alvarez said in a statement.

“What likely happened is that the congressmen in the [House] Committee on Appropriations instructed the staff, or themselves filled in the blanks even after the ratification was completed,” he added.

Mr. Alvarez, a former House speaker during the presidency of Rodrigo R. Duterte, said that those who falsify congressional documents could be imprisoned for up to six years with an accompanying fine. 

The falsification of legislative documents is committed when “any person who, without authority… alters any bill, resolution, or ordinance enacted or approved or pending approval by either House of the Legislature,” according to the Philippine Revised Penal Code.

“The amounts they inserted there were not approved by the plenary, so they are not authorized by Congress. The placement of those amounts and figures was done under no authority,” Mr. Alvarez said in Filipino.

“Our position is that the ratification of the corrected bicameral conference committee report is unnecessary,” said Ms. Quimbo, citing a provision allowing Congress to issue corrections on the approved conference report.

Meanwhile, Davao City Rep. Isidro T. Ungab said they filed a petition before the Supreme Court assailing the legality of the national spending plan.

“After all the long discussions about the validity and constitutionality of the 2025 General Appropriations Act, we deemed it appropriate to bring the matter to the Supreme Court for adjudication,” he told BusinessWorld in a Viber message. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Bill condoning farmers’ debt pushed

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

A PHILIPPINE senator on Tuesday called for the passage of a bill that would mandate a one-time condonation of farmers’ unpaid interests, penalties, and other agricultural loans to ease debt payment burden and boost local production.

“We will form a technical working group, which should have stakeholders present because we need to clarify what we will condone,” Senator Cynthia A. Villar, who heads the agriculture, food and agrarian reform committee, told a hearing on Senate Bill No. 2744 which seeks this one-time condonation of loans and debts.

“This is for the farmers and fisherfolk wherein if they will have their debts condoned, it will help them and at the same time clean up the records of the government’s credit organizations.”

The House of Representatives in 2023 approved on final reading a similar bill seeking to restructure and allow condonation of unpaid interests, penalties, and surcharges on loans of farmers, fisherfolk, and agrarian reform beneficiaries. 

The condonation program will cover agricultural and agrarian reform loans secured through the Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) existing and terminated credit programs.

Under Senate bill, the condonation program will cover unpaid interests, penalties, and surcharges of agrarian loans from the departments of Agrarian Reform and Agriculture, People’s Credit and Finance Corp., Cooperative Development Authority, National Food Authority and the Quedan and Rural Credit Guarantee Corp.

The measure requires the loan principal to have paid at least 2% of the amount to qualify for the condonation. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

UNICEF urges strict standards for food products for children

FREEPIK

THE government must ensure robust regulation over products for children’s consumption to protect health and nutrition, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said.

“It is critical that agencies mandated to protect public health, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), maintain their authority to ensure these products meet high safety standards that protect children from potential harm,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.

One in four children is experiencing the triple burden of malnutrition, including stunting, which affects almost 3 million children, UNICEF said.

“Every child deserves the best nutrition and care to support their growth and development,” said Behzad Noubary, Acting Representative for UNICEF Philippines.

UNICEF said that adequate nutrition during the first 1,000 days is seen as crucial for a child’s growth and development.

It also said that it is crucial to protect and promote breastfeeding while providing the public with accurate, consistent, and objective information about the appropriate use of breast milk substitutes, supplements, and related products.

“Consistent oversight remains necessary to safeguard children’s health and prevent claims about milk and milk products that could mislead families to select less nutritious options,” it said. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

Target initial operation of new Davao bus system next year achievable: DoTr-11

DAVAO CITY — Officials of the Department of Transportation (DoTr) Davao Region 11 said that the original approved target of Davao City High Priority Bus System’s (HPBS) initial operation in 2026 is still achievable despite the delay.

DoTr Supervising Administrative Officer Nestor Kilian Tabada expressed optimism that this will happen as a general consultant will be assisting them to hit their timelines.

“We have a consultant that’s coming on board. A general consultant coming on board and will be awarded the contract, and this general consultant will help us manage this delay so that while we have estimated timelines, we have estimates as we want to launch this in 2026,” Mr. Tabada said during the session of the 20th City Council at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

HPBS is one of the flagship projects of the Build, Build, Build program of the Duterte administration, which is being implemented by DoTr and the city government of Davao.

The initial implementation of HPBS was originally eyed in 2026 following the approval of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) in 2019. However, its implementation is experiencing delay for eight months.

“The project has experienced delay and that is why we are catching up with the implementation. When the project was approved by NEDA we are experiencing some eight months delay from the original date of approval,” Mr. Tabada said.

Mr. Tabada is hopeful that with the general consultant coming on board DoTr can pull these timelines this year.

“So, for those components that we can implement earlier hopefully the general consultant can help us manage back,” he said.

Richard Villanueva, Project Evaluation Officer of DoTr Davao Region, assured that despite the delay, the project will happen.

“The eight months delay is unavoidable in a project like this. We will acquire a lot of land for terminals, depots, and bus stops that are more than 1,000. It’s inevitable that we’ll have delays like that, but we’re officially there and the funds are there, it’s just a matter of processing the details,” Mr. Villanueva said in an interview.

HPBS includes the development of public transport terminals in Toril, for those coming from Kidapawan, Cotabato, General Santos; in Calinan, for those passengers coming from Cagayan de Oro City; and Bunawan, for those coming from Davao del Norte and Davao Oriental; depots; and a driving school as key supporting facilities of the modern service; 1,119 bus stops; and more than 1,000 new bus fleets.

Mr. Villanueva explained that among the factors of the delay is the re-study they conducted following the NEDA approval.

“When we re-studied it, we saw that there is something that needs to be added because there are components there that are lacking, like the size of the terminal, the entitlement package for the drivers that they will receive. So, we have to re-apply and get another approval from NEDA,” he said.

The project has a funding of P72 billion that will come from three sources: loan proceeds from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the national government, and the city government of Davao.

In July 2023, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. representing the national government, and ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa formally signed the budget from the ADB amounting to USD 1.71 billion signaling the start of the implementation of the Davao Bus Project.

Mr. Villanueva said it is the target of DoTr to fully pay the landowners affected by the Right-Of-Way (ROW) acquisition this year.

“When you acquire land, the title to the landowners and the arrangement for each family must also be clean. Some documents must also be in order,” he said.

HPBS would replace the existing jeepney network with a four-tier: MetroDavao, DavaoInter, DavaoFeeder, and DavaoLocal; 29-route network operating with larger buses including 18m articulated and 12m bus units, which will significantly reduce the number of public transport vehicles on the roadways. Small 10m buses will also be introduced. — Maya M. Padillo

2 dead, 3 hurt in Maguindanao del Sur gun attack

STOCK PHOTO | Shooting gun photo created by senivpetro - www.freepik.com

COTABATO CITY — A volunteer community watchman and a villager got killed, while three others were badly wounded in a gun attack on Monday night in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur.

Brig. Gen. Romeo J. Macapaz, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, told reporters on Tuesday that Hassen L. Kumamo, a member of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team of the Shariff Aguak municipal government, and Esmail P. Singh both died instantly from bullet wounds sustained in the attack.

The incident left Shariff Aguak residents, Ali  K.Amerudin, Anwar D. Banalan, and Mohammad A. Husain, badly wounded.

Mr. Macapaz said investigators and intelligence agents of the Shariff Aguak Municipal Police Station and the Maguindanao del Sur Provincial Police Office are certain that it was Mr. Kumamo who was the target of the attack, perpetrated by motorcycle-riding gunmen.

Local executives and police probers who responded to the incident had told reporters that Mr. Kumamo, who was on-duty then, and Mr. Singh were together along a stretch of the highway in Barangay Labu-Labu when motorcycle-riding gunmen came close and opened fire.

The gunmen also repeatedly shot Mr. Amerudin, Mr. Banalan and Mr. Husain, who were with Mr. Kumamo and Mr. Singh, before they drove away. All three of them are now confined in a hospital. — John Felix M. Unson

NLEX targets Commissioner’s Cup last 8 against dangerous Eastern

NLEX ROAD WARRIORS — PBA

Games on Wednesday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
5 p.m. – Eastern vs NLEX
7:30 p.m. – Ginebra vs Meralco

Games on Friday
(PhilSports Arena)
5 p.m. – Meralco vs Magnolia
7:30 p.m. – TNT vs Rain or Shine

THE SCENARIOS are plenty, some unpleasant, for quarterfinals-chasing NLEX.

But the Road Warriors’ minds are trained on one thought and one thought alone: Do what’s necessary to win this closing assignment against Eastern and let the rest take care of itself.

Jong Uichico’s charges, who roared back to life after hurdling Phoenix (108-95) and Rain or Shine (122-110) for 5-6, look to plant one foot in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Last-8 with an upset of the Hong Kong club (7-4) on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

If they can take care of business in the pivotal 5 p.m. set-to, the Road Warriors stay very much in the mix for the Final 8.

Best case, NLEX qualifies straight to the quarters as No. 8 if Magnolia (5-6) gets stuck at five wins and falls to Meralco (7-3) on Friday.

Another good scenario is for the Road Warriors, Rain or Shine (6-5 and facing TNT in its final elims slate on Friday) and Magnolia to wind up level at 6-6, in which case, Robert Bolick and his teammates’ superior quotient sends them through as seventh seed.

If the Hotshots catch up with NLEX with six Ws in the 12-game elims, then they proceed to a rubbermatch for the eighth and last spot.

However, a loss to Eastern, coupled with a Magnolia victory leads to a total disaster and outright elimination for NLEX. But if fate smiles and the Hotshots fall, too, the Road Warriors still go to a KO for the final ticket versus embattled holder San Miguel as they hold the highest quotient in a triple tie at 5-7 with Magnolia and the Beermen.

Though already assured of a quarterfinal appearance, the Eastern cagers need the W as well for it puts them in play for the second seed and win-once advantage.

A defeat can be costly as it may drop them to as low as seventh seed, facing a twice-to-win disadvantage versus the No. 2 in the next round.

Meanwhile, the Bolts continue their quest for the quarterfinal bonus in their rivalry-rekindling duel with the Gin Kings (7-4) at 7:30 p.m.

The Bolts can rank as high as No.1 if they get it done against both the crowd darlings and the Hotshots. With a 1-1 split, Meralco lands at either fourth or fifth but with a 0-2 windup, the reigning Philippine Cup titlists settle for No. 6. — Olmin Leyba

Raph Trinidad clinches gold at IWWF Asia and Oceania Cable Wakeboard and Wakeskate Championships

RAPH TRINIDAD — JAROD ANGELO AREVALO

FILIPINO WAKEBOARDER and Red Bull athlete Raph Trinidad marks another historic win after clinching gold at the 2025 IWWF Asia and Oceania Cable Wakeboard and Wakeskate Championships. Mr. Trinidad competed in the Open Men’s category for the Wakeboarding event, scoring 81.67 to earn him his first place win.

The 2025 IWWF Asia and Oceania Cable Wakeboard and Wakeskate Championships were held Jan. 24-26 at the Decawake Clark Cable Park in Angeles City, Pampanga. Bringing together the top wakeboarders from Asia and Oceania, the event marked the final qualifier for The World Games (TWG) 2025 happening in August in Chengdu, China.

Mr. Trinidad delivered a flawless and exhilarating run that earned him top marks from the judges. With his top spot finish, Mr. Trinidad bested international wakeboarders such as Kyrgyzstan’s Stanislav Fidelsky, Thailand’s Luke Atirat Carrick and Benjamin Phechyuenyong, as well as Australia’s Zac Falzon and Lachlan “Locky” Fort.

As the champion for the Open Men’s category for Wakeboarding, the 23-year-old wakeboarding prodigy from Liloan has secured his spot for the prestigious sporting event.

“Winning an international competition in my home park feels like a dream,” said Mr. Trinidad. “Being surrounded by those who have supported me from the start made it even more special. It was an honor to represent my country, and the incredible support pushed me to give my best. I’m proud to bring this victory home.”

His latest victory adds to Mr. Trinidad’s already impressive track record, which includes a podium finish at last year’s IWWF World Cable Wakeboard and Wakeskate Championships at Le Kable, Choisy le Roi in Paris.

As he heads to The World Games 2025, Mr. Trinidad claimed, “I will push myself even harder because there is still so much work to do in wakeboarding and it’s only the start. Rest assured, you will see a version of me that is more motivated and ready to do my best for the Philippines.”

SGA beats Beirut First to stay unbeaten at Dubai tilt

STRONG GROUP ATHLETICS (SGA) staved off strong resistance from Beirut First in the battle between top squads with a 95-88 win to stay unbeaten in the 34th Dubai International Basketball Championship on Tuesday at the Al Nasr Club.

The Philippine quintet built a 21-point advantage in the payoff period but needed one last stand to repel any comeback left from  the Lebanese ball club for a 3-0 slate in Group A.

SGA could shoot for a group sweep against Amman United on Wednesday for a sure seat in the next round.

Making it happen was former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, who ran roughshod with a 26-point, 12-rebound outing in only 31 minutes of play.

The 6-foot-10 Mr. Cousins, also a veteran USA national team campaigner as part of the 2016 Rio Olympics gold-medal winning squad, shot eight-of-16 from the field and two assists, two steals and a block.

Gilas Pilipinas naturalized Ange Kouame and Dave Ildefonso contributed 14 and 12 points, respectively, for the wards of coach Charles Tiu in a serious redemption tour after a runner-up finish last year.

SGA pulled away in the second period with a 34-point eruption to erect a 49-34 lead at halftime and was still in full control in the second half, including a massive 75-54 gap early in the payoff period after a booming trey by Mikey Williams.

Beirut, however, would mount a 17-3 uprising capped by Mohamad Ali Haidar’s bucket to strike to within 71-78 in the final three minutes before SGA’s strong finishing kick.

Mr. Williams and Malachi Richardson threw in eight and seven, respectively, as Chris McCullough had six points this time around after leading SGA in its first two wins.

Mr. McCullough, the former PBA champion import with San Miguel, dropped 28 points in SGA’s 99-91 win over the United Arab Emirates national team before scoring 31 in the team’s 99-87 win against Al Nasr.

Lebanon national team veterans Sergio El Darwich and Mohamad Ali Haidar had 26 and 18 points, respectively, for Beirut that fell to second place in Group A with a 2-1 slate. — John Bryan Ulanday

Neymar leaves Al-Hilal by mutual agreement

NEYMAR has parted ways with Al-Hilal by mutual consent, the Saudi Pro League champions said on Monday, after a disappointing spell at the club for Brazil’s all-time top scorer.

The 32-year-old sustained a knee injury in Brazil’s World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in October 2023 and has struggled to get back to his best.

“Al-Hilal Club Company and Neymar Jr. have agreed to terminate their contractual relationship by mutual consent” The Saudi club posted on X.

Neymar has played only seven games for Al-Hilal since moving from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for a reported fee of around €90 million ($98 million) in August 2023.

Brazilian media have reported that Neymar, who has scored 79 goals for the national team, will return to his childhood club Santos after leaving in 2013 to join Barcelona.

He moved to PSG from Barca for a world record fee of €222 million in August 2017. — Reuters

Filipinas kick off 9-day training camp at MOA football field

THE Philippine women’s football team set the kickoff for their buildup for coming international sorties right where its heart is — at home.

The Filipinas, who gained prominence with their historic debut in the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023, are booked for a nine-day training camp in February culminating in an intrasquad exhibition match on the 25th at the newly completed Mall of Asia (MOA) Football Field.

“I’m really looking forward to having the Filipinas back in action at home, where the supporters in Manila can get a chance to experience the team up close, in one of the city’s new and exciting football venues,” said coach Mark Torcaso.

Countrymen last saw the Filipinas play on home ground then eventually hoist the trophy for the first time in 2022 Asean Women’s Championship at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

In June in Indonesia, the Pinay booters are going to defend the title in a stacked schedule that also includes stints in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers and the Southeast Asian Games.

“There’s a lot to play for in 2025. This camp gives us a great opportunity to continue building the foundation for the way we want to play. We cannot wait to be back home to showcase our Filipinas,” said Mr. Torcaso. — Olmin Leyba

Davis’ monster night leads Los Angeles Lakers past Charlotte Hornets 112-107

ANTHONY DAVIS set season highs with 42 points and 23 rebounds to help the visiting Los Angeles Lakers beat the Charlotte Hornets 112-107 on Monday night.

Davis made 17 of 28 shots from the field and reached the 40-point mark for the third time this season. He grabbed eight offensive boards and finished three rebounds shy of matching his career high.

LeBron James racked up 22 points, seven rebounds and eight assists and Austin Reaves added 17 points for the Lakers, who have won four straight games and six of their past seven.

The Hornets played most of the game without their leading scorer, All-Star guard LaMelo Ball, who exited with 8:42 left in the second quarter.

Ball tripped while backpedaling after draining a 3-pointer that pulled Charlotte within 46-30. He didn’t return because of what the team announced as a left ankle sprain. He scored seven points in nine minutes.

Miles Bridges tallied 26 points and eight rebounds to lead the Hornets, who have lost three of their past four games. Josh Okogie posted 19 points and Josh Green had 15 points.

Charlotte trailed by as many as 23 points in the first half before cutting the deficit to nine at the break.

The Hornets mounted a couple of charges in the second half but couldn’t make enough defensive stops even though center Mark Williams was back after missing Saturday’s game with an injury.

Williams scored to pull the Hornets within 108-102 with 1:27 to play before Dorian Finney-Smith drove for a bucket for the Lakers.

Green sank three free throws with 13.3 seconds remaining to close the gap to 110-107 before Davis sealed it at the line for Los Angeles.

The Lakers, in their first outing of four games in six days on the East Coast, survived despite committing 19 turnovers and shooting 6-for-28 (21.4%) from 3-point range.

Los Angeles bolted to a 42-19 lead less than a minute into the second quarter. Then it was Charlotte’s turn to heat up, closing to within 59-51 by halftime.

The Lakers led by a double-figure margin for most of the third quarter. — Reuters

Heat culture

There was a time when seeing stars go out the door without anyone coming back in was a no-no in the National Basketball Association. It didn’t matter whether the point of assessment was in the offseason or the middle of a campaign. General managers simply had to get a return on their asset, no matter how depressed — and preferably on a dollar-for-dollar scenario. As even casual observers know, however, the importance of not being empty-handed following a necessary divorce has greatly diminished in recent memory. If anything, it’s fair to argue that leaving once-critical resources by the wayside sans any direct recompense has become a valid course of action.

Take the Clippers prior to the start of the 2024-25 season, during which supposed vital cog Paul George was allowed — perhaps even encouraged — to pack his bags once it became clear that the trade market for him was tepid at best. For all his worth as a nine-time All-Star, they saw no future in him and his diminishing returns given his asking price. And though it seemed as if they came up empty-handed while the Sixers were spreading the welcome mat for him, they actually did just fine in retrospect. With astute maneuvering, they turned the salary cap space they got from his departure into signed contracts for the likes of James Harden, Nicolas Batum, Derrick Jones Jr., and Kris Dunn, as well as extensions for Ivica Zubac and Terrence Mann.

In other words, there is a way to move past a sticky situation by not falling prey to the sunk cost fallacy. And this, in a nutshell, is why the Heat can afford to play hardball with foundational-piece-turned-distraction Jimmy Butler. For one thing, they have never been receptive to implicit threats such as those he has been known to issue from time to time. Unlike the Bulls, Timberwolves, or Sixers, they have, in fact, dug down deep into their foxhole when their hand is forced. That they’re doing it in this case is no surprise; once upon a time, not even all-time-great Dwyane Wade was spared of their wrath.

Certainly, the Heat’s stubbornness is as much borne of their famed culture as of head honcho Pat Riley’s ingrained beliefs against prioritizing the individual over the collective. And because no one wins against The Godfather in a staredown, Butler would do well to expect a drawn-out process leading to his inevitable exit. In other words, he will be able to get what he wants if and only if it dovetails with what they want. If he won’t bend, he’s in a for a long wait — and ultimately landing in disappointment.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

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