THE Supreme Court (SC) has affirmed a ruling by the Court of Appeals (CA), which had found that publisher Vibal Co. dismissed an employee illegally.
The CA in turn had affirmed a decision by the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC), which found that April Grace C. Morquin was illegally dismissed from the publishing firm since her position should not have been considered redundant.
In an 11-page resolution on April 19 and made public in late July, the SC that the Vibal failed to provide substantial grounds for the dismissal of its former staff writer.
The high court ordered the company to pay Ms. Morquin’s attorney’s fees, equivalent to 10% of the total monetary award.
The case was remanded to the labor arbiter for appropriate computation of amounts due to the dismissed employee.
“In sum, there is substantial evidence to support the findings of the NLRC that respondent was illegally dismissed,” the court said.
“Petitioners (Vibal Company) failed to convincingly show that fair and reasonable criteria were indeed employed in ascertaining what positions are to be abolished.”
Vibal argued that the firm had suffered a severe decline in magazine sales with the termination of its textbook project with the Department of Education. It decided to reduce its staff writers from 19 to eight.
The SC noted that the publishing company did not serve written notice to the former staff writer at least one month before the intended date of her termination.
Under the labor code, employers must issue written notice to both the employee and the Department of Labor and Employment at least one month prior to the intended date of termination.
The High Court added that Ms. Morquin’s position should not have been considered redundant since she was not even part of the textbook project.
“Petitioners, as employers, bear the burden of proving the factual and legal basis for the dismissal of its employees on the grounds of redundancy,” it said.
“Its failure to do so would necessarily lead to a judgment of illegal dismissal, as in this case.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd and U.S. Coast Guard cutter Munro conduct Taiwan Strait transits August 27, 2021. — U.S. NAVY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS
By Alyssa Nicole O. Tan, Reporter
THE PHILIPPINES will have a difficult time staying neutral in case tensions further escalate between the United States and China over Taiwan, according to political analysts.
“While trying as much to evade the Pelosi-rekindled dispute over Taiwan, the Philippines cannot be a mere passive observer because it is directly exposed by sheer geographic proximity, and in view of a number of shared interests it has with the protagonists,” Jaime B. Naval, who teaches political science at the University of the Philippines, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.
“The Marcos administration must be clear as to which interests it would consider primordial, and on how it can safeguard and advance them given the increasingly conflictual trajectory of these rival powers,” he added.
“The Philippines is concerned with the rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait, just north of the Philippines,” the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “The Philippines adheres to the One-China policy.”
“The Philippines urges restraint by all parties concerned. Diplomacy and dialogue must prevail.”
The government on Wednesday said it was “closely monitoring” China’s moves in light of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory.
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles refrained from commenting on Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian’s call for the Philippines to abide by the One-China policy.
On the sidelines of a meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers in Cambodia on Wednesday, Wang Yi told reporters Ms. Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan was a “complete farce” and that “those who play with fire will perish by it and those who offend China will be punished,” according to Chinese state-run news channel CGTN.
Four US warships, including an aircraft carrier, were positioned in waters east of Taiwan on what the US Navy called routine deployments on Tuesday amid Chinese anger over Ms. Pelosi’s visit to the island.
Ms. Pelosi is the highest-ranking official to visit Taiwan in 25 years. She said her visit is part of a “broader trip” to the Indo-Pacific region that focuses on “mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance.”
“The Marcos administration has so far astutely maneuvered not to be dragged into the latest episode of major power rivalry by declining to comment at the moment, at least, until the latest barrage of denunciations and threats have simmered,” Mr. Naval said.
“But for how long and how well it will be able to steer clear of the cantankerous exchanges remains to be seen. On one hand, you have a long-drawn security ally, and on the other, a penultimate economic partner. We have a mix of other vital interconnected issues and interests at stake with both,” he added.
Like Taiwan, the Philippines has strong bilateral ties with the US, with several prevailing joint treaties and agreements including the visiting forces agreement, enhanced defense cooperation agreement and the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).
Since the treaty requires both sides to help each other in case of any external aggression, the Philippines would naturally be on the side of the US, Renato C. de Castro, an International Studies professor at De La Salle University, said in a Viber message.
“In the real world, strategy and politics trump economics,” he said “The US is China’s main trading partner, but why is China triggering the crisis in the Taiwan Strait by holding several military drills around Taiwan?” he asked.
“Fighting a major war against the US and its allies? Good luck to China,” he added, noting that in the last major conflict China fought, the People’s Liberation Army suffered a major defeat in the hands of the Vietnamese militias in 1979.
“If China only huffs and puffs after issuing all those threats, President Xi Jinping’s political standing could get severely undermined.”
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said China would “definitely take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the US Speaker’s visit,” it said in a statement posted on its website.
“All the consequences arising therefrom must be borne by the US side and the Taiwan independence separatist forces.”
Mr. Naval said the Philippine stance should not depend on its defense treaty with the US. “It must be because of our superordinate interests, material and otherwise, and not because of our parochiality or temporal convenience or, God forbid, sheer incompetence or indolence by us and our government leaders.”
Anna Rosario Malindog-Uy, a political analyst from think tank Philippine-BRICS Strategic Studies, said the best solution would be to not get involved.
“China’s fundamental military doctrine and principles won’t allow it to attack any country unless attacked first,” she said in a Viber message. “China will not attack the Philippines despite differences over the South China Sea and whatever eventuality in the Taiwan Strait.”
“But if the Philippines is used as a launchpad to attack China militarily, that’s a different story altogether. Of course, China will retaliate and that will be most unfortunate,” she added.
She said the Philippines should reject any alignments with the US and reconsider its defense deals with its former colonizer.
“The Philippines has no enemies and should not create one at all costs,” Ms. Uy said. “There’s no need to defend itself from any country for that matter, and no need to choose a side. Our relations with each country should be based on our national interests and should be based on what’s good for the country and not for the benefit of other countries at our expense.”
A HUMAN rights group on Thursday urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to pursue its investigation of the Philippine government’s deadly war on drugs after President Ferdinand R. Marcos’ decision not to rejoin the international tribunal.
In a statement, the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) said the president’s decision shields former President Rodrigo R. Duterte and his agents from prosecution and shows intent to continue the crimes.
“The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines is extremely disappointed but not surprised by the new Marcos administration’s decision to keep the Philippines outside the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court,” Chairman Peter Murphy said. “This is part of the continued and ongoing state cover-up of crimes against humanity.”
The group said the ICC would be impartial in case it continues its probe of Mr. Duterte’s anti-illegal drug campaign that has killed thousands.
“We reiterate that the ICC should vigorously pursue the full investigation of the previous Duterte administration for these alleged crimes against humanity so that, finally, justice may be served and impunity ended.”
The Hague-based tribunal on July 14 gave the Philippines until Sept. 8 to comment on the ICC Office of the Prosecutor’s request to resume the probe into alleged crimes against humanity by Mr. Duterte and his officials. It also allowed victims to make written submissions through their lawyers.
Mr. Marcos, Jr., a close political ally of the Dutertes, this week said the Philippines would not rejoin the ICC. Mr. Duterte canceled Philippine membership in the international tribunal in 2018.
In March, ICHRP vowed to sanction the architects of Mr. Duterte’s war on drugs. The campaign sought to impose travel and financial bans on officials allegedly involved in human rights violations.
This was a follow-up on a report conducted last year by Investigate PH, an independent human rights group that alleged patterns of systemic human rights violations, including crimes against humanity by the government.
Former national police chief Ronald M. dela Rosa, the main enforcer of the drug war and now a senator, said the probe is an insult to the Philippine Justice system. He said he would not cooperate with the investigation.
The ICC, which tries people charged with crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes and aggression, suspended its probe of the anti-illegal drug campaign last year upon the Philippine government’s request.
In a 53-page request to the international court’s pre-trial chamber, ICC Prosecutor Karim Ahmad A. Khan said the Philippines had failed to show it investigated crimes related to the campaign.
He said the chamber should issue an order on an “expedited basis.” It should “receive any further observations it considers appropriate from victims and the government of the Philippines,” he added.
Several human rights groups have urged Mr. Marcos to rejoin the ICC and to work closely with the tribunal in its probe of Mr. Duterte’s anti-illegal drug campaign.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla told a press briefing on Wednesday the agency would pursue cases against rogue cops and appealed to witnesses to cooperate.
He also said they would share information with the Commission on Human Rights.
The Department of Justice had only brought five of the 52 cases involving 150 police officers to court since it started its own probe last year. An inter-agency committee formed 15 teams last year that probed alleged extralegal killings and human rights violations involving the government’s anti-illegal drug operations.
Data from the Philippine government released in June 2021 showed that at least 6,117 suspected drug dealers had been killed in police operations as of April 2021. Human rights groups estimate that as many as 30,000 suspects died. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
Damage validation
Teams from the Department of Education central office validate damage reports on schools in Abra, the epicenter of the magnitude 7 earthquake that struck northwestern Luzon on July 27. — DEPED-ABRA
Damage validation Teams from the Department of Education central office validate damage reports on schools in Abra, the epicenter of the magnitude 7 earthquake that struck northwestern Luzon on July 27. — DEPED-ABRA
MORE than P2 billion is needed for the rehabilitation of classrooms damaged by the magnitude 7 earthquake that rocked northwestern parts of the country last week, the Department of Education (DepEd) said on Thursday.
In a news conference, DepEd Spokesperson Michael T. Poa said the cost for repairs and reconstruction of damaged classrooms has increased to P2.1 billion.
Mr. Poa said the agency is considering building “temporary learning spaces” or “tent-style” makeshift classrooms for the damaged schools, noting that the number of schools affected by the major earthquake rose to 427.
He said the agency was realigning funds for the construction of the learning spaces.
“If there are projects which are not priorities or would not push through or if there are savings, we will realign these for our quick intervention,” he said.
DepEd earlier said schools in areas hit by the quake are still expected to proceed with the opening of classes on Aug. 22.
Mr. Poa said about 15.2 million learners have enrolled for the new school year as of Thursday morning.
Abra province was the epicenter of the earthquake that also affected other parts of the Cordillera region as well as Ilocos and Cagayan Valley.
Its tremors were also felt in the capital region Metro Manila, forcing workers to evacuate buildings and halting train operations.
In a post, DepEd’s office in Abra said the agency’s central office visited the province to validate local risk-based reports.
“The findings of their assessment will be the basis of a streamlined and well-coordinated rehabilitation and recovery plans,” DepEd’s Abra office said.
“There is also an on-going identification of schools who will be needing temporary learning shelters this next school year.”
Last week’s major quake, which has claimed 10 lives and injured 410 others, has affected 118,207 families or 443,152 people, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) said in an 8:00 am situation report on Thursday.
The earthquake also damaged 30,066 houses, 549 of which were totally destroyed, the agency said.
Damage to infrastructure has reached almost P1.27 billion, NDRRMC said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) on Thursday said 21 business establishments have yet to reopen after the earthquake.
In a live-streamed news briefing, DoLE administrator for the Cordillera Administrative Region Nathaniel V. Lacambra said about 426 formal sector workers are out of work as of Thursday.
“We also have what we call informal sector workers like our farmers and fisherfolk who can’t work because of the earthquake,” he said.
The Labor department has allocated P50 million for emergency employment and rehabilitation in the Cordillera and Ilocos regions.
He noted that DoLE’s Cordillera regional office has already given 4,625 affected workers emergency employment involving clearing operations and recycling.
AID NDRRMC reported that more than P90 million worth of assistance has so far been provided, including those from the national and local governments, non-government organizations, and the private sector, among others.
The European Union said on Thursday that it will provide €800,000 (P45.3 million) in emergency funds to assist victims of the earthquake.
The funding will provide for safe drinking water and sanitation, hygiene, mental health and psychosocial support services, and education for the most vulnerable in the hardest-hit areas.
Chargé d’Affaires Ana Isabel Sánchez Ruiz of the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines, said: “With this assistance, the European Union reaffirms its commitment and solidarity towards the victims of humanitarian disasters in the Philippines.”
China has donated P10 million worth of rice to Abra and nearby areas, according to a Facebook post made by the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines on Thursday.
“We are confident that under the leadership of President Marcos the Filipino people will rise above difficulties and rebuild their home soon,” Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian said.
The Chinese Embassy handed over the donation, sponsored by the embassy and the Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc., to the Department of Social Welfare and Development on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the United States joined Australia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and other partners in Puerto Princesa, Palawan for the Pacific Partnership 2022 (PP22) on Wednesday, the US Embassy said in a Thursday statement.
PP22 is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster preparedness exercise conducted in the Indo-Pacific, it said.
Activities began on July 27 with the arrival of the USNS Mercy, a 1,000-bed hospital ship commissioned in 1986 to provide medical services to support US disaster relief and humanitarian operations worldwide.
“The impact of disaster emergencies transcends borders and requires comprehensive coordination among nations for an effective response,” PP22 Mission Commander Hank Kim said in a statement on Thursday. “I am confident that the planning and hard work that we have invested with our partners will have a long-lasting impact here in the Philippines.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, John Victor D. Ordoñez, and Alyssa Nicole O. Tan
AN INITIAL concept design for the Iloilo City Terminal Market. — PPP.GOV.PH
THE ILOILO City government is pursuing at least three more projects under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement, its mayor said on Thursday.
“I am awaiting for a waste-to energy-proposal which will probably be submitted by next week,” Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said in a statement.
“This is also one of the areas where we requested the PPP Center for assistance when we first entered into administration in 2019,” he said, referring to the government agency in charge of facilitating PPP programs and projects.
Two other projects that have been offered to investors are the development of a reclamation area, and the city’s slaughterhouse.
On Tuesday, the city government formally signed a 25-year lease contract with SM Prime Holdings, Inc. for the redevelopment of the city’s Central Market and Iloilo Terminal Market.
SM Prime will be investing about P3 billion for the combined projects, which are targeted for completion within two years.
Mr. Treñas assured existing legitimate stall holders that they will not be displaced by the development of the two markets. — MSJ
THE LATE Presidents Fidel V. Ramos (L) and Corazon C. Aquino share a light moment after attending a mass celebrating the 20th anniversary of "People Power" at EDSA Shrine in Manila on Feb. 25, 2006. — REUTERS
By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter
PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Thursday said the late President Fidel V. Ramos (FVR) was a “symbol of stability” after a popular uprising in 1986 that restored the country’s democracy.
Mr. Marcos made the statement during his visit at the wake of Mr. Ramos, who supported an anti-dictatorship campaign that sent the Marcoses into exile in the United States.
“I just reminded Mrs. Ramos of how FVR, when he became president, was a symbol of stability after all the tumultuous events of 1986,” Mr. Marcos said, based on a transcript sent by his office.
“When he came into the presidency, he brought calm and he brought stability to our country,” he said. “For that, we will always be grateful to him and for all his service all throughout his life — as a soldier and as a public servant.”
Mr. Ramos helped topple the regime of his second cousin, the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr. Mr. Ramos was a military general and headed the police force under Marcos Sr.’s government.
“We clearly have suffered a loss for our country,” the younger Marcos said. “But the memories of him will be good because of all the good work he did for the Philippines.”
Mr. Ramos, who died at the age of 94 on Sunday, will be given a state funeral on August 9, according to Mr. Marcos’ office.
FVR, a United States-trained soldier who became a fighter during the wars in Korea and Vietnam, oversaw the recovery of institutions and sectors ravaged by the Marcos dictatorship.
“He was a minority president who managed to improve the Philippine economy in the 1990s,” Arjan P. Aguirre, who teaches political science at the Ateneo De Manila University, said in a Messenger chat.
But Mr. Ramos’ rule had not been spared from criticisms, most of which stemmed from his pro-market policies involving privatization and liberalization of several economic sectors.
PEACE BASED ON JUSTICE Makabayan, a progressive bloc in the House of Representatives that had been critical of his policies, said he was a leader “who understood that for our country to prosper we need peace based on justice and that it can only be attained by addressing the root causes of armed conflict.”
“Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would do well to follow his example on the question of peace,” the bloc said in a statement.
Mr. Ramos oversaw the revision of a 1981 anti-subversion law, which human rights advocates said was used during Martial Law years to justify mass arrests, mass detention, and torture of critics. The law outlawed membership in the local communist party and other organizations supposedly associated with it.
The Marcosian law was repealed during Mr. Ramos’ administration in 1992, allowing membership in the local communist party.
“By assuring communist insurgents of political space, we also challenge them to compete under our constitutional system and free market of ideas — which are guaranteed by the rule of law,” Mr. Ramos said in a 1992 speech.
Law experts and several government officials have said mere membership in the communist group does not constitute a crime. It is allowed as long as activism remains in the realm of ideology, they said.
“As an intelligence guy during his military days, he is known for his data-driven and evidence-based analysis of any situation,” Mr. Aguirre of Ateneo said.
“After his stint as president, FVR remained as one of the sought-after figures and seasoned politicians.”
Maria Ela L. Atienza, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines, remembered Mr. Ramos as “a staunch supporter of decentralization and autonomy.”
“He vetoed a bill that sought to ‘recentralize’ health services,” she said in a Viber message. “He and his administration brokered a [peace] deal with the [separatist] Moro Islamic Liberation Front.”
THE OFFICE of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio on Thursday said it would pursue partnerships with the private sector to expand its program offering free rides to commuters.
Ms. Carpio’s office is planning to get additional buses and open more routes for the program, spokesperson Reynold S. Munsayac told a news briefing.
“It’s clear that the government needs more buses that will provide services, especially at no cost,” he said. “Our goal is to find private partners that will also lend buses. We will shoulder the fuel, the salary of the drivers and, if needed, the repair and maintenance of the buses.”
Ms. Carpio’s office launched the program on Wednesday with five buses, two of which have been deployed to a bus carousel along EDSA, the capital region’s major thoroughfare. The other three were deployed in Bacolod City and Cebu City in central Philippines and Davao City in the country’s south.
Mr. Munsayac said the office now targets the bus route from Commonwealth and Fairview in Quezon City to Quiapo in the capital Manila. “We received reports that there were many passengers there.”
Mr. Munsayac said students can avail of the free rides.
The new school year is opening on Aug. 22 under a hybrid setup, but the Department of Education, which is headed by Ms. Carpio, is set to implement five days of face-to-face classes starting November.
The Transport department earlier assured that public transport could cope with a potential spike in demand as a result of the resumption of physical classes this year. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
GRANDMASTER (GM) Banjo Barcenilla showed incredible grit in delivering a match-saving victory in an upset 2-2 draw by the Philippines with a heavily favored Israel in the sixth round on Wednesday night to stay in the 44th World Chess Olympiad hunt in Chennai, India.
Mr. Barcenilla punished GM Tamir Nabaty for his faulty sacrificial queenside attack with a devastating rook invasion that won a piece and the game in 64 moves of a King’s Indian duel on board two.
GM Mark Paragua, who saved the day in the Filipinos’ shock 2.5-1.5 upset of Sweden in round five, tried again to squeeze out a win out of what looked like an equal position against GM Avital Burochovsky on board one but wound up splitting the point in 59 moves of their Four Knights showdown that sealed the standoff with the Israelis.
The pair of results erased a 1.5-.5 deficit following a draw by GM Darwin Laylo with grizzled Olympiad vet GM Ilya Smirin on board three and a crushing loss by International Master (IM) Paulo Bersamina to GM Evgeny Postny that was exacerbated by the Filipino’s poor opening play.
The draw kept the Filipinos, who are backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, in striking distance with the big guns as they share 14th place with 10 other nations with nine match points in this 11-round, 12-day event that gives two points for a match victory and a point for tie.
After a much-needed break on Thursday, they play a mighty Poland side that is seeded fifth on Friday night’s seventh round for a chance for the GM Eugene Torre-mentored Philippines to reclaim its spot in the top 10.
GM John Paul Gomez will be re-inserted into the roster in place of a still dazed Mr. Bersamina in anticipation of their much-awaited collision with the powerful Poles.
“We’ll just fight and play on until the end for our country,” said Mr. Barcenilla, who was accompanied by wife, also former Olympiad veteran, Lilibeth.
The Filipinas, for their part, received another mighty blow after drawing with the lower-ranked Ecuadorians, 2-2, that sent them spiraling down to a 13-nation logjam at 48th spot with seven points.
Woman FIDE Master Shania Mae Mendoza lost to WIM Anahi Ortiz Verdezoto on board two, while WGM candidate Kylen Joy Mordido won on board four, and WIMs Jan Jodilyn Fronda and Marie Antoinette San Diego drew on boards one and three, respectively.
Jun Mar Fajardo-led San Miguel Beer — PHILIPPINE STAR/RUSSEL PALMA
JUNE MAR FAJARDO towers over rivals. — THE PHILIPPINE STAR/RUSSEL PALMA
SAN MIGUEL Beer (SMB) stalwart June Mar Fajardo kept pole position in the race for the PBA Philippine Cup’s Best Player of the Conference (BPC) award at the end of the quarterfinal phase with teammate CJ Perez on his tail.
Mr. Fajardo, who has been enjoying a return-to-from after getting sidelined by a shin injury in 2020, stayed ahead of the field with 42.7 statistical points while Mr. Perez maintained No. 2 spot with 39.7 SPs.
The 6-foot-10 Mr. Fajardo is making a strong case for his ninth BPC plum with eye-popping averages of 17.9 points, league-best 13.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steal and 1.5 block.
Mr. Perez, for his part, posted impressive stat lines of 17.5 markers, 7.4 boards, 6.0 dimes, and 2.4 steals.
The SMB duo looms as the strongest bets for the coveted award with their closest rivals Scottie Thompson (37.5) Japeth Aguilar (33.1) and Christian Standhardinger (32.8) of Barangay Ginebra having played their last games of the tournament already.
After the Gin Kings troika were Robert Bolick (32.63) and Jamie Malonzo (32.60) both from NorthPort, a team that didn’t make it past the elims.
Meralco’s Chris Newsome (32.5) and Magnolia’s Jio Jalalon, whose teams are still playing in the semifinals, shared eighth and ninth while Calvin Oftana of losing quarterfinalist NLEX (32.4) rounded out the Top 10.
Meanwhile, Blackwater’s Ato Ular (21.1 SPs) continued to show the way among rookies with Converge’s Justin Arana (21.5), NorthPort’s JM Calma (19.1), Phoenix’ Tyler Tio (18.2) and Converge’s Jio Ambohot (17.9) trailing him. — Olmin Leyba
ADAMSON and National University (NU) lock horns in a battle of unbeaten squads for a goal of staying on the coattails of Group A leader University of the Philippines (UP) in the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup at Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
The Soaring Falcons (3-0) and the Bulldogs (2-0) take centerstage at 3 p.m. to banner the quintuple header of the 17-team preseason tilt serving as a prelude to the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and NCAA next month.
A win by Adamson would catapult it to a joint lead with UP (4-0) while a victory for NU would push it to a solo second place midway through the elimination round, making it an explosive duel according to their coaches.
But more than that, mentors Jeff Napa and Nash Racela only want continuous improvement from their wards approaching their bigger battle in the UAAP, where they finished just outside the Final Four last season.
“We don’t want to focus on teams na lalaruin namin but rather, we just want to play the games as they come. We play the same way regardless of who the other team is,” said Adamson coach Nash Racela.
Reigning UAAP champion and undefeated leader UP (4-0) wants no letup in its 5 p.m. tussle against Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) (1-2).
University of the East (UE) (1-3) and Mapua (0-2)battle at 9 a.m., College of St. Benilde (1-2) and University of Perpetual Help System DALTA (1-2) clash at 1 p.m. while San Beda and (0-2) and San Sebastian (0-1) duel at 1 p.m. — John Bryan Ulanday
TNT and San Miguel target a 2-0 lead but have to be cautious enough against their respective rivals who are expected to make adjustments in their bids to level the PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series on Friday.
The Tropang Giga tore through the usually impenetrable Magnolia defense in a 108-96 Game 1 romp, but the defending champions perfectly understand it won’t necessarily be the case all the time.
“We know that the other team is a very good team, especially as they take a lot of pride in their defense. So we’re pretty sure they’re going to come up with something different the next time and it’s upon us to be ready for it,” said TnT coach Chot Reyes ahead of the 3 p.m. Game 2 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
That’s what Hotshots counterpart Chito Victolero is actually cooking up.
The protagonists believe this series, a rematch of the Season 46 All-Filipino finale won by TnT in five, is just about to heat up.
“It’s going to be a tough series; it’s a great team we’re playing against,” said TnT star Mikey Williams who torched their rivals with 26 points and felt the Hotshots’ physical plays in a rough sequence in the second half.
Like TnT, the top-seeded Beermen flexed their muscles in the initial clash with the Bolts, 121-97, and are determined to make it a two-game headstart at 3 p.m. in their own race-to-four duel.
SMB tactician Leo Austria said aside from reclaiming the jewel they last held in 2019, his charges are drawing extra drive from avenging their two playoffs setbacks to Meralco prior to this.
“We were just a step slower all around,” rued interim coach Luigi Trillo, also noting the legs just weren’t there coming off the grueling best-of-three quarters showdown with Barangay Ginebra that ended only last Sunday. “For us to have a chance in this series and give them a fight on Friday, we have to be better.” — Olmin Leyba
ROOKIE Angel Otom takes a bite at her gold medal after winning the women’s 50-meter butterfly S5 event on the way to emerging as the country’s first triple gold medalist in the 11th ASEAN Para Games at the Jatadiri Sports Complex pool in Semarang, Indonesia on Thursday.
ROOKIE Angel Otom takes a bite at her gold medal after winning the women’s 50-meter butterfly S5 event on the way to emerging as the country’s first triple gold medalist in the 11th ASEAN Para Games at the Jatadiri Sports Complex pool in Semarang, Indonesia on Thursday.
SURAKARTA — Angel Otom bagged two more gold medals, including one in record-breaking time, to emerge as the country’s first triple gold medalist as the Philippine para swimmers emerged with four mints from the Jatidiri Sports Complex pool in Semarangin here in the 11th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Para Games on Thursday.
Picking up from where she left off, Ms. Otom was a runaway winner in the women’s 50-meter butterfly S5 event in 48.070 seconds, nearly eight seconds faster than the 17-year-old mark of 56.80 set by Singapore’s R.T. Goh in the Manila ASEAN Para Games in 2005.
She finished so far ahead of Vietnamese tankers Thi Sari Nguyen and Thi My Thanh Dan, who were second and third in times of 1:14.150 and 1:32.460, respectively.
As an encore, the 19-year-old pride of Olongapo City added her second mint in the women’s 50-meter freestyle S5 event, leading the way from start to finish in clocking 41.40 seconds, much to the delight of her parents Marlou and Mila Otom, who flew all the way from Manila just to watch their daughter perform.
“I am so happy but it has not sunk in yet that I am the country’s first triple gold medalist,” said Ms. Otom of her outstanding achievement as a rookie in the biennial sportsfest.
Ernie Gawilan scooped up his second gold medal in topping the men’s 200-meter individual medley SM7 in record-breaking fashion as well in 2:49.530, sinking the 14-year-old mark of 4:00.02 by Salungyoo Rawin of Thailand in the 2008 Bangkok Games.
A pleasant surprise was rookie Marco Tinamisan, who won the swimming team’s fourth mint in topping the men’s 50-meter freestyle S3 event in 54.660 seconds in the outing supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.
Over at the Manahan Stadium, wheelchair racer Jerrold Mangliwan secured his second gold in ruling the men’s 400-meter T5 race in 1:06.20 while teammate Rodrigo Potiotan, Jr. finished third but did not get a medal since there were only three entries in the event (1:09.870).
Gary Bejino lost by a touch to Thailand’s Aekkharin Noithatto and settled for a silver in the men’s 50m butterfly S6 event in 35.440 seconds to the former’s 35.300 seconds before securing another silver in the men’s 50m freestyle (34.40).
The duo of Russel Cundangan and Mary Ann Taguinod likewise took the silver in the J1-J2 women’s team event of judo.
With the combined five golds of athletics and swimming, the Philippines raised its overall medal tally to 19 golds, 16 silvers and 34 bronzes, just one gold shy of the 20 golds the PH para-athletes won in the 2017 edition of the meet held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The Philippines was poised to add another gold in the men’s P1 team event after FIDE Master Sander Severino and Jasper Rom downed their separate rivals in the fifth and penultimate round at the Lo-rin Hotel.
With their victories, the Filipino chessers were assured of their fifth gold regardless of the outcome of the final round.
