MILF political bloc’s first assembly held in Lanao del Sur

May 7, 2024 | 8:38 pm

United Bangsamoro Justice Party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front — LOCAL executives were among those who pledged allegiance to the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) during its first general assembly in Lanao del Sur on Monday. — PHILIPPINE STAR/JOHN FELIX M. UNSON

COTABATO CITY — Thousands participated in the first ever general assembly of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Lanao del Sur on Monday, during which a number of local executives pledged allegiance to the group.

Radio reports here on Tuesday stated that no fewer than 30,000 Maranaos from across Lanao del Sur participated in the sortie, held in Poona Bayabao.

The assembly was initiated by senior MILF officials, among them the chairman of its central committee, Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, the appointed chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Regional Parliament Member Kadil Monera Sinolinding, Jr., and BARMM’s education minister, Muhaquer Mohammad Iqbal.

The activity of the UBJP was part of the MILF’s initial preparations for the first ever BARMM parliamentary elections in May next year, which is simultaneous with the municipal, city, provincial and senatorial elections.

The MILF has 41 representatives, comprising a majority bloc, in the 80-member BARMM parliament, also known as the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, functioning as presidential appointees, not as elected regional lawmakers.

Mr. Ebrahim, in a message during the Poona Bayabao UBJP gathering, said they appreciate the continuing support of southern communities to their political party, launched only about four years ago, and called on Moro sectors to unite and together keep the gains of the peace process between the government and the MILF.

Mr. Ebrahim also emphasized that the creation of BARMM via a plebiscite in 2019, replacing the then 27-year Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao that has lesser political and administrative powers, was an outcome of the peace talks between Malacañang and the MILF that lasted for about two decades, sealed with a final compact, the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro, in 2014. — John Felix M. Unson

Sharks Billiards Association to ‘revive’ pool action in PHL

May 7, 2024 | 6:37 pm

THE Philippines, which once served as the mecca of pool, is now home to the country’s first-ever professional billiards league.

With hopes of reviving the long-dormant pool action in the country and further exposing Filipino players to top-level play, founder Hadley Mariano, son of the industry’s icon Perry, has launched the Sharks Billiards Association (SBA) with Chino Trinidad serving as commissioner.

In partnership with the Games and Amusements Board (GAB), the SBA will field four pioneering teams this season with five players each from the draft pool of over 100 players.

Teams, with partnerships from cities and provinces for a regional taste, will be unveiled before next month before the draft, where anyone with a pro GAB license, including national team players, is eligible to join.

Teams will duke it out in a nine-ball play albeit under a still-to-be-announced format.

Only local players may join the inaugural season but the SBA is open to including foreign and guest ones for the next seasons to come featuring at least 20 to 30 teams.

The SBA will also require one grassroot or homegrown player from each city partner of the teams to champion the growth of the sport, where the Filipinos are considered one of the best — if not the best.

As a pro league, uniformed salaries for a staple livelihood from here on will be implemented by team owners but there’s more to it than that as the SBA is out to erase the sport’s stigma for money game alone with pride and honor at stake.

“This is a dream as the world’s first and only pro league” said Mr. Trinidad, a former basketball commissioner.

From the legends of Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante to current world 10-ball champion Carlo Biado, it’s only a matter of time for the Philippines to produce another one and SBA is here to make that happen sooner than later. — John Bryan Ulanday

DLSU eyes third straight PBA D-League crown vs CEU

May 7, 2024 | 6:36 pm

Game Thursday
(Ynares Sports Arena)
7:30 p.m. — EcoOil-La Salle vs CEU

REIGNING champion EcoOil-De La Salle University (DLSU) overwhelmed challenger Centro Escolar University (CEU) in Game 1 of the best-of-three finals, 98-72, to zero in on a third straight championship in the 2024 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup on Thursday at the Ynares Sports Arena.

Without Abdul-Wahab Olusesi for the Scorpions, Henry Agunanne and Jonnel Policarpio dominated inside with 17 points each as the unbeaten Green Archers drew first blood with a bang in the short race-to-two showdown.

Mr. Olusesi, the defensive anchor of CEU in its stellar finals run, missed the opener due to a left knee sprain that he suffered in the Scorpions’ 78-56 Game 3 win in the semifinals against Marinerong Pilipino-San Beda University to advance.

“CEU was riding on a lot of momentum. Beating San Beda is such a huge achievement for their program so I told the players that CEU will be coming out with a lot of confidence with or without Mr. Olusesi,” said assistant coach Gian Nazaro on their eight win in as many games.

“We have to be prepared against them and I think from the start,”

De La Salle, also kings of the UAAP, waxed hot early with a 23-9 start and even led by as many as 39 points en route to a lopsided 26-point win.

JC Macalalag (13, Raven Cortez (10) and EJ Gollena (10) threw in contributions for the Green Archers, who have a chance to become the second winningest franchise in D-League history with a three-peat.

NLEX, now in the PBA, owned the distinction so far with six D-League titles, including four straight in the early 2010s.

Daniel Marcelo, Dave Bernabe and Gabrielle Dan Gamboa fired 10 points apiece but De La Salle still proved too strong for CEU in the tough defeat. — John Bryan Ulanday

The Scores:

EcoOil-La Salle 98 – Agunanne 17, Policarpio 17, Macalalag 13, Cortez 10, Gollena 10, Austria 6, Phillips 6, David 5, Alian 4, Abadam 3, Rubico 3, Gaspay 2, Buensalida 2, Marasigan 0, Romero 0.

CEU 72 – Marcelo 10, Bernabe 10, Gamboa 10, Darbin 8, Serrano 8, Santos 6, Malicana 6, Diaz 5, De Guzman 4, Guevarra 4, Benitez 1, Puray 0, Mendoza 0.

Quartescores: 23-9, 54-28, 79-45, 98-72.

Gilas to play tuneup games in Turkey and Poland before OQT

May 7, 2024 | 6:35 pm

GILAS Pilipinas will embark on training sorties in Turkey and Poland ahead of its stint in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Latvia in July.

According to Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Erika Dy, the Nationals will first re-assemble on June 22 at the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna before flying to Turkey then Poland to play tuneup games with their respective national teams.

From there, coach Tim Cone and his 14-man squad will proceed with its “Mission: Paris” in the July 2 to 7 qualifiers in the Latvian city of Riga.

“We’re grouped with the host team Latvia and Georgia, both powerhouses, and we’re really looking forward to competing against them,” Ms. Dy said in yesterday’s PSA Forum where she bared the SBP’s programs for the rest of the year.

After the OQT campaign, the federation will prepare for the hosting of Gilas’ next assignments in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers at the MOA Arena in November against New Zealand (NZ) and Hong Kong. The Nationals will reconvene six days before the NZ game set Nov. 21.

“The program is working. He (Mr. Cone) has secured the best talents that we have.”

The Gilas women’s program is also buzzing with activities.

Per Ms. Dy, the cagebelles are building up for the Jones Cup in June and the FIBA Women’s World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournament in August in Rwanda.

And if Gilas men is adding Bennie Boatwright to its naturalized player pool, Gilas women is enlisting Nigerian-born Favour Onoh as NP. Ms. Onoh, 18, is a 6-4 Nigerian-born center playing for University of the Philippines in the UAAP.

The naturalization processes for both have started in Congress, per Ms. Dy.

The Gilas U17 team, meanwhile, is preparing for the FIBA U17 World Cup slated June 29 to July 9 in Turkey. — Olmin Leyba

Filipinas U17 blast Indonesia 6-1 in Women’s Asian Cup

May 7, 2024 | 6:33 pm

THE Philippines hit the ground running in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-17 (U1&) Women’s Asian Cup, clobbering host Indonesia, 6-1, in Monday night’s opener at the Kapten Wayan Dipta Stadium in Bali.

Alexa Pino and Natalie Collins each scored twice to spark the young Filipinas to the runaway win that put them in a tie with North Korea for the early Group A lead with three points. The North Koreans shut out their rivals from South Korea, 7-0, in the other kickoff matchup.

Ms. Pino opened the floodgates of scoring for the Philippines in the sixth minute when she nodded home Ava Villapando’s cross.

The hosts managed to draw level six minutes later with Claudia Scheunemann sending a volley from almost 30 yards but the young Filipinas reasserted themselves again.

Jael Marie Guy put the visitors back in front with her left-foot strike in the 22^nd minute, after which Ariana Markey sneaked one past Indonesian keeper Gadhiza Asnanza in the 29^th and Ms. Pino completed her brace in the 35^th.

Ms. Collins produced her own double in the 54^th and 62^nd minutes to complete the romp.

The young Filipinas face an acid test on Thursday versus North Korea. — Olmin Leyba

Wolves demolish Nuggets, head home up 2-0

May 7, 2024 | 6:33 pm

KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Anthony Edwards also had 27 points and the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 106-80 on Monday to take a 2-0 lead in a Western Conference semifinal series.

Minnesota won without center Rudy Gobert, who was away from the team for the birth of his first child. The Timberwolves, holding a decisive edge on the reigning NBA champions, head back to Minneapolis for Game 3 of the best-of-seven series on Friday.

Even without Gobert, a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, the Timberwolves held Denver to a season low in points. Jamal Murray scored eight points on 3-for-18 shooting but had a career-high 13 rebounds, and Nikola Jokic finished with 16 points and 16 rebounds.

Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 20 points, and Justin Holiday had 13 off the bench. Reggie Jackson left the game in the fourth quarter due to an apparent injury.

Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 14 points each for the Timberwolves, who have started the playoffs with six straight wins.

Minnesota looked smooth on offense, led by Mr. Towns scoring 20 points in the first half and the team shooting 54.5 percent before the break. The Timberwolves used a dominant run spanning the first and second quarters to take control.

Leading 18-17, the Timberwolves outscored Denver 24-5 to lead by 20 after a Reid 3-pointer with 8:05 left in the half. The Nuggets got it within 43-28, but Minnesota had a strong finish to the second quarter to lead 61-35 at halftime.

Denver continued to struggle in the third quarter and the Timberwolves took advantage, leading by as much as 32 on Alexander-Walker’s 3-pointer with 7:20 left in the period.

The Nuggets found some offensive rhythm late in the third to cut it to 82-60 heading into the fourth.

Mr. Jackson opened the final quarter with a 3-pointer to slice the deficit to 19, but Denver then missed a pair from deep. Mr. Towns made a pair of free throws and Alexander-Walker soon hit his fourth 3-pointer to make it 87-65 with 9:18 left.

Another burst pushed the gap to 97-72 as Minnesota closed it out. — Reuters

Wembanyama unanimous ROY

May 7, 2024 | 6:32 pm

SAN Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama was voted NBA Rookie of the Year (ROY) in a unanimous decision on Monday.

The French star received all 99 first-place votes from a media panel voting on the award, joining Ralph Sampson, David Robinson, Blake Griffin, Damian Lillard and Karl-Anthony Towns as unanimous winners of the award.

Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren was a strong runner-up, receiving 98 of a possible 99 second-place votes.

Mr. Wembanyama led all NBA rookies in points, rebounds and blocks along with double-doubles (43) and triple-doubles (two). — Reuters

Puentevella wants Chinese coach Gao to train Paris-bound lifters

May 7, 2024 | 6:32 pm

SAMAHANG Weightlifting ng Pilipinas President Monico Puentevella knew it would take a world-class coach for Paris-bound Vanessa Sarno, Elreen Ando and John Ceniza to have a legitimate shot at an Olympic gold medal.

That is why he is sending his lifters to the one person who helped Hidilyn Diaz capture the country’s historic Tokyo Olympics mint — Chinese coach Gao Kaiwen.

“Mr. Gao is coaching Taipei, I would like them to try training there for a month, waiting for the answer of Taipei,” said Mr. Puentevella during yesterday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Mr. Gao, of course, was Ms. Diaz’s long-time coach and was the biggest reason the latter delivered the country’s historic gold in the quadrennial games.

And that is why Mr. Puentevella may try to convince Mr. Gao from moving back to the country to coach the national squad.

“Personally, I want Mr. Gao because he understands Filipino character, he has been successful with Hidilyn (Diaz-Naranjo) and I have very high respect for him, he’s a world class coach,” he said.

“I want him to teach these kids the way he taught Hidilyn.”

Mmess. Sarno, Ando and Mr. Ceniza, for their part, vowed to fight for a medal in Paris.

Ms. Sarno is being tipped as the heiress to Ms. Diaz’s throne. — Joey Villar

Cavs win, Celtics next

May 7, 2024 | 6:31 pm

For a while there, it looked as if the Cavaliers would regret their decision to deliberately throw the last contest of the regular season to take the fourth seed in the East heading into the playoffs. A favorable result against the lowly Hornets would have placed them second and in a collision course with the Sixers, who were then riding a hot streak of eight straight wins. The latter likewise appeared to be a worse matchup on paper vis-a-vis the relatively inexperienced Magic. As they stared at the prospect of losing a Game Seven against their preferred opponents, however, not a few pundits wondered if they wrongly tempted fate.

As things turned out, the Cavaliers would go on to claim their do-or-die affair the other day on the strength of an otherworldly showing from immediate past All-NBA selection Donovan Mitchell. To be sure, it helped that the Magic outside of resident All-Star Paolo Banchero melted under the klieg lights; the pressure to perform with survival at stake proved to be too much to bear for supposed stalwarts Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, who shot one of 15 and two of 13 from the field, respectively, to ensure defeat.

That said, the Cavaliers have no reason to rest on their laurels. They may have won the battle, but they’re slated to lose the war. With the juggernaut Celtics waiting in the wings, they will be hard-pressed to advance to the conference finals. There’s a reason the green and white have practically lapped the rest of the National Basketball Association, and nothing the wine and gold have shown so far gives any indication that they can keep pace. At this point, avoiding the broomstick looks to be an achievement in and of itself.

Perhaps the Cavaliers will catch lightning in a bottle and overcome the odds. Perhaps Mitchell has another best-of-seven series’ worth of heroics in him. The flipside, of course, is that they likewise need the Celtics to all but fold the way the Magic did — an extremely unlikely proposition for last year’s East finalists. Which is not to say they won’t try their best. It’s just that their best doesn’t seem to be anywhere near the same zip code as good enough.

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.

Fujitsu opens its first Digital Innovation Hub in ASEAN

May 7, 2024 | 5:14 pm

A Japanese information and communication technology company launched Southeast Asia’s first Digital Innovation Hub (DIH) in the Philippines on Thursday, May 2, 2024.

Fujitsu’s DIH is a collaborative space for organizations and the company’s in-house experts to brainstorm ideas, create innovative concepts, and co-create solutions through their interactive workshops.

“We’re dedicated to addressing business challenges, from refining operations to enhancing customer experiences,” Fujitsu Philippines Managing Director and Head of Customer Success in Asia Pacific Raul Santiago said in a discussion on providing customers with access to ‘top tier’ business and technology specialists.

The company also highlights its Human-centric Experience Design (HXD) in the said workshops. HXD is a unique design thinking method developed in Japan and used worldwide.

The four critical factors for success under this methodology are:

● People
● Purpose
● Outcome
● Design

Through the help of its co-creation program and HXD workshops, the Japanese technology company aims to provide end-to-end IT solutions for the country’s growing businesses to solve societal issues and accelerate its digital transformation.

The company is “committed to innovation and becoming a trusted partner in the digital experience and sustainability transformation” of different companies, schools, and organization, Mr. Santiago mentioned in the roundtable discussion.

The Philippines was chosen as the first location to establish DIH due to the evident demand for digital transformation from the growing number of business innovators in the region, Mr. Santiago added.

The multinational company plans to establish its second ASEAN hub in Vietnam. — Almira Louise S. Martinez

Gaza ceasefire uncertain as Israel strikes Rafah

May 7, 2024 | 4:59 pm

RAFAH, Gaza Strip/CAIRO/JERUSALEM — Palestinian militant group Hamas on Monday agreed to a Gaza ceasefire proposal from mediators, but Israel said the terms did not meet its demands and pressed ahead with strikes in Rafah while planning to continue negotiations on a deal.

The developments in the seven-month-old war came as Israeli forces struck Rafah on Gaza’s southern edge from the air and ground and ordered residents to leave parts of the city, which has been a refuge for more than a million displaced Palestinians.

Hamas said in a brief statement that its chief, Ismail Haniyeh, had informed Qatari and Egyptian mediators that the group accepted their proposal for a ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said later that the truce proposal fell short of Israel’s demands but Israel would send a delegation to meet with negotiators to try to reach an agreement.

Qatar’s foreign ministry said its delegation will head to Cairo on Tuesday to resume indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

In a statement, Mr. Netanyahu’s office added that his war cabinet approved continuing an operation in Rafah. Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on social media site X that Mr. Netanyahu was jeopardizing a ceasefire by bombing Rafah.

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the proposal that Hamas approved was a watered-down version of an Egyptian offer and included elements that Israel could not accept.

“This would appear to be a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal,” said the Israeli official.

Another official briefed on the agreement said Hamas had agreed to the phased ceasefire and hostage release deal Israel proposed on April 27 with only minor changes that did not affect the main parts of the proposal.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington would discuss the Hamas response with its allies in the coming hours, and a deal was “absolutely achievable.” More than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, according to Gaza health officials. The United Nations (UN) has said famine is imminent in the enclave.

The war began when Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and abducting 252 others, of whom 133 are believed to remain in captivity in Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.

RAFAH HIT BY STRIKES
Any truce would be the first pause in fighting since a week-long ceasefire in November, during which Hamas freed around half of the hostages.

Since then, all efforts to reach a new truce have foundered over Hamas’ refusal to free more hostages without a promise of a permanent end to the conflict, and Israel’s insistence that it would discuss only a temporary pause.

Taher Al-Nono, a Hamas official and adviser to Haniyeh, told Reuters the proposal met the group’s demands for reconstruction efforts in Gaza, return of displaced Palestinians and a swap of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

The Hamas deputy chief in Gaza, Khalil Al-Hayya, told Al Jazeera television the proposal comprised three phases of six weeks each, with Israel to pull its troops out of Gaza in the second phase.

Earlier on Monday, Israel ordered the evacuation of parts of Rafah, the city on the Egyptian border that has served as the last sanctuary for around half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.

An Israeli strike on a house in Rafah killed five Palestinians, including a woman and a girl, medics said.

Israel believes that a significant number of Hamas fighters, along with potentially dozens of hostages, are in Rafah and has said that victory requires taking the key city.

Israel’s closest ally, the United States, has called on it not to assault Rafah, saying it must not do so without a full plan in place to protect civilians there, which has yet to be presented.

A separate US official said that Washington is concerned about Israel’s latest strikes against Rafah but does not believe they represent a major military operation.

Israel said on Monday it was conducting limited operations on the eastern part of Rafah. Palestinian residents said there were massive air strikes.

“They have been firing since last night and today after the evacuation orders, the bombardment became more intense because they want to frighten us to leave,” Jaber Abu Nazly, a 40-year-old father of two, told Reuters via a chat app.

“Others are wondering whether there is any place safe in the whole of Gaza,” he added.

Instructed by Arabic text messages, phone calls and flyers to move to what the Israeli military called an “expanded humanitarian zone” around 20 km (12 miles) away, some Palestinian families began trundling away in chilly spring rain.

Some piled children and possessions onto donkey carts, while others left by pick-up or on foot through muddy streets.

As families dismantled tents and folded belongings, Abdullah Al-Najar said this was the fourth time he had been displaced since the fighting began seven months ago.

“God knows where we will go now. We have not decided yet.” — Reuters

Australian PM Albanese says China military air incident unacceptable

May 7, 2024 | 4:58 pm

SYDNEY – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday it was unacceptable for Australian defense personnel to be put at risk in international airspace by the Chinese military as they took part in an operation to enforce United Nations sanctions on North Korea.

A Chinese fighter jet endangered an Australian military helicopter during an unsafe and unacceptable confrontation over the Yellow Sea, Australia said on Monday.

The Chinese air force J-10 jet dropped flares above and several hundred meters ahead of an Australian MH60R Seahawk helicopter on a routine flight on Saturday in the Yellow Sea as part of an operation to enforce sanctions against North Korea, Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Monday evening.

In a television interview, Albanese said China had not yet responded publicly to Australia’s representations over the incident.

“This issue, we have made public in order to be able to speak out very clearly and unequivocally that this behavior is unacceptable,” he told Nine’s Today Show.

The Australian Defense Force personnel were “in international waters, international airspace, and they’re doing work to ensure that the sanctions that the world has imposed through the United Nations on North Korea, due to their intransient and reckless behavior, are enforced”.

“They shouldn’t have been at any risk,” he said.

The Australian public expected an explanation from China about the incident, and Australia had made “very strong representations at every level to China”, he added.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang is expected to visit Australia next month, he said.

“We will make our position clear as well in discussions,” he said.

The helicopter, flying from destroyer HMAS Hobart, dodged the flares. The confrontation put the aircraft and those on board at risk, although no one was hurt, the Department of Defense said in a separate statement.

This is the second such incident in six months to mar what has otherwise been a growing rapprochement between the two countries after years of strained relations and trade disputes.

Australia said in November a Chinese naval vessel injured some of its divers in Japanese waters using an underwater sonar. China denied it had used its sonar, however Australia rejected the explanation.

In 2022, Australia protested after a Chinese navy vessel pointed a laser at an Australian military aircraft close to Australia’s northern coast.

In a separate incident in 2022, Australia said a Chinese fighter aircraft dangerously intercepted an Australian military surveillance plane in the South China Sea, releasing a “bundle of chaff” containing pieces of aluminum that were ingested into the Australian aircraft’s engine.

Liu Jianchao, head of the international department of the Chinese Communist Party, said during a visit to Australia in November the Australian navy’s movements in the South China Sea and East China Sea appeared to be an effort to contain China.

Australia has rejected this, saying it respects the right of all states to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with international law.

China claims sovereignty over much of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. An international tribunal in 2016 said China’s expansive claim had no legal basis.

Chinese navy vessels have been tracked off Australia’s coast several times in recent years, including monitoring exercises with the US military. — Reuters