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Sabalenka subdues Rybakina to win maiden Grand Slam at Aussie Open

MELBOURNE — Aryna Sabalenka bludgeoned her way to a maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open with a 4-6 6-3 6-4 win over Kazakh 22nd seed Elena Rybakina on Saturday in a thrilling final between two of the most exciting power-hitters in the women’s game.

An 11th straight win of the year also means the Belarusian will return to a career-high ranking of number two behind Iga Swiatek, reaping the rewards of her improved mental stability and service to emerge as a genuine threat in big tournaments.

With Russian and Belarusian players only allowed to compete as individual athletes without national affiliation at Melbourne Park due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Ms. Sabalenka also became the first neutral athlete to win a major.

She dropped to the floor in delight after securing the win and walked up to Ms. Rybakina’s side of the court to give her a hug before climbing up to embrace her emotional entourage in the players’ box.

“Thank you so much for an amazing atmosphere,” said Ms. Sabalenka, who received the trophy from former world number one Billie Jean King. “And of course my team, the craziest team on tour, I would say. We’ve been through a lot of downs last year, we worked so hard.”

“I hope next year I come back and I show you even better tennis, and you guys support me even more,” she added.

Russian-born Ms. Rybakina went up 3-1 with a comfortable hold after fifth-seed Ms. Sabalenka dropped her serve with a double fault and sent a forehand long, but the Kazakh came under pressure and allowed her opponent to level the opening set at 4-4.

Ms. Rybakina hit back immediately, however, turning up the heat in gusty conditions at Rod Laver Arena to grab another break as Ms. Sabalenka double-faulted for a fifth time, and going on to seal the set with a big serve the Belarusian returned into the net.

It was the first time that Adelaide champion Sabalenka had dropped a set in 11 matches this year and the nerves began to show just a bit, before the 24-year-old composed herself and saved two breakpoints in the opening game of the next set.

Ms. Sabalenka then found a bit of consistency to break but had to overcome a wobble to grab a 4-1 lead after which she let out a huge roar and levelled the match with her 11th and 12th aces to take the match at Melbourne Park to a third set.

Ms. Sabalenka served with venom and hammered deep returns in the decider to punch holes through Ms. Rybakina’s defense for a 5-3 lead. She then double-faulted on one matchpoint and squandered two more before finally prevailing to claim the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup. “I would like to congratulate Aryna… I know how hard you have worked for that,” said Ms. Rybakina. “Hopefully we’re going to have many more battles.

“I had goosebumps when everyone was cheering for us… I’m looking forward to coming back next year… It was an amazing two weeks for me and hopefully I’m going to have the same results and even better.” — Reuters

Ronaldo’s Saudi switch another symbol of Chinese decline

HONG KONG — Cristiano Ronaldo’s headline-grabbing arrival at Al Nassr on a bumper pay deal captured global attention last month, but in an alternate world the five-time Ballon D’or winner may well have been destined for a move further east.

The Portuguese striker’s Saudi Arabia switch following the cancellation of his Manchester United contract has highlighted a shift within Asian football that started before the COVID-19 pandemic and which continues to have a significant impact.

With money pouring into clubs often owned by debt-fueled property developers, the Chinese Super League (CSL) had been enticing an increasing number of leading players and coaches to the country since early last decade.

Shanghai SIPG’s 2016 signing of Brazilian duo Oscar and Hulk for combined transfer fees of €130 million ($141.27 million) highlighted the intent of a league that had already attracted World Cup-winning coaches Marcello Lippi and Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Carlos Tevez’s arrival at Shanghai Shenhua soon after on a rumored £600,000 ($743,820.00) per week only confirmed China’s status as football’s latest El Dorado.

Authorities concerned about overspending tightened regulations but did little to cool speculation that the game’s biggest names were China-bound and it came as little surprise when both Mr. Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were linked with CSL clubs.

Mr. Ronaldo in particular was connected time and again with a move east, with fast-rising, big-spending Tianjin Quanjian touted in 2018 as a possible destination after the forward’s agent Jorge Mendes was pictured with the club’s owner.

Five years later, however, much has changed.

Tianjin were among the first of a raft of CSL clubs to close due to financial or legal issues, with Wuhan Yangtze the latest to shut this week.

The downturn in Chinese football has spared few.

Jiangsu Suning, owned by one of the country’s leading retailers, dissolved in early 2021, months after winning the CSL title for the first time.

Two-time Asian champions Guangzhou FC, once Chinese football’s dominant force, went into decline after their owners, developers China Evergrande, were forced to limit funding after the government restricted borrowing.

China’s draconian zero-COVID policy only heightened challenges for Chinese clubs.

Talent has drained from the CSL into the Saudi Pro League, with the competition’s leading scorers — Al Nassr’s Anderson Talisca, Abderrazak Hamdallah at Al Ittihad and Odion Ighalo of Al Hilal — all having previously played in China.

Saudi Arabia harbors significant ambitions with the country due to host the 2027 Asian Cup, while launching a bid to organize the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup.

Those moves come after China was forced last year to relinquish the rights to the 2023 Asian Cup as its zero-COVID policy had no end in sight at the time.

While restrictions were finally relaxed last month in a dramatic u-turn, significant damage has been done to football in China.

With attention now squarely focused on the oil-funded riches on offer in a newly assertive Saudi Arabia, Chinese football’s luster has all but disappeared. — Reuters

All-Stars fan votes

Over the weekend, the National Basketball Association released the list of starters for the 2023 All-Star Game. Given how voting rules call for a strict delineation between backcourt and frontcourt players in the lineup, much of the attention in the weeks leading up to the announcement focused on the inevitable snubbing of one of four marquee names in the East. That Giannis Antentokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, and Jayson Tatum, in alphabetical order, appeared to be equally deserving of the distinction was not lost on longtime habitues of the sport.

As things turned out, Embiid failed to make the cut. And, to no one’s surprise, he took umbrage in being passed over for the First Five in the Eastern Conference. He deemed it “a little disrespectful,” although he did note that “I’m used to it.” The latter phrase, to be sure, was not in reference to his previous stints in the All-Star Game; after all, he was a starter in each of the last five stagings of the spectacle. He was instead — and again — shining light on how he ended up staring at the backside of Nikola Jokic in the race for the Most Valuable Player award the last two years.

Embiid’s contention was backed up by Sixers general manager Daryl Morey, who promptly pointed to the shameless “Boston media” as the reason the league’s leading scorer proved unable to get a starting spot. Never mind that he actually finished third in the press vote (and likewise in the player vote). Where he lost out was, in fact, on the fan vote, which comprised half of his tabulated score. In other words, he is exactly where those the All-Star Game is precisely for want him to be.

In any case, Embiid is a cinch to make the East roster, anyway. And, as he himself pointed out, the development serves only to fuel his desire to claim a championship. “As long as we win, I know everything is going to take care of itself.” He’s right, and, just in case there remain quarters uncertain of his point, he made sure to come up with a monster effort against the Nuggets, not coincidentally starring Jokic, yesterday. What a way to send a message.

 

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.

Marcos government told to work with ICC in drug war investigation

PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter

THE PHILIPPINE government under President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. should uphold human rights by cooperating with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) probe of his predecessor’s deadly war on drugs, according to experts.

“The ICC saw through the charade,” Ephraim B. Cortez, president of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, said in a Viber message at the weekend. “It was not persuaded by the government’s false assertions and expressed its dissatisfaction with the Philippines’ supposed effort to investigate these killings.”

The ICC pre-trial chamber last week granted its prosecutor’s request to reopen its probe of killings and other human rights abuses during ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s anti-illegal drug drive.

The Hague-based tribunal said it was not satisfied with Philippine efforts to probe extralegal killings.

Presidential Communications Office chief Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.

Mr. Cortez said the ICC’s decision to continue the investigation showed there is evidence of human rights abuses. “With this action, the government should reconsider its position not to cooperate with the ICC.”

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla on Friday called the ICC’s probe an “irritant,” noting that the country has a functioning justice system.

“I don’t see where they will come in, what role they will play unless they want to take over our legal system,” he told a news briefing streamed live on Facebook. “I will not stand for any of these antics that will tend to question our sovereignty. I will not accept that.”

Philippine Solicitor General Menardo I. Guevarra, Mr. Duterte’s Justice secretary, has said the government would pursue all legal means to block the ICC probe.

The United Nations Rights Committee has said the Philippines should comply with international human rights mechanisms and cooperate with the ICC’s drug war probe.

The UN Commissioner for Human Rights last year said the government’s probe of human rights violations in connection with the drug war lacked transparency.

Arjan P. Aguirre, who teaches political science at the Ateneo de Manila University, said Mr. Marcos would probably be uncooperative with the ICC to protect his predecessor.

“I’m sensing that the Marcos government will eventually decide not to participate in the investigation given that it has an important alliance to protect within the Marcos bloc that is crucial to its survival as a political regime,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“Failing to protect former President Duterte would definitely antagonize Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio.”

‘BIG CHALLENGE’
Mr. Duterte would try to block the ICC probe of his deadly drug and not allow foreign interference, his lawyer Herminio L. Roque, Jr. said last year.

Fides M. Lim, a human rights advocate and convenor of the political prisoners support group Kapatid, said the government should rejoin the Hague-based tribunal to show its commitment to human rights and the rule of law.

“The Marcos government is duty-bound to cooperate and participate in the ICC probe,” she said in a Messenger chat. “How it will do this when the top officials of the bloody drug war are still in place will be a big challenge.”

Mr. Duterte canceled Philippine membership in the ICC in 2019. Mr. Marcos has said the Philippines would not rejoin the international court.

The Commission on Human Rights on Saturday said the ICC probe was an opportunity for the government to show its commitment to human rights and transparency.

“Let this development be a chance for the Philippines to demonstrate openness and transparency as part of the fraternity of nations that values human rights and the rule of law,” it said in a statement.

The international tribunal, which tries people charged with crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes and aggression, suspended its probe of Mr. Duterte’s deadly war on drugs in 2021 upon the Philippine government’s request.

The ICC was also set to probe vigilante-style killings in Davao City when Mr. Duterte was still its vice mayor and mayor.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin C. Abalos, Jr. earlier urged top-level cops to quit their jobs to cleanse its ranks of a “deep infection” of the illegal drug trade.

More than 30 member-states of the UN Human Rights Council have urged the Philippine government to do something about extralegal killings in connection with Mr. Duterte’s anti-illegal drug campaign.

Human rights abuses continued under the first six months of the Marcos government, Human Rights Watch said in a report on Jan. 12.

Police had killed 46 drug suspects during illegal drug operations under the new administration, national police chief Rodolfo S. Azurin, Jr. said in November.

Mr. Marcos told police in August to temper their use of force while enforcing the law. Mr. Abalos said the drug war would be “as intensive as before.”

At least 6,117 suspected drug dealers had been killed in police operations, according to data released by the Philippine government in June 2021. Human rights groups estimate that as many as 30,000 suspects died.

The Philippine Human Rights Commission has said the Duterte government had encouraged a culture of impunity by hindering independent inquiries and failing to prosecute erring cops.

“It would be better for the Philippines to participate in this process than let ICC do this unilaterally,” Mr. Aguirre said.

“Failure to do this would definitely further erode our standing or image in the international community.”

Philippines to review labor deal with Kuwait after murder of OFW

THE CASKET containing the body of slain OFW Jullebee Ranara arrived in Pasay City on Friday night. — PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

THE PHILIPPINES will review its bilateral labor agreement with Kuwait, the presidential palace said on Sunday, after the murder of a Filipina domestic worker whose charred body was found in a desert in the Middle Eastern country this month.

Kuwaiti police have arrested the 17-year-old son of her employer on murder charges. The body of Jullebee Ranara, 35, arrived in the Philippines on Friday evening.

Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Maria Susana “Toots” V. Ople had ordered her agency to revisit the agreement and look for ways to ensure the protection of overseas Filipino workers (OFW), the Presidential Communications Office said in a statement. 

“Secretary Ople also told us to look into the recruitment standards and strengthen safe and ethical standards to ensure our overseas Filipino workers in Kuwait are safe,” Migrant Workers Undersecretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac told a briefing in mixed English and Filipino on Saturday.

“We have a directive to examine our recruitment system and to ensure that only agencies with clean track records can deploy OFWs to Kuwait.”

He said the bilateral agreement, which was signed in 2018, expired in May 2022 and had been automatically renewed.

There are about 268,000 Filipinos in Kuwait, 195,000 of whom are working as domestic workers, according to the agency.

It has ruled out a deployment ban on the Gulf country and would instead work on an enhanced bilateral labor agreement to ensure benefits, security and protection for Filipino workers, Ms. Ople said in a statement last week.

The International Labor Organization has said only 6% of domestic workers worldwide have access to comprehensive protection including medical care and unemployment benefits.

About 80% of the 1.4 million domestic workers in the Philippines are not covered by social security benefits, the Labor department and Philippine Statistics Authority said in a 2019 report.

The Philippines in 2018 imposed a worker deployment ban to the Gulf country after the killing of Filipina domestic helper Joanna Daniela Demafelis, whose body was found in a freezer at an abandoned apartment. It partially lifted that same year after the two countries signed a protection agreement for workers.

In May 2019, Filipina maid Constancia Lago Dayag was killed in Kuwait, and a few months later, another one, Jeanelyn Villavende, was tortured by her employer to death.

The government again imposed a deployment ban in January 2020, which it lifted when Kuwaiti authorities charged Ms. Villavende’s employer with murder and sentenced her to hanging. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Marcos son’s House job not surprising, analysts say

THE HIRING of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s youngest son as a “special assistant” to the Speaker is not surprising, political analysts said at the weekend, noting that this is his prerogative.

“It’s well within his functions to create these temporary positions that would theoretically ease his job as the Speaker,” Jean S. Encinas Franco, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines (UP), said by telephone.

William Vincent A. Marcos, who is turning 26 in May, is reportedly working as a special assistant to Speaker Martin G. Romualdez, who is his uncle. The president and the Speaker are first cousins.

 Photos on the Facebook account of House Minority Leader Marcelino C. Libanan showed the younger Mr. Marcos representing the majority wing at the minority bloc’s first meeting this year.

“Everyone wants somebody who can continue their legacy, whether business or politics,” Rogelio Alicor L. Panao, who teaches legislative politics at UP, said by telephone. “They want someone who can take over.”

It is also typical for lawmakers to have staff members, he said.

“This is a form of training for a future role in either the government or public office,” Ms. Frano said. “At the very least, you can see that he’s being trained.”

The youngest presidential son, a software engineer, graduated from the Oxford Brookes University in Britain.

Mr. Romualdez did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.

The president last week denied claims that he was grooming his eldest for the presidency. “He is grooming himself,” he told reporters. “He has decided on this career — politics — and he will handle it the way he does.”

During his trip in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum this month, the president said he entered politics to defend his family and ensure their survival.

His sister, Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos, is a senator. Mr. Romualdez’s wife, Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, heads the House committee on accounts.

Jose Manuel Romualdez D. Romualdez, another cousin of the president, is the ambassador of the Philippines to the United States.

His mother Imelda was a representative of Ilocos Norte for years.

“It just goes to show that the Marcos family is back,” Ms. Franco said. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

DoT says security forces, LGUs to ensure safety in Mindanao tourism push 

DOT PHOTO

SECURITY forces and local government units (LGUs) in Mindanao will serve as partners in the national government’s push for the inclusion of the southern part of the Philippines in the promotion of tourism as a key economic contributor, the Department of Tourism (DoT) chief said.   

Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco said the DoT will be signing an agreement with the Department of National Defense and the Department of Interior and Local Government to ensure safety in Mindanao’s tourism destinations.  

“The pillar of tourism in Mindanao would be peace and security,” Ms. Frasco told the media on Friday during the opening of the first Mindanao Tourism Expo in Davao City. 

“That is why we are entering into a tripartite memorandum of agreement with the Department of National Defense and DILG and partnering with our governors, mayors, and congressmen to ensure that our tourists enjoy their time here in Mindanao in peaceful and progressive regions,” she said, acknowledging the longstanding misconception among both local and foreign travelers that the entire Mindanao is a restive region.   

Ms. Frasco said Mindanao is “vital and essential” in the government’s overall tourism development plan “because it is a hidden gem” that can draw in more visitors and tourism receipts.     

The three-day event showcases sites, tour packages, and various products of Mindanao. There were also business-to-business meetings among tourism and allied industries.   

Tourism Davao Regional Director Tanya Rabat-Tan, host of the event, said the expo showcases the varied tourism destinations and activities in Mindanao, which were also primed for visitors during the coronavirus pandemic period when there was a lull in the industry.   

“With everything all set and in place, we are now ready to present Davao and the rest of Mindanao as a destination primed to bounce back and welcome again our tourists,” Ms. Tan said. — Maya M. Padillo  

Marawi reconstruction watchdog optimistic of P1-B fund distribution with board appointment 

DHSUD

A NETWORK of groups and residents monitoring the Marawi reconstruction program expect an accelerated and efficient release of funds this year with the appointment of the members of the board that will handle compensation claims for lost civilian lives and destroyed properties.   

“Marawi Reconstruction and Conflict Watch (MRCW) looks forward to the expedited process of crafting and implementing the compensation law to ensure the transparent and efficient use of compensation funds, starting with the P1 billion allocated for 2023,” the group said in a statement on Friday.   

MRCW also lauded the appointment of five women, including the chair, in the nine-person Marawi Compensation Board (MCB).  

“The five women bring much-needed integrity into a rehabilitation process that has failed to provide long-suffering victims of the siege with relief and justice,” MRCW said.  

“They are well-known in the community, have been acknowledged for their development work, and are truly capable of leading the compensation process,” the group said. 

The nine board members who come from various backgrounds, including law, medicine, and academe, among others, are: Maisara D. Latiph, chair; and members Sittie Aliyyah L. Adiong, Dalomabi L. Bula, Jamaica L. Dimaporo, Romaisa L. Mamutuk, Mustapha Dimaampao, Mabandes S. Diron, Jr., Moslemen T. Macarambon, Sr., and Nasser M. Tabao.  

Under Republic Act 11696 or the Marawi Siege Compensation Act of 2022, the independent, quasi-judicial board will be in charge of evaluating, processing and awarding claims.  

The five-month siege of Marawi started on May 23, 2017 when military forces set out to capture Isnlon Hapilon, the head of a militant group that pledged allegiance to the extremist ISIS group.  

The heavy gun battle between government forces and the militants left a central part of the city in ruins. 

The compensation law is intended to complement the government’s reconstruction program that focuses on public infrastructure and resettlement housing.   

The MRCW is composed of professionals, experts, and network leaders who have been jointly monitoring and assessing the rebuilding of Marawi since 2018. — MSJ 

Salceda pushes for wired internet service in remote areas 

DICT

A LAWMAKER filed a bill last week pushing for the rollout of wired internet service in far-flung areas, to be funded by government and public-private partnerships.  

Albay Rep. Jose Ma. Clemente S. Salceda said in his explanatory note that rural areas are often left out in cable networks as these are “considered less commercially viable by the big telecommunication operators” given the high capital required and low customer base.  

“Broadband is now basic infrastructure — as basic to economic progress as roads or bridges. Especially when we have a burgeoning work-from-home service sector, access to broadband is critical,” Mr. Salceda said in a Viber message.  

He said that satellite technology, in terms of latency and speed, “can still be inferior” to broadband.  

“It’s not so much a matter of cost comparison — best to have all options. But broadband is more appropriate for the service economy’s needs,” he added.   

Under House Bill No. 6922, a subscriber will have to shoulder costs for wirings, signal amplifiers, as well as the household connecting equipment such as a router or modem.    

Mr. Salceda said the envisioned National Broadband Network must be government-initiated but could allow public-private partnerships, with incentives to attract private investment. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz 

Bill to expand school boards’ role in addressing literacy problem 

PHILIPPINE STAR/ WALTER BOLLOZOS

A BILL has been filed seeking to expand the role of local school boards to help address the country’s education crisis, particularly on literacy.    

“A child who does not know how to read is a problem for the whole country. In our fight against illiteracy, the role of our local communities is important,” Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian said in Filipino in a statement on Sunday.  

“That is why we will extend the role of our Local School Boards in the implementation of programs to ensure that every child learns to read and understand what they read,” he added.  

Senate Bill 473 proposes to amend Republic Act 7165 and strengthen the Literacy Coordinating Council (LCC), the lead inter-agency coordinating and advisory body on the formulation and implementation of measures to accelerate the universalization of literacy.   

Under the proposed measure, the LCC must formulate a three-year roadmap on achieving literacy in communities.   

Local school boards, on the other hand, will be mandated to formulate a local roadmap based on the council’s three-year roadmap.  

The senator, citing data presented in a recent education summit, noted that only four in 10 kids from Grades 4 to 7, aged 9 to 12, can properly read or write in English, according to results of pre- and post-exams taken from 2021 to 2022.  

The same tests revealed that less than half of learners from Grades 3 to 7, aged 8 to 9, could read or write in Filipino. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan 

Solon calls to prioritize bill on higher nurses’ salary as more seek work abroad 

PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

A LAWMAKER renewed his call to pass a bill increasing the minimum wage of nurses working in public health hospitals and clinics, citing the record high number of Filipino nurses that took the United States licensure examinations last year.  

“In 2022, we had the highest number of Philippine-educated nurses taking the NCLEX (National Council of State Boards of Nursing) in 14 years, in terms of first-time takers,” said Quezon City Rep. Marvin D. Rillo in a statement on Sunday, based on data from the US National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN).  

There were 18,617 Filipino nursing graduates who took the US nursing licensure exam last year, said Mr. Rillo, chair of the House committee on higher and technical education   

The Philippines was also the top country in the 2022 First-Time Internationally Educated Candidates, with India second (4,318) and Korea placing third (1,816), according to the NCSBN fact sheet.  

“The number of Philippine nursing graduates taking the NCLEX for the first time is a reliable indicator as to how many of them are eagerly looking for employment in America,” Mr. Rillo said in a statement on Sunday.  

Mr. Rillo filed House Bill No. 5276, which mandates that the minimum base pay of nurses working in public health institutions should not be lower than salary grade 21 prescribed under the Salary Standardization Law of 2019.  

Currently, the minimum base pay of nurses should not be lower than salary grade 15.  

In the bill, Mr. Rillo cited data from the Department of Labor and Employment, stating that an entry-level registered nurses receives an average salary of P8,000 ($158.54) to P13,500 ($267.54) per month. This is lower than the $77,600 median annual wage of registered nurses in the US, according to a 2022 report by the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. 

“Global health has evolved not only due to the emergence of new diseases but also because of the interconnected and interdependent world. To provide solution on the deplete on our skilled nurses, we must provide a competitive salary and benefit for them to enjoy and consider,” Mr. Rillo said. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

Creation of sex offender database filed in Senate 

THE ESTABLISHMENT of a database for sex offenders, which will be accessible to the public, has been filed in the Senate.   

“The many special penal laws against sex-related offenses so enacted of late shall be futile unless ample public protection and warning is provided for,” Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada said in a statement on Sunday.  

The senator called it unfortunate that sex offenders are able to freely repeat offenses, despite having been apprehended and convicted, by relocating elsewhere.   

Under Senate Bill 1291 or the proposed National Sex Offender Registry Act, sex offenders who knowingly and willfully fail to register or update their information in the database will be jailed for up to five years and fined P10,000.  

Those convicted in local and foreign courts will remain in the registry for life and will be required to appear at least once a year before the local police for verification purposes. 

“The purpose of this bill is not to shame convicted sex offenders, but rather, its purpose is to help warn the community about the necessary protection of children and society from crimes committed by sexual predators,” the senator said.  

A counterpart bill in the House of Representatives was filed last year. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

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