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Nantes wins on penalties to book French Cup final place

NANTES, France — Nantes edged past Monaco 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in their semifinal on Wednesday to win a place in the final of the French Cup.

Moses Simon converted the decisive kick after Monaco’s captain Wissam Ben Yedder had their first effort saved and Aurelien Tchouameni hit his penalty over the bar as Nantes advanced to the final for the first time since they won the cup in 2000.

They will meet Nice in the final at the Stade de France in Paris on May 8.

Monaco took a 12th-minute lead at the Stade de la Beaujoire as defender Guillermo Maripan got a decisive touch off the top of his head to a fierce in-swinging free kick from Caio Henrique.

But the visitors’ lead lasted only nine minutes before Randal Kolo Muani’s surging counter attack led to an own goal from defender Djibril Sidibe.

Kolo Muani’s pass inside was intercepted by Sidibe, but he only served to steer it into his own net.

Nantes went ahead in the 74th minute when Simon’s initial effort on goal was blocked by Sidibe, but the ball squirted out to Samuel Moutoussamy, who converted from close range.

But parity was restored within 120 seconds as Monaco substitute Myron Boadu got a touch to a searching cross from Vanderson to make it 2-2 after 90 minutes and take the game to a penalty shootout.

Nice booked their berth in the final with a 2-0 home victory on Tuesday over fourth-tier club Versailles. — Reuters

Woods wins inaugural Player Impact Program, collects $8 million

TIGER Woods has not competed in any official tournament for over a year but he still beat Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour big hitters Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm to win the inaugural Player Impact Program and its $8-million first prize, the US-based circuit said on Wednesday.

The concept, which awarded a combined $40 million to the top 10 finishers, was implemented in 2021 as a way to reward players who positively “move the needle” and generate the most positive interest in the PGA Tour.

Woods suffered career-threatening leg injuries in a car crash last February and spent a sizeable portion of the year out of the spotlight before competing with his 12-year-old son in an unofficial 36-hole tournament last December.

A month earlier Woods lit up social media when he posted a video of him swinging a club beside a half-full bucket of balls, along with the caption “making progress.”

Mickelson, who became golf’s oldest major champion at last year’s PGA Championship and is currently taking a break from the sport amid fallout from comments he made about the Saudi-funded golf league, collected $6 million as the runner-up.

Mickelson claimed in a tweet posted in late December that he won the PGA Tour’s $8 million. Woods, after being announced as the winner on Wednesday, took a shot at Mickelson on Twitter as he posted a copy of the six-time major champion’s original post along with the caption “whoops.”

McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas finished third to sixth, respectively, and each received $3.5 million.

Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Rahm, and Bubba Watson rounded out the list and each received $3 million.

An individual’s impact score was determined through five metrics: popularity in internet searches; unique news articles that include a player’s name; a player’s reach on social media; Nielsen Brand Exposure rating and their general awareness among broad US population.

Results were certified by an independent auditor.

The PGA Tour said the bonus pool for the 2022 Player Impact Program will increase to $50 million total. — Reuters

76ers handle Knicks, unbeaten with James Harden in lineup

JOEL Embiid had 27 points and 12 rebounds, Tyrese Maxey scored 25 points and the host Philadelphia 76ers defeated the New York Knicks 123-108 on Wednesday.

James Harden added 26 points, nine assists and nine rebounds in his home debut. The Sixers are 3-0 with Harden in the lineup.

Tobias Harris scored 14 points and Matisse Thybulle contributed 10 for the Sixers, who won their fourth consecutive game.

RJ Barrett led the Knicks with 30 points, while Julius Randle added 24 and Immanuel Quickley 11. Mitchell Robinson chipped in 10 for the Knicks, who lost their sixth in a row.

The Knicks bolted to a 44-28 lead early in the second quarter after a thunderous two-handed dunk by Barrett.

Embiid’s frustration bubbled over as he was whistled for a technical foul with 5:11 remaining for arguing about a non-call.

Harris scored with 0.5 seconds left and the Sixers trailed 62-55 at halftime. Harden led the way with 19 points.

Barrett paced the Knicks with 19 and Randle added 16 for the Knicks.

Embiid converted a three-point play and hit a 3-pointer on the Sixers’ opening two possessions of the third to quickly close within one.

Alec Burks produced a three-point play with 8:42 to go, and the Knicks went ahead 70-64.

The Sixers then ripped off a 23-7 run, capped by a trey from Maxey with 1:41 left in the third, for an 87-77 advantage.

Obi Toppin dropped in a 3-pointer to halt the momentum.

Philadelphia led 93-81 at the end of the third.

New York scored the first six points in the fourth to get within six.

Harris halted the spurt with a 12-foot jumper.

But Barrett responded with a three-point play to cut the deficit to 95-90 with 9:46 remaining.

Maxey soon hit a difficult 3-pointer and added a pair of free throws for a 107-92 advantage with 7:24 left.

When Barrett hit a layup with 5:19 left, the Knicks closed within 107-99.

The Sixers tightened defensively and cruised to the win. — Reuters

‘When he’s engaged’

Is James Harden a good teammate? If you ask him, he’s far more than that. “I feel like I’m one of the best teammates that the [National Basketball Association has] seen, on the court and off the court,” the Associated Press quoted him as saying. And if you ask Most Valuable Player candidate Joel Embiid, you’ll get an answer along the same lines. Never mind that the latter has shared the locker room with him for all of three weeks. Yesterday just so happened to be their third game together.

Considering Harden’s history with the Rockets and Nets, critics have cause to argue that Embiid’s estimation is precisely because the latter has shared the locker room with him for all of three weeks. Over the last decade, he has famously gotten along with world-class teammates — until he hasn’t. Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving, all marquee names with whose partnerships he initially welcomed and then shunned, can make an extremely competitive squad.

The point is this: Harden remains one of the best in the league when he’s engaged. For all the seeming decline in his game at 32, for all the baggage he carries as a party animal, and for all the attempts to legislate against his unique foul-baiting talents, he continues to be a force on offense those casting moist eyes on the hardware have reason to covet. That said, the operative phrase is “when he’s engaged.” And as the Who’s Who of former allies can attest, the passage of time offers diminishing returns.

Make no mistake. The Sixers were right to swing for the fences with Harden. In the process, they likewise benefited from addition by subtraction; getting rid of three-time All-Star Ben Simmons, whose potential as a vital cog in the City of Brotherly Love was compromised for good by a disappearing act in the immediate past playoffs. On the other hand, they would do well to temper their expectations. Their new acquisition comes with a warning label, and the fine print is clear: Caveat Emptor.

 

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.

OMEGA partners with Privateer for a safe and sustainable future in space

The makers of the first watch on the moon are at the forefront of space exploration once again, this time supporting a critical mission to track satellites and debris that pose hazards to human activity in space.

OMEGA is collaborating with Privateer as they map space objects in orbit with unprecedented accuracy and transparency, a pursuit critical to keeping space safe and accessible for all humankind.

Like the Apollo missions that made the Moonwatch the most famous chronograph in the world, Privateer’s mission is led by a crew of three: Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, Ripcord CEO and founder Alex Fielding, and astrodynamicist and space environmentalist Dr. Moriba Jah.

A trio of big hitters, certainly, but this is not a corporate quest for glory. These innovators and problem-solvers know that space debris is an urgent issue and concerns every individual and nation. Approximately 40,000 pieces of human-made space “junk” are currently being tracked as they orbit the Earth, but that only includes objects larger than 10cm. Hundreds of thousands of other on-orbit hazards remain unidentified, untracked and unpredictable.

As space becomes exponentially more accessible, our rapidly expanding space junk problem poses a threat to the satellites our society relies on for critical services like communication, positioning and climate monitoring. Timely, accurate data are essential to our future – not just in space, but here on Earth.

This level of data collection and modelling is a monumental undertaking, and OMEGA is proud to play a role with Privateer in this bold endeavour. Together, they share an understanding that the clock on space sustainability is ticking, and it’s time to act.

“We’re thrilled to partner with OMEGA for the launch of Privateer’s proprietary knowledge graph technology,” Fielding said. “OMEGA has deep roots in exploration of land, sea and space, and with their support, Privateer will be able to further humankind’s exploration and understanding of this ultimate frontier.”

Sentiments reflected by OMEGA President and CEO Mr. Raynald Aeschlimann, who said, “Our partnership with Privateer is like finding the final piece in the puzzle. With this new project, we can give back to the planet from the depths of the sea to beyond the skies. There is also a great synergy between OMEGA and Privateer. We share an obsessive attention to detail. The inside of a mechanical watch is like a mini universe. Everything needs to operate without obstructions if you want it to work perfectly and endure.”

The new partnership is further proof of the Swiss brand’s willingness to seek out adventure, learn, evolve, take risks — and use its global influence for the greater good.

Bringing together OMEGA’s history of space exploration and Privateer’s innovative edge, the partnership also delivers on the companies’ commitment to fostering knowledge and hope. As the world faces an uncertain environmental future across land, sea, air, and space, these pioneers aim to promote a sense of environmental stewardship. “We must all embrace stewardship as if our lives depended upon it. Because they do.” said Jah.

Just as the famous Earthrise picture, taken from Apollo 8, inspired the start of the green movement, this digital map of humanity’s space footprint is sure to play an equally important role in raising awareness for our planet’s fragility.

 

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Russia claims control of Ukrainian port Kherson

STOCK PHOTO | Image by IGORN from Pixabay

KYIV/KHARKIV, Ukraine — Russian troops were in the center of the Ukrainian port of Kherson on Thursday after a day of conflicting claims over whether Moscow had captured a major urban center for the first time in its eight-day invasion.

Russia’s defense ministry said it had captured Kherson on Wednesday but an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded that Ukrainian forces continued to defend the Black Sea port of about 250,000 people.

“We are a people who broke the enemy’s plans in a week,” Mr. Zelensky said in a video address. “These plans had taken years to write — they are mean, with hatred for our country, for our people.”

The capture of the strategic southern provincial capital, where the Dnipro River flows into the Black Sea, would be the first significant urban center to fall since Moscow launched its invasion on Feb. 24.

Russian forces have yet to overthrow the government in Kyiv but thousands are reported to have died or been injured and more than a million people have fled Ukraine amid the biggest attack on a European state since 1945.

“For many millions more, inside Ukraine, it’s time for guns to fall silent, so that life-saving humanitarian assistance can be provided,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi said in a tweet.

Russia’s attack has led to a barrage of international sanctions that threaten the global economic recovery from the COVID pandemic, and stoked fears of wider conflict as Western countries send arms to help the Ukrainian military.

Kherson Mayor Igor Kolykhayev said late on Wednesday that Russian troops were in the streets and had entered the council building. He called on civilians to walk through the streets only in daylight and in ones and twos.

“There were armed visitors in the city executive committee today,” he said in a statement. “I didn’t make any promises to them… I just asked them not to shoot people.”

The US State Department called on Mr. Putin and the Russian government to “immediately cease this bloodshed” and withdraw forces from Ukraine. It also accused Moscow of launching a “full war on media freedom and the truth” by blocking independent news outlets and social media to prevent Russians from hearing news of the invasion of Ukraine.

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a “special operation” that is not designed to occupy territory but to destroy its neighbor’s military capabilities and capture what it regards as dangerous nationalists.

It denies targeting civilians although there have been widespread reports of civilian casualties and the shelling of residential areas.

Bombing in Kharkiv, a city of 1.5 million people, has left its center a wasteland of ruined buildings and debris.

Russians have shelled the city of Izyum, about 120 kms southeast of Kharkiv, killing six adults and two children, Ukraine’s parliament said. Reuters was unable to verify the casualties.

The U.N. Human Rights Office has confirmed the deaths of 227 civilians and 525 injuries during the conflict as of midnight on March 1, cautioning that the real toll would be much higher due to reporting delays.

An explosion also rocked the Kyiv railway station where thousands of women and children were being evacuated. The blast was caused by wreckage from a downed Russian cruise missile, a Ukrainian interior ministry adviser said, and there were no immediate reports of casualties.

An investigation into possible war crimes will immediately be opened by the International Criminal Court, following requests by 39 of the court’s member states, an unprecedented number.

A U.N. resolution reprimanding Moscow was supported by 141 of the assembly’s 193 members, a symbolic victory for Ukraine that increases Moscow’s international isolation.

“More is at stake even than the conflict in Ukraine itself. This is a threat to the security of Europe and the entire rules-based order,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow still sought Ukraine’s “demilitarization” and that there should be a list of specified weapons that could never be deployed on Ukrainian territory. Moscow opposes Kyiv’s bid to join NATO.

For Russians, the fallout has included queues outside banks, a plunge in the value of the ruble which threatens their living standards, and an exodus of Western firms who refuse to do business in the country. — Reuters

Fed’s Powell backs quarter point March rate hike

REUTERS

WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, balancing high US inflation against the complex new risks of a European land war, said Wednesday the central bank would begin “carefully” raising interest rates at its upcoming March meeting but be ready to move more aggressively if inflation does not cool as quickly as expected.

Mr. Powell called the Russian invasion of Ukraine “a game changer” that could have unpredictable consequences.

“There are events yet to come and we don’t know what the real effect on the U.S. economy will be,” Powell told the House Financial Services Committee during a monetary policy hearing overshadowed by the conflict in Europe.

But he said for now the Fed was proceeding largely as planned to raise the target overnight federal funds rate and reduce the size of its balance sheet in order to tame inflation that is currently the highest it has been since the 1980s.

Mr. Powell said he will back a quarter point rate increase when the Fed meets March 15-16, effectively putting to rest debate over starting a post-pandemic round of rate hikes with a larger than usual half-point increase.

But the Fed chief said he was ready if needed to use larger or more frequent rate moves if inflation does not slow, and may over time need to push rates to restrictive levels above 2.5% — slowing economic growth rather than simply stimulating it less robustly.

It is a subtle distinction but a marker of Mr. Powell’s focus on inflation as the key fight before the Fed right now, a top-of-mind concern that could undermine the central bank’s credibility if it gets worse, erodes household spending power and begins distorting the investment and spending decisions of businesses and families.

The job market, Mr. Powell noted in prepared testimony, was “extremely tight,” and Fed officials have declared their maximum employment goal effectively met. The pandemic’s impact on the economy appeared to be easing and “demand is strong,” Powell said.

However, inflation is currently triple the Fed’s 2% target, and has become a prime political concern for the Biden administration and members of Congress who came to Wednesday’s hearing armed with anecdotes of constituents paying more for staple goods or for business supplies.

What Mr. Powell described as a collision between strong consumer demand and pandemic constraints on global product supply was “not as transitory as we had hoped…Other mainstream economists and central banks around the world made the same mistake. That doesn’t excuse it, but we thought these things would be resolved long ago.”

FRAMED BY UKRAINE CONFLICT
But even with the immediate focus on inflation, Mr. Powell’s testimony was framed by the conflict in Ukraine, and what it might mean for the United States and world economies in the weeks or even years ahead.

Mr. Powell said that Fed staff had begun analyzing different scenarios but that too much remained unknown about an event whose full implications may “be with us for a very long time.”

“The near-term effects on the US economy of the invasion of Ukraine, the ongoing war, the sanctions, and of events to come, remain highly uncertain,” Mr. Powell said. “Making appropriate monetary policy in this environment requires a recognition that the economy evolves in unexpected ways. We will need to be nimble in responding to incoming data and the evolving outlook.”

“We will proceed carefully as we learn more about the implications of the Ukraine war on the economy,” Mr. Powell said. “We have an expectation that inflation will peak and begin to come down this year. To the extent inflation comes in higher or is more persistently high … we would be prepared to move more aggressively by raising the federal funds rate by more than 25 basis points at a meeting or meetings.”

The Fed slashed rates to the current near zero level in 2020 to blunt the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. There is now broad agreement that the current level of borrowing costs is out of phase with an economy that has rebounded faster than expected from the health crisis.

Lawmakers peppered Mr. Powell with questions about the fallout from rising oil prices following Russia’s action, the threat of cyberattacks and broader risks to the financial system, and even the impact on the market for fertilizer.

“Everything we can do … we are doing it,” to protect against a cyberattack, Mr. Powell said. “The larger financial institutions are doing it. It’s hard to say what’s possible, but we are on high alert and will continue to be.”

Regarding financial markets, Mr. Powell said that so far, they have been “functioning well. There is a great deal of liquidity out there,” and existing Fed programs were helping.

Mr. Powell will appear before the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday. The Fed chief is required to testify to those House and Senate committees twice a year as part of the central bank’s semiannual reviews of monetary policy. — Reuters

Omicron is 40% deadlier than seasonal flu — study

THE OMICRON strain of COVID-19 is at least 40% more lethal than seasonal flu, according to Japanese scientists, underscoring the potential danger of lifting pandemic curbs too quickly and underestimating the virus’s ongoing health risks.

The case fatality rate of Omicron in Japan, based on cumulative excess deaths and the number of infections since January, was about 0.13%, according to an analysis by scientists who advise the country’s health minister. While that is significantly lower than the 4.25% case fatality rate from earlier in the outbreak, it’s still higher than the 0.006% to 0.09% seen with seasonal flu, they said.

Countries around the world have been relaxing mitigation measures, from mask mandates to testing requirements, and pushing for a return to normal life. The public has grown tired of restrictions and the reduced severity of Omicron has reassured many that the rules are no longer essential. While Japan hasn’t formally downgraded the condition, it is easing border restrictions and quarantine periods for travelers, essential workers and close contacts of positive cases to keep the economy going.

The decline in mortality with Omicron could reflect both the reduced virulence of the strain, particularly in comparison to the Delta variant, and the benefits of vaccination, the researcher said. The findings show the importance of putting control measures in place before vaccines are fully distributed, they said.

More study is needed to determine the impact of the easing once all the restrictions are lifted, Takaji Wakita, chair of the health ministry’s advisory board, said at a briefing Wednesday night where the data was presented. The current information was obtained when most of the pandemic curbs were still in place, he said.

The study, which hasn’t been peer-reviewed or published in a medical journal, has several limitations, including differences in the way the data was collected that makes cross-comparisons difficult, Mr. Wakita said.

“Still, there’s a considerable difference in mortality,” though the arrival of omicron has narrowed the gap between COVID and influenza, he said.

The Omicron-fueled wave has prompted some regions in Japan to seek states of quasi-emergency that restrict the operations of bars and restaurants. Currently, 31 of the country’s 47 prefectures are under those measures until March 6. Some areas, including Osaka and Kyoto, have sought to extend them, while others have asked to have them lifted, national broadcaster NHK reported Wednesday. — Bloomberg

Singapore to build cyber military force as Russia-Ukraine war rages on

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

SINGAPORE will set up a new wing of its armed forces dedicated to digital security with a minister saying the Russia-Ukraine war, which has included cyberattacks, shows the need to build the country’s own defenses against external threats.

Addressing parliament on Wednesday, Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said the Singapore Armed Forces would establish a so-called “fourth service,” meant to integrate and expand the city-state’s capabilities in the digital domain.

“As good and as ambitious as the next generation SAF is, there are some gaps and capabilities, which recent events and developments warned us against,” he said. “And I’m talking primarily about threats in the digital domain.”

The new military cyber service will be set up by the last quarter of the year and should help Singapore “deal effectively with digital threats from external aggressors that we expect will grow in numbers, sophistication and organization,” Mr. Ng said. This may require, “a few brigades, perhaps even a division size force.”

The move comes as hackers with a wide range of allegiances have taken up digital arms in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The unfolding events in Ukraine have resonated with Singapore, which has said in the past that it is vulnerable to cyberattacks, fake news and hostile information campaigns because it is a small but open financial hub.

Last year, the government passed a controversial foreign interference bill aimed at preventing foreign entities or individuals from influencing politics in the country. It also gives the authority to order social media platforms like Facebook and internet service providers to disclose information behind harmful content suspected of being carried out by foreign actors.

Singapore has been subject to cyberattacks. In 2018, the government said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s personal particulars were targeted in a “major” cyberattack on the database of the country’s biggest public healthcare group.

The Straits Times newspaper cited Defense Minister Ng as saying that while intelligence sources haven’t identified orchestrated attempts to subvert Singapore using a combination of physical and virtual attacks just like in Ukraine, it doesn’t mean that the threat will never come. “I think we best prepare now with a longer runway,” he said. — Bloomberg

Truth Omission

ROGER BUENDIA, PEOPLE POWER — THE PHILIPPINE REVOLUTION OF 1986

February 25th came and went last week with only the most perfunctory references to it by the Duterte regime. Since 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte has never been to any ceremony or program commemorating the 1986 “People Power” EDSA uprising.

This year — the 36th anniversary of that moment of national greatness when some two million Filipinos overthrew the Marcos dictatorship and showed the rest of the world that a free people can prevail against tanks and helicopter gunships — this year was no different.

But if there was no change in the Duterte regime’s reluctant commemoration of it, in a departure from his and his family’s past attempts to completely ignore it, Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. chose February 25th to launch his and his teammate Sara Duterte’s biggest rally yet in the Ilocos region.

That event demonstrated not only how much support the Marcoses still enjoy in those parts despite the passing of nearly half a century, Marcos Junior’s supporters’ views on his candidacy and his father’s 20-year rule also underscored how crucially disinformation is feeding mass misunderstanding of the brutal reign of Marcos Senior, and, in the process, aiding and abetting Junior’s candidacy for President.

Widely reported, for example, was his most ardent partisans’ praise for Marcos Senior’s not ordering a military assault on the millions massed at EDSA in the four days (Feb. 22-25) of the civilian-military mutiny there, which supposedly demonstrated how much he abhorred violence and valued the lives and well-being of the citizenry.

That claim ignores both the context in which Marcos Senior rejected the urging of his cousin and then Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Fabian Ver to attack the mutineers, as well as the regime’s undisputed 20-year record of violence.

It was, first of all, staged for television — the dictatorship was still in control of the government’s Channel Four at the time — precisely to give the world the impression that a humane and caring President was in charge in the Philippines. Second, there were hundreds of foreign journalists in the capital at that time, and a bloody assault on the massed millions who were protecting then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, then AFP Vice-Chief of Staff Fidel Ramos and their military minions would have outraged other governments, especially that of the United States, enough for Marcos to lose their support. His instincts proved accurate. Despite the urging of his highest officials, then US President Ronald Reagan continued to back him until the very last moment of his rule.

Equally ignored is Marcos Senior’s use of violence against the Filipino people almost from Day One of his two-decade presidency. Student and labor activists had been arrested, abducted, and forcibly disappeared even before he declared martial law. Military operatives bombed the Liberal Party proclamation rally at Manila’s Plaza Miranda on Aug. 21, 1971 in an attempt to eliminate its leadership. Marcos suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, and blamed the bombing on labor and farmer leaders, some of whom he caused to be arrested. Once declared, martial law plunged the country into a 14-year orgy of State violence. Over 30,000 were tortured, some 3,000-plus summarily executed, and 100,000 arrested and indefinitely detained without charges.

Disinformation is the concerted, deliberate, and primary strategy of those who would profit politically from the support of the uncritical and so easily manipulated millions. It transforms thieves and murderers into angels of mercy, fascists into democrats, and authentic heroes — the best and brightest sons and daughters of the Filipino people — into demons and villains. It is a phenomenon that the dominance of social media as sources of disinformation has made possible, which even the convening of a truth commission would most probably not remedy.

Truth commissions were organized by the governments that replaced the dictatorships in such countries as South Africa and Chile when democratic forces defeated white minority rule and overthrew the Augusto Pinochet military regime, respectively. The intent was to find out what really happened, and to prosecute those responsible. Equally important, it was thought that such commissions, once the truth of what happened, why, and how had been established, would enable a traumatized people to move forward without any fear of history’s repeating itself, information being the only antidote to the return of authoritarian rule.

No such commission was ever created by the administrations that succeeded that of Marcos Senior’s, hence the continuing debate over what happened from 1972 to 1986, the attempts to completely distort what transpired, and to sanctify the most brutal and most corrupt evil-doers into heroes. But in the age of social media, during which false information has become so much a part of the consciousness of millions, even such a commission is likely to be dismissed as part of a conspiracy, and even for the facts, no matter how well-grounded and validated, to be ignored and rejected as lies.

The findings of the research and fact-checking UP group tsek.ph suggest exactly that. The group found “a heavy dose of conspiracy theory, denial of human rights violations during the Marcos dictatorship and (the depiction) of democracy icon President Corazon Aquino as villain (among) the scores of martial law and EDSA-1 related disinformation” that have gone viral over social media, most especially in Facebook.

These are favorable to Marcos Junior’s and Sara Duterte’s candidacies, since, once the mass of the electorate believes that the Marcos Senior dictatorship was a “golden age,” they are likely to vote for a partnership that implicitly advocates the return of authoritarian rule as the solution to the country’s woes.

And yet, the past six years of despotic rule have failed to solve the problems of unemployment, low productivity, poverty, underdevelopment, and even of illegal drugs. Neither did the Marcos version of authoritarianism solve anything. What it did was to make the country’s problems worse and to even add to them. The economic crisis driven by cronyism and Marcos’ concentrating unto himself corporate control and wealth was bad enough. But arguably as bad or worse was the long-term damage the dictatorship inflicted on Philippine culture.

The shutdown of media organizations and the arrest, detention and murder of reporters, editors, publishers, artists, poets, dramatists, film makers, students, professors, medical doctors and other professionals made the pursuit of truth, of knowledge, and of creativity dangerous undertakings, and helped create the information crisis that disinformation over social media has aggravated.

Rather than a truth commission, what the Marcos kleptocracy and its aftermath created — and what its heirs, clones, surrogates and collaborators are still peddling — is truth omission. The result is the perversion of the open and informed discourse in the public sphere that Philippine society needs in resolving such issues as, among others, escalating poverty and Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

EDSA 1986 was a time of great promise, much of which, besieged by several coup attempts, the Corazon Aquino administration failed to deliver. But it nevertheless removed from power a regime whose abuses, corruption, and brutality have long been established by documentary evidence and those who survived it.

But the facts hardly matter to those mercenaries in old and new media who are in the business of lying on behalf of those to whom power is the only value. What is even more distressing is that they and their antecedents’ having succeeded so well in that enterprise that this country and its people are once again threatened by six more years of gross ineptitude, bad governance, and tyranny.

 

Luis V. Teodoro is on Facebook and Twitter (@luisteodoro).

www.luisteodoro.com

Ukraine crisis and global fallout

TEKSOMOLIKA-FREEPIK

When even actor Robert de Niro chose to be partisan on Ukraine because “it’s not even about democracy, it’s about right and wrong,” it’s almost criminal to stay neutral and not do anything.

The Philippines at first chose to be a fence sitter, notwithstanding its unique status as a United Nations (UN) founding member. We have unequivocally stood against war as a means of dispute settlement among nations.

Mirroring this stance, as late as a few days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, the Philippines’ defense secretary issued a position on Ukraine, only to express that “we should not meddle in the affairs in Europe because we are not beside the borders of Ukraine.” This is like saying China would not meddle in West Philippine Sea because we don’t share common borders in the mainland.

It’s good the Philippines finally decided, on Feb. 28, to support the UN General Assembly resolution and express “explicit condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine.” The Russian invasion violated one of the core principles of the UN Charter which is the prohibition of the use of force against the territorial integrity of an independent member state. After all, there are various options to achieve pacific settlement of disputes including negotiation, inquiry, mediation, and other similar processes.

At the beginning, Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed serious in settling this issue by negotiation. In early December, he had a video conversation with US President Joe Biden that geopolitical observers thought would prevent what has now become a full-scale war. Putin himself described this high-level discussion as “open, substantive and constructive.”

It turned out that while all these talks were in progress, Russia was busy building up its military presence along the border with Ukraine. The Washington Post quoted US intelligence sources in December 2021 saying Russia was believed to be capable of deploying a hundred battalion-tactical groups that could easily convert into 175,000 troops in the new year. The Financial Times also reported last year that Russia could position its war machine close to the border in no time at all.

The tension that culminated in the Russian incursion was not new, it was something that was bound to happen. Ukraine used to be part of the Soviet bloc. Russia expected it to remain aligned with Moscow or uphold neutrality.

After Ukraine’s Putin-backed President Viktor Yanukovych was deposed in 2014 and Russia annexed Crimea, some enclaves in the Donbass region were given some autonomy. The so-called Minsk agreements allowed these concessions which are hardly consistent with Ukraine’s independence.

The successors of Yanukovych, Petro Poroshenko and Volodymyr Zelensky, promoted Ukraine’s independence and clamped down on Putin’s point persons in Ukraine. Zelensky, in particular, started to build up Ukraine’s military capacity with NATO’s assistance. Putin equated this arrangement to NATO’s more ubiquitous presence in Ukraine.

Putin is unabashedly concerned because, as The New Yorker quoted Tatiana Stanovaya, analysis firm R. Politik head, as saying: “Russia was encircled and under threat, and was required to defend itself.” Putin would also argue that the West does not respect Russian interests. It was time Russia stopped standing around: “It is ready to act, to use force to stand up for its position.”

The Feb. 24 invasion is therefore not unexpected; no one should be surprised, especially when Putin called the allied countries’ threats of trade and financial sanctions. Earlier, Russia did not make negotiation any easier by issuing a list of impossible demands.

With actual invasion in place, Putin formalized his conditions for ending his offensive through French President Emmanuel Macron. “Putin stressed that a settlement is possible only if Russia’s legitimate security interests are unconditionally taken into account, including the recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea, the demilitarization and denazification of the Ukrainian state and ensuring its neutral status.”

The allied forces must have misjudged Putin.

Putin is not just doing a military offensive. He is slaughtering civilians and bombing residential areas with no critical infrastructure or military strategic importance. By some accounts, around 350 civilians including children have already perished since the invasion. The US and Europe could only impose trade and financial sanctions against Russia, extend humanitarian aid, and threaten to prohibit Russian airlines from US airspace.

Some allied countries have proposed to cut off Russia from the SWIFT (Society of Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) bank messaging system. Russia, out of SWIFT, could generate serious global spillovers. While SWIFT does not move the money through its network of financial institutions, it moves the information about the money, Harvard’s Alexandra Vacroux clarified.

She further explained that when Iran was removed from the system many years ago, the country “lost half of their export revenues and 30% of their foreign trade.”

Ukraine will soon discover it might be fighting its own lonely battle alone. Ukraine had to mobilize even civilians to defend the nation’s capital Kyiv and other strategic areas. The US and Europe risk fighting a global war should they get embroiled in Ukraine. President Biden summed it all in his recent State of the Union address: “Let me be clear, our forces are not engaged and will not engage in conflict with Russian forces in Ukraine.”

It is clear that the US’ provision of $650 million in security assistance to Ukraine last year alone is nothing but a surrogate to US troops being actually deployed.

The heroic gambit of Biden against Putin is that sanctions and sustained international criticism will force Putin to withdraw. They also pin their hope on the big oligarchs supporting Putin to reconsider once the monkey wrench starts to work. But Putin, being Putin, might not care less even if the ruble has lost nearly a third of its value and the equities market remains closed. To him, Russian sovereignty and territorial integrity are at stake. Russia was shamelessly cheated with NATO’s eastern expansion.

Will this be a protracted engagement?

Costs to humanity have been incredibly high in Ukraine. Lives have been lost, many have been injured and forced to flee. Physical infrastructure has been destroyed in a big way. For its macroeconomic viability, the IMF and the World Bank have collaborated to support the embattled country. Emergency financing has been requested by Ukraine from the Fund under the Rapid Financing Instrument which may be acted upon by the Fund’s Executive Board by next week. Ukraine has an existing Stand-By Arrangement with an available balance of $2.2 billion. The World Bank is also preparing a $3-billion package consisting of budget support as well as for health and education.

In short, Ukraine could hardly afford to wage a war. Resisting Russia is necessary and defensive, but it will be costly in terms of logistics and Ukrainian lives. The UN should continue to press for a peaceful settlement.

Russia should also realize its equally unviable position. A 30-year member of the Fund, it has requested assistance four times. Russia is among several countries identified by the Fund as having systemically important financial sectors and therefore, any destabilizing event like its invasion of Ukraine and possible trade and financial sanctions would have serious global implications. Yes, Russia can move markets because it is one of the world’s biggest oil and wheat exporters. Ukraine’s very own Black Sea ports during this time have been closed, further squeezing global supply. But tampering with market forces will not do good to Russia as well.

But lest the US and Europe think that their sanctions will bring enlightenment to Putin, Russia’s economic trouble will ultimately wreak havoc on the global economy itself. Russia can retaliate with some force. Zero-sum war it is.

We therefore agree with Nouriel Roubini that it is incorrect to think that the Russian invasion will only have a minor and temporary economic and financial impact. His key take away is hardly debatable: “Putin’s war will strike a massive blow to global confidence at a time when fragile recovery was already entering a period of uncertainty and rising inflationary pressures. The knock-on effects from the Ukraine crisis will be anything but transitory.”

For us in the Philippines, it would be illusory to think that we can afford to be neutral. A fallout from this crisis is a fallout, it could hit us from thousands of miles away over even a longer period after the last Russian soldier marches out of Ukraine.

 

Diwa C. Guinigundo is the former deputy governor for the Monetary and Economics Sector, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). He served the BSP for 41 years. In 2001-2003, he was alternate executive director at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC. He is the senior pastor of the Fullness of Christ International Ministries in Mandaluyong.

Wishes

The invasion of Ukraine in Europe has become a major concern for the world. We pray for peace and the protection of the affected people and their children who are in peril.

Our children, the future citizens, deserve to inherit a brighter, kinder world. The current pandemic has caused so much upheaval, distress, anxiety, confusion and pain. They need to adapt and grow stronger.

Resilience is the key to adjusting to all changes and moving forward. In this context, here is a wish list for the children.

1. A home with loving parents who will provide, guide, and care for them. That all parents will lead by example and teach spiritual and family values, and good manners. That all children will be safe from domestic violence and abuse. Many families are affected by the absence of parents who are working abroad. May they have responsible relatives who can take care of them.

2. That all children, in turn, learn to appreciate, respect and be grateful to their parents, grandparents, and caregivers. That they learn good values, manners, and traditions. That they will be aware but not be contaminated by the materialistic world that they are exposed to.

3. Good health and protection from the pandemic. That children in marginalized and remote areas will have proper nourishment, medical and dental care to grow strong and healthy. That the essential vaccines will be available to them as soon as possible.

4. Quality education. Children need regular and affordable access to the internet. Online learning has been the new norm. That the public school system will have adequate support from government, the private sector and the telecom companies. That dedicated teachers will continue to teach despite the challenges of the prolonged crisis. That our complete factual history be taught in schools.

5. A pollution-free environment — clean air, pure water, open fields and parks with trees and flowers. That they may appreciate nature and learn how to protect the seas, rivers, lakes, and forests.

6. A comprehensive sports program for national, regional, and international competitions. The kids will learn the values of friendly competition and the art of winning and losing gracefully.

7. A society free of gender discrimination that will encourage girls and boys to aspire to become leaders with integrity in their chosen professions. That they will have the resources and opportunities to attain their goals and give back to their communities and country.

8. A progressive national arts and culture program and outreach projects to expand and enrich the consciousness of children.

9. More education grants for scholarships for deserving students at all levels. That the grants from corporate foundations would include adequate living and clothing allowances.

10. Quality and balanced programming on national television with more educational shows (such as those shown on the award-winning Knowledge Channel.) That producers will stop the exploitation of aspiring young performers in their noontime shows. That there would be more shows on history, science and environment.

11. An accelerated program for science, math, engineering, and internet technology to equip all future graduates with skills to compete in the international markets.

12. A stable economy. More jobs and livelihood programs so that children can go to school and concentrate on their studies.

13. A country with visionary national leaders — hardworking, honest public officials who serve with integrity, wisdom, and heart.

14. A safe, crime-free, drug-free, abuse-free environment. That all kids will be protected from the menace of predators, incest, and physical and emotional abuse.

15. That children in armed conflict areas will not be used as soldiers or couriers.

16. Freedom of expression. The right to be themselves. That adults realize that children need respect and are entitled to be heard. Open communication with parents and teachers.

17. Innocence. A happy childhood and the chance to enjoy being a child. Time to play, study, rest, and develop. Time to grow up at his own pace.

 

Maria Victoria Rufino is an artist, writer and businesswoman. She is president and executive producer of Maverick Productions.

mavrufino@gmail.com

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