Contempt dismissal sought

July 25, 2023 | 7:51 pm

KARAPATAN Secretary-General Cristina E. Palabay on Monday asked a Muntinlupa court to dismiss contempt charges against her after she denounced former Senator Leila M. de Lima’s six-year imprisonment.

In an 11 page-motion, she said there was nothing contemptuous in what she said, adding that she was just exercising the right to free speech.

“There is no clear and present danger to the administration of justice that would constitute the alleged act as contemptuous,” she said.

A Muntinlupa court cleared Ms. De Lima, one of ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s staunchest critics, of drug trafficking charges for reasonable doubt. The main witness, former Bureau of Corrections chief Rafael Z. Ragos, took back his testimony against her.

The former lawmaker, who was arrested in 2017 and accused of taking drug money months after leading a Senate investigation into Mr. Duterte’s war on drugs, originally faced three charges and was also cleared in another case in 2021.

In a statement, Karapatan said the contempt charges showed the continuing harassment of human rights defenders through trumped-up charges. — John Victor D. Ordonez

Suspension of cop sought

July 25, 2023 | 7:51 pm

A HUMAN RIGHTS activist has asked the Ombudsman to suspend a police officer for arresting her during a series of raids that led to the deaths of nine activists and the imprisonment of four others.

In an affidavit filed on Monday, Nimfa Lanzanas said the cop should be suspended without pay for disregarding the law on search warrants and arrests.

The activist said the police officer approved the search warrant despite inconsistencies in the documents including incorrect home addresses.

“The respondent should also be held liable for grave misconduct, as his acts flagrantly and deliberately violated the laws on search warrants and on arrests,” according to a copy of Ms. Lanzanas’ affidavit.

“His acts violated my rights, which are protected by the Constitution.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Philippines stuns New Zealand with Wellington win

July 25, 2023 | 6:48 pm

WELLINGTON — Forward Sarina Bolden headed the winner as the Philippines spoiled co-hosts New Zealand’s party with a stunning 1-0 victory in their Women’s World Cup Group A clash on Tuesday.

The Philippines lost 2-0 to Switzerland in their opening match and looked to be an easy mark for the Football Ferns, who were coming off their first-ever World Cup win over former champions Norway and looking to book a spot in the last 16.

Instead, the Philippines secured their own first World Cup win to keep alive their hopes of progressing in their debut tournament.

New Zealand did not lack in effort but had seemingly lost the magic touch of their historic opener and missed a series of goalscoring opportunities.

Striker Ms. Bolden made them pay for their profligacy in the 24th minute when she got up well to fire a header directly at New Zealand keeper Victoria Esson, who fumbled it into the net to give the Philippines their first-ever World Cup goal.

Roared on by 32,357 crowd at Wellington Regional Stadium, the Ferns dominated possession as they poured forward looking for an equalizer.

Defender Katie Bowen sent a shot wide to the left in the 38th minute and co-captain Ria Percival’s shot rolled straight at the Philippines keeper Olivia McDaniel in first-half stoppage time.

In the 58th minute, defender C.J. Bott looped a cross into the box but Hannah Wilkinson, the hero of New Zealand’s opening win on Thursday, sent her header over the bar.

Ten minutes later, Ms. Wilkinson did well to drag the ball back from the byline and crossed for forward Jacqui Hand to head it into the net, only for the referee to call it back for offside.

In a frenetic finish, Philippines striker Carleigh Frilles also got the ball into net from an offside position and New Zealand’s Grace Jale was foiled from close range by a fine Ms. McDaniel save.

The Philippines close out their Group A against 1995 winners Norway on Sunday, while New Zealand face Switzerland. — Reuters

Gilas, China seen vying for best Asian finisher in World Cup

July 25, 2023 | 6:47 pm

GILAS Pilipinas’ path to the Paris Olympics just gets tougher.

China, seen as one of Gilas’ top rivals for the best Asian finisher in the coming 2023 FIBA World Cup with an outright Olympic ticket as the golden prize, will have NBA standout Kyle Anderson as its reinforcement.

A 6-foot-9 forward from the Minnesota Timberwolves, Mr. Anderson obtained his Chinese citizenship on Monday night as announced by FIBA and the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) for his immediate World Cup availability.

Bearing the Chinese name of Li Kaier, the nine-year NBA veteran will join a potent World Cup pool of China led by Zhou Qi, Wang Zhelin, Zhang Zhenlin and Zeng Fanbo.

Mr. Anderson, a product of UCLA and the 30^th pick in the 2014 NBA Rookie Draft, is coming off a solid first-year stint with the Timberwolves behind averages of 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists after stops in San Antonio and Memphis.

China is in Group B with Serbia, South Sudan and Puerto Rico while Gilas leads Group A with Italy, Angola and Dominican Republic.

Both groups are designated to play at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City for pool play with the top two teams advancing to the second round against each other.

The catch is the bottom two teams of each group will also collide in the classification matches, setting up a possible clash between Gilas and China for the best Asian finisher.

In 2019, no Asian teams advanced to the second round with Iran finishing at No. 23 to surpass No. 24 China and clinch a seat in the Tokyo Summer Games.

Iran, this time, is in Group G in Indonesia with reigning World Cup champion Spain, Ivory Coast and Brazil as the other contender Japan is in equally tough Group E in Okinawa with Australia, Finland and Germany. — John Bryan Ulanday

Philippines to demostrate Obstacle Sports to Thai coaches, technical officials

July 25, 2023 | 6:46 pm

THE PHILIPPINES will go beyond borders to create more opportunities for the booming obstacle sport.

In partnership with the Modern Pentathlon Association of Thailand, the Pilipinas Obstacle Sports Federation (POSF) will hold a 4-in-1 activity in Sattahip, Chonburi Province in Thailand in September with hopes of expanding the reach of the sport to its good neighbor.

Part of the breakthrough event is the turnover of POSF’s obstacle box to Thailand, a member of the World Pentathlon and World Obstacle unions.

The POSF, under the watch of president Alberto Agra, will also hold certification courses for Thai coaches and technical officials.

Moreover, Filipino athletes will have a demonstration in front of their Thai counterparts to cap the historic activity between Southeast Asian neighbors.

Obstacle Sports is the newest discipline under modern pentathlon with the POSF hoping for its inclusion as a standalone event in the 2025 SEA Games to be hosted by Thailand.

The Philippines has been the barometer of Southeast Asian obstacle sports starting with the discipline’s debut in the 30^th SEA Games in Manila in 2019.

As hosts, the country dominated the event with six gold medals followed by another four-gold medal harvest in the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia. — John Bryan Ulanday

Philippines Blu Girls remain winless in Softball World Cup

July 25, 2023 | 6:46 pm

THE PHILIPPINE Blu Girls stayed in the hunt for an elusive win after folding to Venezuela in the group play of the Women’s Softball World Cup late Monday night in Castions di Istrada and Buttrio, Italy.

The Nationals scored a run for the first time courtesy of ace Francesca Altomonte but it was still not enough as the Venezuelans racked up five answered points in the pivotal fifth inning for the win.

Eager to barge into the win column, the Philippines dragged Venezuela to a scoreless duel in the first four innings only to allow a slight opening to Eila Infante for the opponent’s icebreaker at the top of the fifth.

Hit after hit, the world No. 22 Venezuela loaded all its bases at the bottom of the fifth before Yakary Molina flew a homerun into the left field for four runs in succession to pull away at 5-0.

Even Altomonte’s run off a Mary Joy Maguad’s flyout at the top of the seventh inning hardly mattered as Venezuelan pitchers struck out the remaining Filipina batters.

The Blu Girls, ranked 26^th in the world, tripped to 0-3 after losses against world No. 5 Canada, 5-0, and No. 2 Japan, 13-0, in Group C. Venezuela improved to 1-3.

The Philippines was playing world No. 8 and host Italy yesterday with a score of 1-1 in the fourth inning but the sudden inclement weather forced the organizers to postpone the match. — John Bryan Ulanday

Underdogs serve notice that the gap is closing at Women’s World Cup

July 25, 2023 | 6:46 pm

SYDNEY — If there were concerns about blowouts when the Women’s World Cup expanded to 32 teams this year, minnows Haiti, Jamaica and Ireland have served notice they deserve to be on the game’s biggest stage.

Germany, Brazil and Japan might have racked up the goals in their opening matches but other title contenders have faced much stiffer competition from lowly-ranked opponents than they might have expected.

“We belong. We think we can compete at this level,” Philippines coach Alen Stajcic said after his 46th-ranked team lost 2-0 to Switzerland, and had a goal disallowed for offside.

“We’ve arrived at the point where we’ve improved significantly enough to where we can go on the pitch and believe that we can win.”

At the 2019 World Cup in France, the United States thoroughly demolished Thailand 13-0. Their merciless goal celebrations left a sour taste as poor sportsmanship with some, and the shocking scoreline raised questions about parity.

Four years later, the most lopsided score after the first round of matches was Germany’s 6-0 win over Morocco on Monday. Vietnam drew the short straw as the first opponents for the Americans but were far from humiliated by a 3-0 loss.

Despite eight teams making their World Cup debut this year, the storyline in Australia and New Zealand has been far more about the pleasant surprises.

Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz, outscored 12-1 in 2019, held fifth-ranked France to a hardfought 0-0 draw in Sydney.

European champions England edged debutants Haiti 1-0, but needed a spectacular late save from keeper Mary Earps to secure all three points. Debutants Ireland dropped a 1-0 decision to Australia before a record crowd of 75,784 in Sydney.

“There are good players coming through the ranks now and I think once upon a time the US was very, very dominant. And you can see the gap is closing,” said Jamaica coach Lorne Donaldson.

“I think the smaller nations are jumping on that bandwagon and saying ‘we can do this too’.”

TONE SET
New Zealand set the tone in the tournament opener, finally winning a game after 15 World Cup losses with a 1-0 upset of former champions Norway. At the 2007 World Cup, the bottom three teams — New Zealand, Argentina and Ghana — were outscored 42-4.

“The gaps are closing,” said Chantelle Swaby, who plays with sibling Allyson in the Jamaica team.

“As the final whistle went, I heard my sister say, ‘The world rankings? What rankings?’”

The new parity comes despite a cavernous gap in preparedness between teams at the top and bottom of the rankings.

A study by players union FIFPRO found that Haiti played less than a third of the number games that the US did in their World Cup preparations, and less than half as many as England.

“Going into this World Cup the game has just grown and a lot of federations have grown as well,” said US defender Naomi Girma.

“(Closer scores are) to be expected and I think it’s great to see so many countries coming in and making a great impression on the world stage.”

FIFPRO also found that nearly a third of World Cup players were not paid for qualification games, and two-thirds of 362 players surveyed had to take leave from another form of employment to participate in qualifying.

Only 40% identified themselves as a professional footballer, although all will receive $30,000 direct from FIFA for playing in the World Cup.

FIFA also launched a pilot program in 2021 to aid team preparation with 10 participating countries. Vietnam, for example, was provided with a fitness and nutrition expert.

New Zealand’s Czech coach Jitka Klimkova said there was quality throughout the tournament.

“We know we are not going to have any easy game in the World Cup,” she said.

“Every opposition that we are facing against, they have a reason to be here. They made the World Cup.” — Reuters

Soccer agents lose appeal against FIFA over new regulations

July 25, 2023 | 6:45 pm

SOCCER agents have lost an appeal to block new FIFA regulations that would cap their transfer commissions and introduce exams to secure a licence after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in the governing body’s favor on Monday.

The Zurich-based Professional Football Agents Association (PROFAA) submitted the appeal to CAS, sport’s Highest Court, in Switzerland after FIFA introduced a new regulatory framework in January. The new rules will come into force on Oct. 1.

PROFAA’s claims that the regulations violate competition and European Union laws have been “dismissed in their entirety”, CAS said. The agents’ group said it was “extremely disappointed” by the decision.

“PROFAA will carefully examine the ruling before deciding the next steps and will continue to support any and all litigation against these regulations, specifically the introduction of a commission cap,” the group added.

FIFA wants to limit agents to taking a maximum 3% commission for any transfer of more than $200,000 and 5% for deals less than $200,000. There will be a 10% cap on earnings when agents act for the selling club.

The rules also require agents to hold a licence, for which they must pass a new examination by Oct. 1. Agents first took the exam in April, with only 52% of the 3,800 candidates obtaining the required mark to pass.

Other major changes include prohibition of multiple representation to avoid conflicts of interest and payment of agent fees through FIFA’s financial clearing house.

“FIFA welcomes today’s ruling … that fully confirms the legality, validity and proportionality of the FIFA Football Agent Regulations (FFAR),” the governing body said.

“The award confirms FIFA’s position that the FFAR are a reasonable and proportionate regulatory measure that help to resolve systemic failures in the player transfer system.” — Reuters

Jealous Has Been

July 25, 2023 | 6:44 pm

In April 2019, Paul Pierce inexplicably went on a diatribe against Dwyane Wade, who was in the last week of a Hall of Fame career. For some reason, he saw fit to compare himself to the 13-time All-Star, arguing that his superior exploits did not get ample — or any — recognition because social media hadn’t yet matured to the point where news is absorbed, and discussions are held, in real time. On the ESPN broadcast, he contended that he would have had at least as many titles (three) had he also been fortunate enough to share the court with such notables as Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh.

Pierce was, to be sure, not wrong in noting that no one man is so good as to claim the hardware without help. He even went to far as to point out that the Celtics’ own assemblage of stars during his time did not compare to the Heat’s with Wade because Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen were already past their prime. On the other hand, he conveniently forgot that players make their own destiny, and that the numbers do not lie: He was trumped in just about every significant metric, traditional or advanced. Which was why Jalen Rose had a field day directly contradicting him in the same show.

Fast forward four years, and Pierce continues to believe in his supposed ascendancy. “My skills went unappreciated because I didn’t get to play with a lot of great players,” he said on the It Is What It Is talk show the other day. “Put Shaq on my team. Put LeBron and Bosh with me. I’m not gonna win one? We’re not gonna win a couple? Who’s the better three-point shooter? Is [Wade] a better scorer? Okay, he averaged more points than me. I can shoot the three. I can [take the] mid-range [shot]. I can post up. I can get to the line. Who’s a better scorer?”

Needless to say, Pierce made an appeal to ignorance the other day. He engaged in a debate he insisted on winning by setting the terms. The good news is that the ensuing backlash seemed to knock some sense into him. Yesterday, he tweeted a rambling clarification in which he insisted that “I never compared myself to Dwyane Wade,” and that “all I’m saying is the narrative surrounding me would be different if I was lucky enough to play with all timers earlier in my career.” Hopefully, it’ll be the last time he brings the subject up. Else, he’ll keep coming off as a jealous Has Been unsatisfied with his own place in Springfield.

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.

Scientists say climate change role in July heatwaves ‘overwhelming’

July 25, 2023 | 4:38 pm

SINGAPORE — Human-induced climate change has played an “absolutely overwhelming” role in the extreme heatwaves that have swept across North America, Europe and China this month, according to an assessment by scientists published on Tuesday.

Throughout July, extreme weather has caused havoc across the planet, with temperatures breaking records in China, the United States and southern Europe, sparking forest fires, water shortages and a rise in heat-related hospital admissions.

Over the weekend, thousands of tourists were evacuated from the Greek island of Rhodes to escape wildfires caused by a record-breaking heatwave.

Without human-induced climate change, the events this month would have been “extremely rare”, according to a study by World Weather Attribution, a global team of scientists that examines the role played by climate change in extreme weather.

“European and North American temperatures would have been virtually impossible without the effects of climate change,” said Izidine Pinto of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, one of the study’s authors, during a briefing with journalists. “In China it was around 50 times more likely to happen compared to the past.”

The World Weather Attribution team estimated that rising greenhouse gas concentrations made the European heatwave 2.5 Celsius (4.5 Fahrenheit) hotter than it would otherwise have been. They also drove up the North American heatwave by 2°C and the one in China by 1°C.

As well as directly impacting human health, the heat has caused large-scale crop damage and livestock losses, the scientists said, with US corn and soybean crops, Mexican cattle, southern European olives as well as Chinese cotton all severely affected.

El Niño probably contributed to the additional heat in some regions, but rising greenhouse gases were the major factor, the scientists said, and heatwaves will become increasingly likely if emissions are not slashed.

They estimated that prolonged periods of extreme heat were likely to hit every two to five years if average global temperatures rise 2°C above pre-industrial levels. Average temperatures are currently estimated to have risen more than 1.1°C.

“The events we have looked at are not rare in today’s climate,” said Friederike Otto, a scientist with the Grantham Institute for Climate Change in London, speaking at the briefing. “It’s not surprising from a climatological point of view, that these events are happening at the same time.”

“As long as we keep burning fossil fuels we will see more and more of these extremes,” she said. “I don’t think there’s any stronger evidence that any science has ever presented for a scientific question.” — Reuters

Vietnam OK’s commercial use of first vaccines against African swine fever

July 25, 2023 | 4:38 pm

pig-swine — A REMAINING pig is seen inside an empty pig farm in Nakhon Pathom province, Thailand, Jan. 14, 2022. Picture taken Jan. 14, 2022. — REUTERS

HANOI — Vietnam has approved the domestic commercial use of two home-grown vaccines against African swine fever, the government said on Monday, making them the world’s first commercial vaccines against the deadly disease.

The vaccines include NAVET-ASFVAC, co-developed by Navetco Central Veterinary Medicine and scientists from the United States, and AVAC ASF LIVE developed by AVAC Vietnam JSC, the government said in a statement.

The approval of the vaccines could pave the way for possible sales abroad, a major breakthrough to tackle the deadly animal disease that regularly ravages pig farms worldwide.

African swine fever has for years disrupted the $250-billion global pork market. In the worst outbreak in 2018-19, about half the domestic pig population died in China, the world’s biggest producer, causing losses estimated at over $100 billion.

The ministry of agriculture has told the companies to work out production plans for domestic sales and for exports, the government statement said.

More than 650,000 doses of the vaccines had recently been tested on hog herds in 40 provinces, with an efficacy rate of 95%, according to the government.

“The vaccines are eligible for circulation and use nationwide,” the ministry said in the statement.

US Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack said last month there was likely to be interest in precautionary purchases in the United States, despite the country having so far been spared from the virus. — Reuters

South Korea’s economy speeds up in Q2 but weakness clouds outlook

July 25, 2023 | 4:37 pm

South Korea-Myeongdong shopping district-shoppers — STREET VENDORS wait for customers at Myeongdong shopping district in Seoul, South Korea, Jan. 9, 2023. — REUTERS

SEOUL — South Korea’s economy sped up faster than expected in the second quarter (Q2), flattered by headline improvements in trade although weaker consumer and business spending add to the case for the central bank to loosen its restrictive monetary policy.

Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by a seasonally adjusted 0.6% in April-June on a quarterly basis, according to preliminary estimates from the Bank of Korea, after a 0.3% increase in the preceding three months.

It beat the median 0.5% rise forecast in a Reuters survey of economists and marked the biggest quarterly growth since the second quarter of 2022.

By expenditure, exports fell 1.8%, but imports dropped at a much faster rate of 4.2%, bringing a net growth contribution of positive 1.3 percentage points to the heavily trade-reliant economy.

“Qualitatively, it is not so positive as the headline figure indicates,” said Park Sang-hyun, chief economist at HI Investment Securities.

“Growth will improve going forward, but it is too early to talk about recovery, as a sluggish Chinese economy may delay the recovery of exports that are already weaker than previously expected.”

Private consumption as well as facility and construction investments were all weaker than the quarter before, down 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3%, respectively, while government spending dropped 1.9%, the biggest since early 1997.

GDP for the quarter was 0.9% higher than the same quarter the year before, compared with an expansion of 0.9% in the January-March quarter and a 0.8% increase expected by economists.

Asia’s fourth-largest economy is expected to grow 1.4% in 2023, down from 2.6% in 2022, according to the latest forecasts by the central bank and the government.

“The upshot is that the central bank, enabled by falling inflation, is likely to step in to support the economy by loosening monetary policy in the coming months,” said Shivaan Tandon, emerging Asia economist at Capital Economics. — Reuters