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Utah Jazz down Charlotte Hornets behind Talen Horton-Tucker’s 37 points

TALEN Horton-Tucker poured in 37 points in a dominating performance, and the visiting Utah Jazz cruised to a 119-111 victory against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.

Mr. Horton-Tucker entered the night averaging 8.5 points per game. He came within range of the first triple-double for a Jazz player since 2008 with 10 assists and eight rebounds while shooting 14-for-24 from the field.

Kelly Olynyk and Walker Kessler both provided 17 points as the Jazz won back-to-back games for just the second time in over a month. Lauri Markkanen added 13 points and 13 rebounds and Ochai Agbaji had 10 points. Mr. Kessler pulled in 16 rebounds as the Jazz rang up a 60-43 advantage on the boards.

Kelly Oubre, Jr.’s 24 points and Terry Rozier’s 22 points led the Hornets, who were coming off consecutive road victories but were not efficient offensively to begin a season-long, five-game homestand.

P.J. Washington had 18 points, Dennis Smith, Jr. came off the bench for 13 and Gordon Hayward managed nine of his 11 points in the first half for Charlotte.

The Hornets committed only seven turnovers, but they shot just 40.8 percent from the field. Mr. Oubre was 6-for-12 on threes, but the rest of the team was a combined 11-for-28.

Utah went 18-for-20 on free throws, while the Hornets were 14-for-15 at the foul line. — Reuters

Brittle battler

Things were looking up for the Suns. They made the most impactful trade at the deadline, never mind that they gave up a bevy of first-round picks along with a couple of rotation regulars in the process. That they acquired Kevin Durant in return automatically made them winners of the deal. In one fell swoop, their prospects dramatically improved; they went from being one of handfuls of challengers to being legitimate contenders for the title. And the positive outlook looked to extend outside the court as well; the arrival of the 13-time All-Star served to counteract the cloud of uncertainty cast by the investigation on, and subsequent departure of, owner Robert Sarver.

For a while there, Durant performed exactly as advertised. He fit in right away, with his willingness to share the ball and let the game come to him despite his gravitas as arguably the National Basketball Association’s most potent scorer of all time making the Suns greater than the sum of their parts. And, not, were their parts top notch. Alongside backcourt starters Devin Booker and Chris Paul, they had the potential to flummox the opposition with midrange mastery. Three straight victories since he came on board had them in better position to secure homecourt advantage in the first round of the postseason.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck. Once again, Durant suffered a sprain to his left ankle while warming up — yes, warming up — for what was supposed to be his debut at the Footprint Center. The freak injury figures to have him sidelined for at least three weeks. In other words, the best-case scenario has him returning to the lineup close to the start of the playoffs. At the very least, it’s a blow to their intent to finish the regular season at the top of the Western Conference. In any case, it’s a reflection of their vulnerability; the one-of-one marquee name they spread the welcome mat for has become an iffy proposition.

The Suns knew this, of course, and even if they were told Durant would be missing matches every now and then, they still would have made the trade. And they’re only right to have done so, because he’s that good. At the same time, there can be no escaping the fact that they’re letting their fate in the medium term be dictated by a fragile foundation. Since 2019, he has showed up in a grand total of 148 contests, the playoffs included. Which is to say they mortgaged their future for a brittle battler, and only a championship will make the gamble pay off.

 

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.

China accuses US of dragging Philippines in Taiwan dispute 

DVIDS/ LANCE CPL. ISAIAH CAMPBELL

AMERICAN access to four more military bases in the Philippines under their Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) would drag the Philippines in tensions between the US and China over Taiwan, the Chinese Embassy in Manila said on Sunday.

“If the new sites are located in Cagayan and Isabela, which are close to Taiwan, does the US really intend to help the Philippines in disaster relief with these EDCA sites?” it said in a statement, citing questions raised by “visionary people” opposed to the military deal.

“And is it really in the national interest f the Philippines o get dragged by the US to interfere in the Taiwan question?” it added.

The statement, posted on the Chinese Embassy’s website, was attributed to an unnamed spokesman.

The embassy said people have been asking the government of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to disclose the locations of the new EDCA sites.

US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson on Friday told GMA Network the sites would not only help provincial authorities enhance defense capabilities but also boost their economy.

Last month, the Philippine government increased US access to nine of its military bases. The government also said projects at five existing EDCA sites were almost finished.

Under the 2014 pact, Philippine military bases may be used for joint training, pre-positioning of equipment and building facilities such as runways, fuel storage and military housing.

The Philippines and US have yet to disclose the location of the new EDCA sites. Last year, a former Philippine military chief said Washington had sought access to bases on the northern land mass of Luzon, the closest part of the Philippines to Taiwan, and on the island of Palawan, facing the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

The five accessible EDCA sites are the Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu, and Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro City. The US has allotted more than $82 million for these sites.

“Peace and development remain the theme of this era and the call of peoples around the world,” the Chinese Embassy said. “However, the US… keeps upgrading military cooperation with the Philippines by adding EDCA bases and military deployment in this country.”

While the US claims that such cooperation is supposed to help disaster relief efforts in the Philippines and some Americans tout the EDCA sites as drivers of economic growth, “it is plain and simple that those moves are part of the US efforts to encirle and contain China through its military alliance with this country,” the embassy said.

“To bundle the Philippines into the chariots of geopolitical strife will seriously harm Philippine national interests and endanger egional peace and stability,” it added.

The US Embassy in Manila on Friday said the US and Philippines enjoy an alliance based on deep historical, economic and cultural ties, and their shared democratic values.

‘FREEDOM OF RAMPAGE’
“The United States and the Philippines stand together as friends, partners and allies,” Press Attaché Kanishka Gangopadhyay told reporters in a Viber message. “Now and always, the US commitment to the defense of the Philippines is ironclad, and we are committed to strengthening our economic and investment relationship.”

He declined to comment any further when asked about the Chinese Embassy’s statement on Sunday.

The Chinese Embassy noted that several top Philippine officials including ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte have questioned the wisdom of increased US access to Philippine military bases.

The EDCA allows US access to Philippine military bases for joint training, pre-positioning of equipment and building facilities such as runways, fuel storage and military housing, but not for a permanent presence.

The Chinese Embassy accused the US of being concerned not about freedom of navigation in the South China Sea but about “freedom of rampage of its warships.”

“The US military as been coming ll the way from the other side of the Pacific to stir up trouble in the South China Sea and ganging up with its allies from other parts of the world to flex muscle n the South China Sea,” it said.

“By doing these, the US has not only heightened tension, driven wedge between China and the Philippines, but also has disturbed and upset the oint effort of countries in this region to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea,” it added.

Manila has filed 10 diplomatic protests against China this year and 195 in 2022, according to the Philippine Foreign Affairs department.

On Tuesday,  the Philippine Coast Guard said more than 40 Chinese boats were still roaming near Thitu Island, locally known as Pag-asa, weeks after it accused its Chinese counterpart of endangering the crew of a resupply ship at Second Thomas Shoal.

“Now that China and the Philippines, among other countries of the region, are at a critical juncture of post-COVID ecovery, we should keep to the right track of maintaining good-neighborliness and attaining mutual benefit rather than getting distracted by forces who are fanning the flame and driving a wedge between us, even less inviting a bully into our community,” the Chinese Embassy said.

“We need to focus on cooperation and development, and truly safeguard, promote and build peace, stability, prosperity of our region and bring more tangible benefits to people of our two countries,” it added.

The US had a naval base in Subic, Olongapo until 1991, when the Philippine Senate rejected the renewal of the lease. The decision led to the removal of an American air base in Clark, Pampanga.

EDCA was built on a 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and 1999 visiting forces agreement between the Philippines and US.

The latest development is seen as an important effort on the part of Washington to keep China at bay in the South China Sea, over which Beijing has sweeping claims, and deter any moves by China against self-ruled Taiwan, which is just 390 kilometers away from northern Philippines. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Marcos should prioritize modernization of coast guard — security experts

THE BRP Gabriela Silang — PCG

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

SECURITY experts on Sunday urged the government of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to prioritize the modernization of the Philippine Coast Guard amid China’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea.

The Coast Guard needs bigger vessels as the government plans joint patrols with other nations in South China Sea, Chester B. Cabalza, founding president of Manila-based International Development and Security Cooperation, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“Larger and state-of-the-art coast guard vessels are important to safeguard the country’s maritime boundaries and domains,” he said.

Last month, a senior Filipino diplomat said the Philippines was in talks to include Japan and Australia in its planned joint sea patrols with the United States. 

The Philippine fleet has only three vessels that can conduct long-range patrols, Naval News author Aaron-Matthew Lariosa said in a tweet. It only has small vessels used for other missions.

“The Philippines relies heavily on internal waterways for the country to function, so it’s really hard to imagine how the Philippine Coast Guard is supposed to do its job properly for a nation of over 7,000 islands with the current fleet,” he said, noting that recent maritime conflicts between the Philippines and China have highlighted “the inadequacy of the existing fleet composition.”

Raymond Powell, a fellow at the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, on Sunday said the Coast Guard’s BRP Malapascua was met by a Chinese Coast Guard ship near Sabina Shoal on Mar. 11 as the Philippine vessel supported a resupply mission at the Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin.

Small resupply mission boats supported by BRP Malapascua “likely had to run a gauntlet” of at least four People’s Republic of China vessels, including two Chinese Coast Guard ships and two maritime militia ships,” Mr. Powell tweeted.

The Mar. 11 incident was not the first this month. On Mar. 7, the Philippine Coast Guard said more than 40 Chinese vessels, including a Chinese Navy ship, had been roaming near Thitu Island, Manila’s biggest outpost in the South China Sea.

The Philippines has accused China’s coast guard of endangering a resupply ship by pointing a military-grade laser in an incident that has stoked long-running tensions over China’s expansive claims in the waterway.

Mr. Cabalza said coast guard modernization involves more hardware, bigger vessels for maritime patrols and visibility and more software and workers. “Reorganization of the coast guard must also be reviewed to address the gaps in its greater mandate on maritime security.”  

“The Philippine Coast Guard is particularly underresourced considering we are a coastal nation,” Michael Henry L. Yusingco, a policy analyst, said in a Messenger chat.

He said it is only a cog in a network of stakeholders in protecting Philippine coasts and seas. “To be truly effective, this network has to be anchored on a coherent and comprehensive maritime policy, which unfortunately we currently don’t have. Assessing the Philippine Coast Guard on its own merit may be misleading us.”

He said it is doing the best it can considering the circumstances.

The coast guard has intensified its strategy of publicizing aggressive actions by China in the South China Sea, which Mr. Cabalza said is far more effective than diplomatic protests.

In 2022, the Philippines filed 195 diplomatic protests against China. Ten new protests have also been filed this year as of Feb. 27, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

“The ‘tell all’ strategy and transparency are stronger means to expose Chinese aggression and incursion in the West Philippine Sea to the world,” Mr. Cabalza said. “It records all the irregularities and gray zone strategy of China.”

Mr. Yusingco said the strategy’s main objective “should always be to inform the people of what’s happening to our maritime sector.”

“The public deserves to know everything that is happening that impacts our coasts and seas,” he said. “If doing this also galvanizes support from the international community, then well and good.”

Labor groups renew call for higher wages, gov’t work amid higher joblessness 

A mural in Paco, Manila is seen on May 16, 2022. — PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter 

HIGHER wages and more public-sector jobs are critical in addressing the worsening unemployment and soaring prices of basic goods in the Philippines, according to labor groups. 

“What is needed is a comprehensive response that would include wage increases that would allow workers not just to recover lost wages but actually improve their lives,” Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa Secretary-General (SENTRO) Josua T. Mata said in a Viber message.  

“After opening up the economy, we are back to slugging jobs generation like what we had during the pre-pandemic period.” 

The Philippine jobless rate in January rose to a four-month high of 4.8% as temporary holiday jobs shed, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported last week.  

Job quality worsened that month as unemployment, a measure of employed Filipinos seeking more work, jumped to 14.1% from 12.6% in December.  

Renato B. Magtubo, chairman of Partido Manggagawa, said the government should implement a well-funded employment program to boost public sectors such as health, housing and transportation.  

“In the long run, government investment in this kind of public employment program will not only address the perennial problem of unemployment and underemployment but more so improve the capacity of delivering quality public services,” he said in a Viber message.  

He said the government’s emergency employment programs will not be enough to provide stable jobs for the Philippine labor force.  

Inflation, meanwhile, continues to be a problem for minimum-wage workers despite a slight improvement in February, Mr. Mata said.  

“A robust public employment program that would provide guaranteed jobs and incomes for those who would be stuck in the structural unemployment that we are starting to see would allow industries to develop and generate jobs that we all deserve,” SENTRO’s secretary general said.  

Last month’s inflation slowed to 8.6% from 8.7% in January, but core inflation accelerated to 7.8%, its fastest pace in over 22 years.  

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has said that Filipinos are still being employed in high-quality jobs despite the uptick in joblessness.  

In a statement on Saturday, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said it will continue coordinating with public and private stakeholders to finalize a national labor and employment plan this year.  

“These efforts shall achieve our desired outcomes in terms of employment and mobility, and better respond to economic opportunities, which includes prioritization of upskilling and reskilling of the workforce to equip them with higher competencies by expanding lifelong learning opportunities,” DoLE said.

Bill seeks development, regulation of AI technology

A BILL supporting the development and regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance local productivity and help boost the economy has been filed at the House of Representatives.  

Surigao Del Norte Rep. Robert Ace S. Barbers said in House Bill No. 7396 that “AI is rapidly transforming the global economy, with its potential to enhance productivity, improve the delivery of public services, and drive economic growth.”  

He said the proposed law aims to foster an environment promoting the ethical and responsible development of AI, while ensuring it is aligned with the values and interests of the public.  

The bill seeks to establish an Artificial Intelligence Development Authority (AIDA) to oversee the research, development, and deployment of AI technology.  

“While the Philippines recognizes the importance of AI in the development of the country, the rapid phase of technological advancement in AI also poses risks and challenges that must be addressed to ensure that its benefits are maximized, and its negative impacts are minimized, if not avoided,” Mr. Barbers said in the bill’s explanatory note.  

AIDA will be tasked to conduct risk assessments and impact analyses to ensure AI technologies comply with ethical guidelines and protect the rights and welfare of individuals.  

It must also develop data security and cybersecurity standards for AI systems for protection against cyber-attacks and hacking.  

Companies have slowly transitioned to incorporating AI to improve delivery of their services, including applications such as chatbot for customer concerns and online shopping assistance. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz 

Farmers group wants probe on agrarian reform SPLIT project

DAR.GOV.PH

FARMERS group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) on Sunday said it will ask Congress to investigate the government’s titling project for land covered by the agrarian reform program, citing unresolved cases involving the division of big farm estates.   

The group said it wants to know the current progress of the Support to Parcelization of Land for Individual Titling (SPLIT) project vis-à-vis the “actual distribution of land” to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)  

“While the agency is busy splitting collective land titles for the individual proprietorship of ARBS, we also want to know the status of big landholdings and estates under dispute that is pending for distribution to farmers-beneficiaries,” KMP Chairperson Danilo H. Ramos said in a statement in Filipino.  

The group cited pending land cases in Tarlac province.   

KMP also reiterated its proposed actions under House Bill No. 1161 or the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill, which aims to “break up the land monopoly” and implement a just distribution of lands.   

It noted that the SPLIT project is funded through a loan from the World Bank, and “we, Filipinos, will be paying for this.  We need to see the effect of this project.”  

DAR Secretary Conrado M. Estrella, III said in a statement on Saturday that a Project SPLIT composite team has been created to conduct a World Bank Gap Analysis Study, which will assess interventions needed.  

The team is composed of representatives from DAR and the World Bank.   

The multilateral development bank lent $370 million or about P20 billion to the Philippines in 2020 to improve “land tenure security and stabilize property rights” of ARBs. The SPLIT project involves the distribution of certificate of land ownership awards for about 1.38 million hectares of land.   

KMP said DAR has allocated P6.1 billion this year from the P14.39-billion total budget for the implementation of the project. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

TDSI eyeing to supply tactical radios to PHL military

AFP.MIL.PH

UNITED States-headquartered Thales Defense & Security, Inc. (TDSI) is eyeing to supply tactical radios to the Philippine military as part of its business expansion in the country.   

Ron Huther, TDSI director for international business, said the company currently has a local partner that provides tactical radios to the Philippine National Police (PNP) and is now eyeing to find a local distributor for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).  

“We would love to get a footprint in with the military, the AFP,” he said at the sidelines of the Trade Winds ASEAN 2023 trade promotion program in Makati City organized by the US Embassy in the Philippines.  

TDSI’s current local distributor is Scan Marine, Inc., which has supplied tactical radios to the police for five years.    

“Scan Marine is a good company, but it is a complicated market. Maybe they are good with the PNP but somebody else might be good with the special forces. That is what we are going to look at, to see if there are other partners in this country that can help us,” Mr. Huther said.   

TDSI’s primary customers include the US Army and US Special Forces, while the company’s main products include its handheld tactical radio, satellite communications, and battery chargers.   

“We provide support primarily for the US Army, US Special Forces. Those are our primary customers. What we’ve done is we’ve taken this great product and we’ve made them exportable. We’ve exported radios to almost 40 countries around the world,” Mr. Huther said.   

He claimed that TDSI’s products will allow the AFP to have “interoperability” with the US military.  

“The AFP would have a degree of interoperability if there was a crisis in this part of the world, which it could be. There is a lot of tension in this part of the world. There would be a degree of interoperability with US forces, US special forces, and coalition forces,” he said.    

The TDSI executive said they are advocating for open competition and the company is prepared for the bidding procedures in the Philippines.   

TDSI, based in Clarksburg, Maryland, is a subsidiary of French multinational company Thales Group, which has business interests in aerospace, defense and security, and transportation. The Thales Group has presence across 68 countries and is based in Paris, France. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Marcos gov’t to launch campaign versus fake news 

PEOPLE are seen using their mobile phones along Claro M. Recto Avenue in Divisoria, Manila, Dec. 27, 2022. — PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s administration will implement a digital media literacy campaign this year to help Filipinos detect fake news, according to Malacañang.   

The government aims to “equip the most vulnerable communities with knowledge and tools ‘to be discerning of the truth’,” the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a statement.  

According to the PCO, a nationwide study will be conducted this month to identify the communities where media literacy is most needed, determine the social media platforms “through which these communities are most susceptible to fake news,” and identify the content and topics “on which these misinformation and disinformation focus.”  

The study also aims to identify the profiles of fake news peddlers, understand the influences that open vulnerable communities to deceptions, and know the practices and habits of the target communities that create the opportunities for exposure to disinformation and misinformation.  

“When we have gathered the results of this study, expectedly by the middle of this year, we will be implementing a nationwide media literacy campaign that will focus on the areas identified,” PCO Undersecretary Cherbett Karen L. Maralit said. 

The PCO will be closing the campaign by the end of 2023 with a Media Literacy Summit, where speakers from various organizations such as Meta Platforms, Inc., Google, Inc., and the Philippine Commission on Women, among others, will be invited “in the hope that they will share equal commitment to this cause.”  

The agency said legislation on media literacy has also been introduced in both houses of Congress. 

“The measures seek to institutionalize the effort of our Department of Education to include Media and Information Literacy (MIL) as a core subject in the current curriculum of basic and secondary education,” Ms. Maralit said.   

She said the challenges in integrating MIL in the basic education curriculum include the misconception about the course as an educational technology-related subject, the lack of training for MIL teachers, and the need to consider MIL as a core subject by tertiary education institutions.  

“The PCO shall work with the public [education] sector to help address these challenges,” she said. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Panguil Bay Bridge on track for opening by 2024 

DPWH

THE KOREA-funded Panguil Bay Bridge project in Northern Mindanao is 63% done and is on track for opening within the first half of 2024, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).  

“By working round-the-clock and further improve the formulated measures to catch up the delays brought by previous suspension of activities due to COVID-19 pandemic… we will be able to finish the project toward the goal of having first traffic cross the bridge by first half of 2024,” DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain said in a statement on Friday.  

Mr. Sadain reported that bored piling works on the seabed for the 32 pylons that will support the 3.17-kilometer bridge are all completed.  

The machinery for bridge construction “are in full gear working forward to the main bridge pylons 1 and 2,” he said.   

The Panguil Bay Bridge, which will become the longest in the Philippines, connects Tangub City in Misamis Occidental and Tubod, the capital town of Lanao del Norte.  

It will cut travel time between the localities to seven minutes from the current average two hours by land or via roll-on, roll-off sea vessel.   

The P7.37-billion bridge is funded under a loan deal between the Philippine government and the Korean Export-Import Bank.

PEZA, Baguio City gov’t ink pledge on transparency for ease of doing business 

THE PHILIPPINE Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and Baguio local government have signed a pledge to uphold transparency as part of improving ease of doing business in the city, where one of the country’s pioneer ecozones is located.    

“This sends a strong message that corruption has no place in the country’s economic zones and that both the public and private sectors must work together to uphold the highest standards of integrity and accountability,” PEZA Officer-in-Charge Tereso O. Panga said in a statement over the weekend.    

The Baguio City Export Processing Zone’s locators include manufacturers of semi-conductors and aviation parts as well as information technology and business process outsourcing companies.  

Mr. Panga also said PEZA is supportive of Baguio City’s initiatives to become a “smart city.”    

The National Economic and Development Authority said that smart cities aim to create a “high trust” society that is knowledge-based and globally competitive.  

Meanwhile, the PEZA official said they are preparing to introduce automation projects to mitigate smuggling in economic zones.   

“For further ease in doing business, we will roll out the completion of automation projects within months, together with the command center not only for purposes of monitoring the flow of goods to and from ecozone but to curb smuggling,” he said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

House leader seeks probe on security lapses in Negros Oriental governor’s murder 

@HOUSEOFREPSPH

HOUSE SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez called to investigate the absence of the police escorts of the late Negros Oriental Governor Roel R. Degamo on the day he was shot dead at his residence on March 4.  

“Governor Degamo had earlier reported to the police about the threats to his life so it stands to reason that his security detail should have implemented stricter measures to ensure his safety. That’s why it’s highly suspicious why these police escorts were missing on the day he was killed,” Mr. Romualdez said in a statement on Sunday.  

He called on the House public order and safety committee to conduct a congressional inquiry into Mr. Degamo’s security personnel.     

“If we find out in this congressional inquiry that some PNP (Philippine National Police) personnel were in cahoots with the perpetrators to remove the security protection of Gov. Degamo, we will recommend the filing of appropriate criminal charges against everyone involved,” he said.  

At a public order and safety panel meeting last week, lawmakers called out the PNP for their supposed lack of foresight amid political tensions in Negros Oriental.  

In the same committee meeting, PNP Deputy Director for Personnel and Records Management Matthew P. Baccay said they are looking to assign more security personnel to local officials as well as members of Congress.  

He also assured that the police force will implement tighter security measures such as setting up checkpoints in areas deemed under high risk of violence in view of the upcoming village and youth council elections in October.  

Mr. Degamo and eight others died when armed men opened fire in his residential compound, where cash aid was being distributed under a social service program. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

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