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Labor leader joins SSS board

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed labor leader Eva B. Arcos to join the Social Security Commission (SSC).

“Commissioner Arcos will continue to be critical in shaping the policies that govern the SSS,”  Social Security System (SSS) President and Chief Executive Officer Rolando L. Macasaet said in a statement on Monday.

Ms. Arcos was previously appointed as an acting member of the SSC on March 23, 2023 until her appointment as a full-fledged member last month.

“She also served in the SSC in 2015 and 2016 as one of the three Workers’ Group Representatives,” the SSS said. 

Ms. Arcos took her oath of office on April 24 before Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) Secretary and Ex-Officio SSC Member Bienvenido E. Laguesma.

Concurrently, Ms. Arcos is a member of several SSC committees including the Information Technology and Collection Committee, Risk Management and Investments Committee, Audit Committee, and Governance Committee.

She is also a member of the Global and Asia-Pacific IndustriALL Executive Committee and Women’s Committee.

Ms. Arcos obtained her bachelor’s degree in Business Economics as well as her masteral studies in Labor Policy and Administration, and Psychology from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.

She also obtained diplomas and certificates in the areas of labor, psychology, theology, and spirituality from various institutions such as Notre Dame University, Indiana, USA; Mexican American Cultural Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA; Turin International Training Centre, Italy; the Asian Productivity Organization and Iranian Productivity Organization, Tehran, Iran; Centro de Enseñanza para Extranjeros, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico; and International Institute – Histadrut, Israel. — Aaron Michael C. Sy

Bill boosts state secret protection

LIFE imprisonment and a fine of at least P2 million will be the punishment for individuals leaking top secret government information if a bill filed before the Senate on Monday is passed into law.

Under Senate Bill No. 2667, Senator Francis N. Tolentino added a provision that would bar violators from running for public office.

It defines top secret information as materials that would cause “exceptionally grave damage” to national security; secret information as those that cause “serious damage to national security;” and confidential information as those that cause damage to national security.

The minimum punishment for those that disclose classified documents without authority would face a penalty of six to 12 years in jail and a fine of not more than P200,000.

The bill was filed as the Senate is in the middle of its investigation into leaked Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) drug watchlist that supposedly includes the President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and famous actors.

“Government documents are always at constant risk of being accessed for a purpose inimical to our national interest,” Mr. Tolentino said in the bill’s explanatory note. “The addition of concomitant liability, on any person who violates the provisions of this proposed measure, will strengthen and safeguard to integrity of public officials and employees in the conduct of their work.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez

File raps against China — lawmaker

Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft provided by the United States Navy May 21, 2015. — U.S. NAVY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS/FILE PHOTO

THE PHILIPPINE government should consider filing Writ of Kalikasan charges against China for its island-building activities on maritime features in South China Sea, a congressman said on Monday.

“Among the response options should also be the filing of a Writ of Kalikasan against China for the destruction they have brought upon Panganiban Reef (Mischief Reef), Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal), and Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal), to name a few,” Manila Rep. Joel R. Chua said in a statement.

These should include maritime claims against China before the Philippine admiralty courts in Subic municipality and Palawan province, he added. 

Around 6,200 acres of coral reefs along maritime features in South China Sea have been damaged by island-building activities, with China being responsible for 75% or 4,650 acres of the degraded area in the waterbody, according to an Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative report in 2023.

Escoda Shoal, located 75 nautical miles off the coast of Palawan island, is the closest feature reportedly damaged by China due to island-building activities, Philippine Coast Guard Spokesperson Jay Tristan Tarriela said in an X post on Friday.

“After more than three weeks of monitoring, the PCG (Philippine Coast Guard) has… observed that crushed corals were dumped and it is likely that the maritime features were altered,” Mr Tarriela said, referring to the physical characteristics of the Escoda Shoal during low tide.

“I don’t want to speculate or alarm the public but for me, this is the closest, which is why it’s very alarming,” Mr. Tarriela said in a media briefing on Saturday.

China claims more than 80% of the South China Sea based on a 1940s nine-dash line map, which has since been voided by a UN-backed tribunal court in 2016.

The ruling said Beijing has violated Philippine sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone by building artificial islands within the waterbody’s features.

“Over the past many months and years, enough evidence has been available to support the filing of the Writ of Kalikasan,” according to Mr. Chua’s statement.

“China has played the largest role, destroying or severely damaging at least 21,183 acres of coral reef — and likely much more — through island expansion and giant clam harvesting,” the 2023 Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative report stated.

The Philippine government has also enough evidence to support its freedom of navigation disruption case against Beijing before the Subic and Palawan admiralty courts, Mr. Chua said.

Tensions between Manila and Beijing have worsened in the past year as China’s coast guard continues to block resupply missions to a grounded ship off Second Thomas Shoal.

“It is time to assert our sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea through the legal and diplomatic means available,” said Mr. Chua. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Scrap EO that authorized BI to issue student visas — congressman

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. should scrap an executive order (EO) allowing the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to convert tourist visas into student visas, a congressman said Monday.

Executive Order No. 285 (EO 285) by former President Joseph E. Estrada allowed the conversion of tourist visas into student visas for foreigners seeking to take up higher education in the country, a move seen as promoting the Philippines as a center for education in Southeast Asia.

“In today’s setting, this particular power by the BI can be abused,” Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace S. Barbers said in a statement. “This arbitrary power to convert visas is the worst legalized scheme that can be used by unscrupulous personnel for monetary gain.”

The statement was issued amid concerns over the influx of Chinese students in Cagayan province in northern Philippines. Congressmen earlier raised alarms over the arrival of these students, citing that some of them could be spies.

There are two new Enhanced Defense Cooperation Arrangement (EDCA) sites in Cagayan province: Naval Base Camilo Osias in Santa Ana municipality and Cagayan North International Airport in Lal-lo municipality.

A total of 1,516 Chinese nationals in Cagayan had been provided with student visas, Immigration Commissioner Norman G. Tansingco said on Sunday. More than 400 Chinese students are enrolled in schools in the province, with only 96 Chinese nationals physically attending classes.

The BI issued 16,190 student visas to Chinese nationals in the country, he added, with the majority of them enrolled in the National Capital Region.

“The 16,200 student visas that the BI granted to Chinese nationals in 2023 is simply unacceptable,” Mr. Barbers said. “Never mind if other countries grant more, we should never use that as our yardstick given our tense relationship with China,” Barbers said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs should be the sole agency granting visas to foreigners, he added. “(The department) alone possess the expertise to determine whether the applications are eligible or not.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

No Filipinos hurt in heavy flooding in Indonesia

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THE DEPARTMENT of Migrant Workers (DMW) said on Monday it has yet to receive reports of Filipinos hurt in the severe flooding in West Sumatra, Indonesia at the weekend.

In a statement, the agency said it is monitoring affected Filipinos through its Migrant Workers Office in Singapore, since it does not have an office in Indonesia.

It is also working with the Philippine Embassy in Jakarta to keep an eye on Filipinos killed or hurt in the heavy flooding, which has killed 37 people and an unconfirmed number of missing people.

The National Search and Rescue Agency in Central Jakarta earlier reported the flash floods hit the Agam and Tanah Datar districts at around 10:30 pm Saturday in Indonesian time after hours of heavy rain.

Local governments in the areas have set up evacuation centers and emergency posts in several areas in the two districts, it said.

“The Migrant Workers Office in Singapore is coordinating closely with the Philippine Embassy in Jakarta to monitor the situation,” the DMW said. “The DMW Head Office shall issue further bulletins as necessary.”

Convicts in Cagayan get jobs on Labor Day

PRISONERS in Quirino, Cagayan, were given job opportunities by the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) under the TUPAD program last Labor Day.

Under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/ Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program, 20 prisoners received emergency employment assistance.

They will receive P4,500 each for 10 days of community work.

DoLE with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) gave starter kits for welding, dishwashing liquid-making, rags-making, and carpentry to four convicts through DoLE’s Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP).

The agency in the Cagayan Valley region also distributed over P7 million worth of assistance under the TUPAD Program and DILP.

It also identified 196 people eligible for livelihood programs and 650 TUPAD beneficiaries, such as farmers affected by El Niño, persons with disabilities, and victims of armed conflicts. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Creamline Cool Smashers PVL All-Filipino champions

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THE CREAMLINE Cool Smashers, like everybody else in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL), will get the rest that they all deserve following one of the toughest, if not the toughest, conferences in league history.

But there is a certain air in the Cool Smashers that when they return from their much needed respite, you could be assured they will be back in the hunting grounds of preying on everybody as alpha predators and collecting championships.

“For now, we just celebrate,” said triumphant Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses late Sunday night, moments after he steered the dynastic franchise to an unmatched league record eighth championship with a two-game finals sweep and spanking of younger sibling Choco Mucho.

It would also be the start of the proud club’s soul-searching of what it needed to do to keep up with the forever revolving improvement of the league landscape and rival squads eyeing to tear down its dynastic reign.

And it would begin inside every Creamline team member.

“Our losses were our lessons,” said Creamline unquestioned leader and the country’s face of the sport — Alyssa Valdez.

“It was really a difficult conference for us, probably because we’re really trying to figure out where are we at this point in our lives and our career and as a team where to improve.”

“But at the end of the day, we take this win as hope to all of us that no matter what, before coming into the semis, there is hope and chance that you cannot give up,” she added.

There is also the one concerning the big possibility, if not an inevitable occurrence, of veteran setter Jia de Guzman returning to the team after a stint in Japan last year.

“Yes,” said Meneses, when asked if Ms. De Guzman is returning to the team.

“She will always be with Creamline,” he added.

Creamline could also add some young blood via the historic first rookie draft by the league tentatively set in July when it will pick 12th and last being the champion of this conference.

If the pieces fit in and the stars align again, there is a chance fate would make a prophet out of reigning Finals MVP Jema Galanza, who blurted out what could be immortal words and portents of things to come for the rest of the field: “We will make it nine, 10, 11 forever.” — Joey Villar

Gin Kings battle Bolts at Philippine Cup semifinals

BARANGAY GINEBRA — PBA.PH

BARANGAY Ginebra and Meralco are gathering the forces and sharpening their weapons with their eighth postseason battle in the last eight seasons on the horizon.

The second-seeded and twice-beat Gin Kings and the No. 3 Bolts have lined themselves up for this PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinals entanglement by making short work of No. 7 Magnolia (99-77) and No. 6 NLEX (via 2-0 series sweep).

“It’s always tough and hard when we face Ginebra. They’re well-coached, they got depth and then they added some guys like (Ralph) Cu who are really great role players,” Meralco coach Luigi Trillo said of their old playoffs rivals. “We know we’re going to get our hands full but we’re looking forward to it.”

Ginebra counterpart Tim Cone is equally wary of the Bolts, who handed them a 73-91 beating in their elims meeting last March 15.

“It’s going to be a battle. Meralco is the hottest team entering the playoffs and they already beat us up in the elims,” Mr. Cone told The STAR on Monday.

He also noted how the Bolts have “gotten a good feel” for the system of Mr. Trillo and active consultant Nenad Vucinic.

“They’re executing it at a high level. We’ll have to play great in the series to have a chance,” said Mr. Cone.

Ginebra and Meralco have built a post-elims rivalry that dates back to Season 41. The Bolts have won the most recent one, the Season 47 Philippine Cup quarterfinals, 2-1, to snap a string of six losses in different stages, including three Governors’ Cup finals.

Meanwhile, Mr. Trillo hopes to harness rookie slotman Brandon Bates’ full potential in this duel.

“We really need him against Ginebra,” Mr. Trillo said of the 6-foot-9 Mr. Bates who must help skipper Raymond Almazan man for fort versus Ginebra’s deadly tower of Christian Standhardinger and Japeth Aguilar.

“You see what Mr. Standhardinger has been doing. You have Japeth (Aguilar) there. We need another big to help Raymond Almazan,” he added.

The 27-year-old Fil-Aussie was a big contributor in Meralco’s 100-81 clincher over NLEX Sunday, hauling down seven rebounds and swatting three blocks while scoring two points.

“Brandon (Bates) does a lot of the dirty work. He is a great pickup for us. A character guy all the way. He’s learning. He has the vets to take care of him,” Mr. Trillo said, even comparing Mr. Bates to Alaska great Sonny Thoss. “He reminds us a little bit of Sonny Thoss, who comes in and does the dirty work. He’s a little bit in that mold, where he’s an important guy when it comes to certain things that we want to do.” — Olmin Leyba

Saso shoots a closing 70 for joint 29th place at LPGA Founders Cup

FIL-JAPANESE YUKA SASO — REUTERS

FILIPINA-JAPANESE Yuka Saso finished joint 29th in the LPGA Founders Cup while Pinay aces Dottie Ardina and Clariss Guce shared 13th in the Epson Tour’s Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic in separate locations Sunday.

Ms. Saso birdied four of the last 10 holes to negate two bogeys and card a closing one-under 70 en route to a final three-under 285 in the $3-million event in New Jersey.

The 22-year-old former US Women’s Open titlist earned $22,504 (around P1.3 million) as she finished 21 shots off Rose Zhang, who claimed her second professional triumph.

Ms. Zhang rattled off four birdies in her final five holes to submit a closing 66 for 264 overall, beating Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom (266 after a fourth-round 69) by two.

Over in Scottsdale, Arizona, Ms. Ardina matched par 71 while erstwhile contender Ms. Guce stumbled with a 73 to miss out on a Top 10 finish.

Ms. Ardina, fresh from her joint second effort in last week’s Casino del Sol Golf Classic, closed with a two-birdie, two-bogey round for a 278 total, eight short of the winning 270 of Chinese Ruixin Lu (64).

Ms. Guce, who was in contention after a hot 65 in the second round but bombed out on back-to-back 73s, equaled Ms. Ardina’s six-under aggregate in the final standings.

Pauline del Rosario, the other Filipina in the meet, placed in a tie for 26th with 281 after a final-round 73.

Mmess. Ardina and Guce banked $6,440 (P372,000) each while Del Rosario netted $3,737 (P216,000). — Olmin Leyba

Road team wins again as Denver Nuggets knock off T-Wolves, tie series

NIKOLA JOKIC finished with 35 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as the Denver Nuggets held on for a 115-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinal series in Minneapolis on Sunday night.

Aaron Gordon scored 27 points on 11-for-12 shooting for Denver, which pulled even at 2-2 in the best-of-seven set. Jamal Murray scored 19 points on eight-for-17 shooting and Christian Braun chipped in 11 points off the bench.

Anthony Edwards led all scorers with 44 points on 16-for-25 shooting for Minnesota. Karl-Anthony Towns added 13 points and 12 rebounds and Rudy Gobert notched 11 points and 14 rebounds.

Denver shot 57 percent (45 of 79) from the field and 44.8 percent (13 of 29) from beyond the arc. Minnesota shot 47.6 percent (39 of 82) overall and 39.3 percent (11 of 28) from 3-point range.

The Timberwolves trailed throughout the second half but went on an 8-2 run to pull within six points in the final minute. Mike Conley capped the burst with a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to 113-107 with 28.3 seconds to go. That prompted a timeout by Mr. Malone.

Mr. Jokic drove in for a layup on the next possession to push the lead to eight points.

Conley missed a 3-pointer on the next possession, and Mr. Jokic dribbled the ball as time expired to seal the victory for the Nuggets. The road team has won each game in the series.

Mr. Malone added, “This series is a long way from being over. We’re not celebrating. It’s 2-2, so now you have to find a way to win Game 5. But what I’ve found about our group is that they do believe in themselves, and more importantly, they believe in the man next to them. We have a group that is acting as you would hope a championship team would act.”

Mr. Murray gave Denver a 17-point advantage when he made a basket with 1:49 to go in the third quarter, but Naz Reid and Edwards combined to score six points in the final 96 seconds of the quarter to pull the Timberwolves within 11 points going into the fourth quarter. The sequence included another powerful statement from Edwards, who drove past Mr. Murray and leaped over Justin Holiday for an emphatic dunk.

Denver stood strong as the Timberwolves looked to mount a fourth-quarter run. Mr. Conley cut Minnesota’s deficit to nine when he made a floating jump shot early in the fourth quarter, but Mr. Jokic responded by scoring the next six points.

The Nuggets led 64-49 at the half. — Reuters

Indiana Pacers blast NY Knicks to even series 2-2

TYRESE HALIBURTON scored 20 points as the Indiana Pacers breezed to a 121-89 victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday in Indianapolis to even their Eastern Conference semifinal series at two wins apiece.

The sixth-seeded Pacers rode a sizzling start en route to recording their second straight victory overall and 10th in a row at home dating back to the regular season. Game 5 of the best-of-seven series is Tuesday in New York.

Indiana’s T.J. McConnell collected 15 points and 10 assists, former Knicks draft pick Obi Toppin and Pascal Siakam each had 14 points and Myles Turner added 13. The Pacers led by as many as 23 points in the first quarter and 30 toward the end of the second.

Indiana shot a robust 56.8 percent from the floor (50 of 88) and 45.2 percent from 3-point range (14 of 31), while holding a 60-40 edge in points in the paint. Second-seeded New York, in turn, made just 7 of 37 attempts from beyond the arc (18.9 percent).

Alec Burks scored 20 points off the bench and Jalen Brunson added 18 while sitting out the fourth quarter. Miles McBride had 16 points for the undermanned Knicks, who played their second straight game without OG Anunoby (hamstring).

Donte DiVincenzo drained a 3-pointer to shave Indiana’s lead to 24-11 late in the first quarter before the Pacers answered with 10 straight points. Mr. Toppin had a hand in all 10, as he made a short jumper, set up rookie Ben Sheppard’s 3-pointer, connected from beyond the arc himself and converted McConnell’s alley-oop to give Indiana a 34-11 lead.

The Pacers didn’t let their foot off the gas in the second quarter. They pushed their advantage to 69-39 when Haliburton drained a stepback 3-pointer, and then Burks made a pair of free throws just before halftime.

Indiana scored 13 of the first 19 points of the third quarter to go ahead 82-47. The Pacers’ lead did not shrink below 31 points the rest of the way. — Reuters

Lowly Tabilo stuns Djokovic in huge upset at Italian Open

CHILE’S Alejandro Tabilo claimed the biggest win of his career when he beat world number one Novak Djokovic 6-2 6-3 in the third round of the Italian Open in a match that lasted just 67 minutes on Sunday, two days after the Serbian was hit on the head by a water bottle.

Mr. Djokovic has won the tournament six times, with his last title coming in 2022, but Mr. Tabilo broke the top seed four times on Centre Court while not conceding a single break point. Mr. Djokovic looked far from his best and the 36-year-old blamed Friday’s “unfortunate” incident where he was accidentally struck on the head by a fan’s water bottle while signing autographs after his second-round win.

“That has really impacted me a lot. After that I got medical care, been through half-an-hour, an hour of nausea, dizziness and blood,” Mr. Djokovic told a news conference, adding that he would go for scans later.

“I managed to sleep okay, I had headaches. The next day, or yesterday, was pretty fine, so I thought it’s okay. Maybe it is okay, maybe it’s not.

The victory made the 26-year-old Mr. Tabilo — who won a Challenger Tour tournament two weeks ago — the first Chilean in 17 years to beat a world number one since Fernando Gonzalez beat Roger Federer at the ATP Finals in 2007.

“It’s incredible. I came on court just looking around and soaking it all in, trying to process everything. I’m trying to wake up right now,” said Mr. Tabilo, who is ranked number 32 in the world.

The result also means Mr. Djokovic — who made a double fault on match point — has failed to reach a single final in 2024 and has played only six matches on clay in the build-up to the French Open.

The Serbian had reached the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Masters but a premature exit in Rome could hamper his preparations for Roland Garros where the year’s second Grand Slam begins on May 26.

When asked about his French Open chances, Mr. Djokovic said: “Everything needs to be better for me to have at least a chance to win it.” — Reuters

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