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DSWD to integrate subsidized rice initiative in food stamp program

PHILIPPINE STAR/WALTER BOLLOZOS

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to expand its food stamp program to integrate the government’s P20-per-kilo rice program for the poorest Filipinos, following new data that shows nearly half of enrolled poor households still experience hunger despite intervention.

DSWD Secretary Rexlon T. Gatchalian, in a briefing at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, said the DSWD had submitted a list of accredited food retailers to the Department of Agriculture (DA) last Monday, which will begin supplying poor Filipinos with low-cost rice.

The rice will be available to food stamp recipients using their monthly P3,000 in food credits under the Walang Gutom Program in accredited small agricultural cooperatives, as well as micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Beneficiaries receive monetary assistance in the form of an Electronic Benefit Transfer card, amounting to P3,000 per month, to purchase a select list of food commodities from accredited stores.

“The small agri-coops where our food-poor beneficiaries redeem their food — that’s where they will now be supplied. They will be given a supply of the cheap P20 rice so that with their food credits, they can buy more,” Mr. Gatchalian said in Filipino.

This comes after a survey found that the proportion of households experiencing hunger stood at 44.6% in December 2024, albeit declining from 48.7% in October 2024.

It also revealed that hunger incidence among non-beneficiaries rose by 6.1% over the same period.

The survey, conducted by Social Weather Station (SWS) and telco giant Globe Telecom, studied the incidence of hunger among the poorest Filipino families in two waves.

The first wave, which surveyed 2,011 respondents, was conducted from Oct. 7 to 18, 2024. The second wave followed from Dec. 1 to 10, 2024, with 1,980 respondents.

The Walang Gutom 2027 program, launched in 2023, currently covers 300,000 of the poorest Filipino families and aims to reach 750,000 by 2026.

While the government is encouraged by a decline in severe hunger, Mr. Gatchalian acknowledged the need for stronger interventions and faster exits from the program.

“There are job fairs that [the Labor department] will hold for our beneficiaries, purely for our beneficiaries to match the type of companies that will be going to the job fair so that we can ensure that they are suitable for the skills and capacities of our beneficiaries,” he added.

The government’s next goal is to help these individuals achieve self-sufficiency through employment opportunities and skills development with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

TESDA will provide training programs to equip beneficiaries with the necessary skills to enter the workforce. “It’s important now that you’ve eaten that you should join us in the productive workforce so we can work,” Mr. Gatchalian added.

The P20-per-kilo rice scheme, one of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s signature campaign promises, is expected to stretch the value of food credits of DSWD beneficiaries and ease food insecurity in program areas. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Labor dep’t to head ILO panel

BW FILE PHOTO

THE Philippines has been elected to chair an international committee that seeks establish new international labor standards and promote decent work, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) on Tuesday.

“This will be the first discussion of the proposed conclusions aimed at formulating and establishing new international labor standards to promote decent work in the platform economy,” DoLE said in a statement, following the country’s participation in the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) International Labor Conference in Geneva.

The agency said that Labor Undersecretary Benedicto Ernesto R. Bitonio, Jr., who is also the Philippines’ head of delegation, was elected as the committee’s chair.

Mr. Bitonio said that the platform economy has experienced exponential growth across countries and regions since the coronavirus pandemic.

“There is a broad consensus for an international instrument or instruments that will collectively guide ILO member states in optimizing the opportunities and mitigating the threats that the platform economy presents, especially in the aspects of work and employment relationships,” he was quoted as saying.

Platform economies are businesses that use digital platforms as intermediaries, connecting users and service providers to facilitate the exchange of goods, services, or information.

The committee is set to meet until June 12. — Adrian H. Halili

SC updates plea bargaining rules

PHOTO BY MIKE GONZALEZ

THE SUPREME COURT (SC) ruled that prosecutors in drug cases must raise all their objections at once when an accused seeks to plead guilty to a lesser offense or risk forfeiting those objections entirely.

The decision stems from the case of a man who was convicted by a Dumaguete court for the illegal possession of drug paraphernalia.

He had initially been charged with both selling and possessing methamphetamine, but moved to enter a plea bargain for a lesser offense under Section 12 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The Regional Trial Court (RTC) allowed the man’s plea, convicting him of the lesser crime, even as the prosecution only agreed to the plea bargain for the possession charge. The Court of Appeals later annulled the RTC’s judgment.

The high court disagreed, invoking its People v. Montierro ruling, which stated that objections based solely on Department of Justice policy are insufficient if the proposed plea complies with the judiciary’s official framework. In the decision penned by Associate Justice Japar B. Dimaampao, it was clarified that courts retain discretion to accept or reject objections based on valid criteria, such as noncompliance with SC guidelines or indications that the accused is a habitual offender.  

The ruling noted that fragmented objections, those raised piece by piece rather than all at once, would now be treated as waived under the Omnibus Motion Rule.

“Thus, any time and effort ‘saved’ by the plea-bargaining system is effectively rendered nugatory as the trial court must again reopen the case and receive the prosecution’s evidence,” it added. “This is undoubtedly anathema to the chief virtues advanced by plea bargaining, that is, speed, economy and finality for the accused, the offended party, the prosecution, and the court.”

To avoid such delays, the SC issued additional clarificatory guidelines. Among them: trial courts must address all objections raised, and appellate courts can remand cases only if there’s insufficient information on whether the rules have been properly applied. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

BoC seizes P15.8-B fake goods

MEMBERS of the Bureau of Customs-Customs Intelligence Investigation Service inspect various counterfeit shirts, perfumes and other luxury goods at a warehouse in Las Piñas City. — PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) reported it collected P15.8 billion worth of counterfeit goods in the first four months of 2025.

In a statement on Tuesday, the BoC said it recorded P15.8 billion worth of counterfeit goods seized “in coordination with brand representatives and partner IPR enforcement agencies.”

“Protecting the intellectual property rights of innovators and brand owners remains central to our overarching objective of cultivating a fair, secure, and dynamic trade environment,” BoC Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio said.

Last year, the BoC reported P34.698 billion in seizures, making it the leading contributor to the overall confiscation of intellectual property rights-infringing goods.

This accounted for the bulk, or 85%, of the total P40.99 billion seized by the National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

CAAP readies Iloilo airport upgrade

PATRICKROQUE01-WIKIPEDIA

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr), through the Civil Aviation Authority (CAAP), is set to implement upgrades for Iloilo International Airport.

“CAAP and DoTr remain fully committed to enhancing the travel experience of every passenger by ensuring that our airports are safe, efficient, and passenger-friendly,” CAAP Director General Raul L. del Rosario said in a media release on Tuesday.

The rehabilitation of Iloilo International Airport is part of its priority infrastructure projects, CAAP said, noting that major upgrades for the airport are valued at P190 million and will be sourced from the general appropriations act 2024.

The project will focus on rehabilitation, expansion, and modernization of the passenger terminal building. CAAP said this major upgrade will expand the airport’s passenger terminal capacity to 675 domestic and 407 international passengers.

At present, the airport’s passenger terminal building can only accommodate 367 domestic and 360 international passengers.

Further, Iloilo International Airport is also one of the airports in line for privatization.

Prime Asset Ventures, Inc.’s (PAVI) unsolicited proposal for the operations and maintenance of the Iloilo International Airport has successfully completed negotiations, according to the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

Ukrainian strikes cut power to Russian-held areas

UKRAINIAN SERVICE MEMBERS of the 25th Sicheslav Airborne Brigade fired a BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launch system towards Russian troops near the frontline town of Pokrovsk, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine in the Donetsk region on April 19, 2025. — REUTERS

UKRAINIAN attacks triggered power cuts over swathes of Russian-controlled territory in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions in Ukraine’s south, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without electricity, Russia-installed officials said on Tuesday.

Officials said there was no effect on operations at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station — Europe’s largest nuclear facility which was seized by Russia in the weeks after Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Russian officials running the plant said radiation levels were normal at the facility, which operates in shutdown mode and produces no power at the moment.

Russia-installed governors in the two regions, which are among the key areas that Moscow demands that Ukraine give up in order for the war to end, said the Ukrainian attacks prompted authorities to introduce emergency measures to preserve power sources.

As of Tuesday morning, more than 600,000 people in nearly 500 settlements in Zaporizhzhia were without electricity, after shelling by Ukraine’s forces damaged high-voltage infrastructure, Russia-installed Governor Yevgeny Belitsky wrote on Telegram.

“As a result of shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, high-voltage equipment was damaged in the northwestern part of the Zaporizhzhia region,” Mr. Belitsky wrote.

The attacks came hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Turkey for peace talks where Moscow said it would only agree to end the war if Kyiv gives up big new chunks of territory and accepts limits on the size of its army.

The Energy Ministry of Zaporizhzhia region has been instructed to conserve sources of power and healthcare sites have been transferred to reserve power sources.

In the adjacent Kherson region, farther west, Russia-appointed Governor Vladimir Saldo said debris from fallen drones had damaged two substations, knocking out power to more than 100,000 residents of 150 towns and villages in Russian-held areas. Emergency crews were working to restore power quickly, he said.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Both sides deny targeting civilians in the war that Russia launched in February 2022. But thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, most of them Ukrainian.

For many long months in the winter, it was Ukrainian towns and villages that endured repeated electricity cuts as Russian attacks focused strikes on generating capacity.

Each side has repeatedly accused the other of launching attacks on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and running the risk of a nuclear accident.

The United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said last week in response to a Ukrainian complaint that it saw no sign that Russia was preparing to restart the Zaporizhzhia plant and connect it to the Russian grid.

The IAEA has stationed monitors permanently at Zaporizhzhia and Ukraine’s other nuclear power stations.

Meanwhile, Russia’s overnight attacks killed one person in Ukraine’s northeastern region of Kharkiv and injured several more in the northern city of Chernihiv, regional Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday.

A private enterprise was hit in the small town of Balakliia in the Kharkiv region that borders Russia, killing one employee and injuring several others, Vitali Karabanov, the head of the town’s military administration, said on the Telegram messaging app.

“A massive UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) attack on the town,” Mr. Karabanov said, without providing details of the scale.

The attacks came hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Turkey for peace talks where Moscow said it would only agree to end the war if Kyiv gives up big new chunks of territory and accepts limits on the size of its army.

Ukraine has repeatedly rejected the Russian conditions as tantamount to surrender.

Falling drones on streets and residential buildings in the northern city of Chernihiv sparked several fires, including at residential houses, Dmytro Bryzhynskyi, the head of the city’s military administration, said on Telegram.

Four people were hospitalized, Bryzhynskyi said. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said another 20 people, including eight children, received medical assistance at the site.

The service posted photos on its Telegram account showing firefighters battling blazes in the dark and medics attending to a group of children.

In the southern port city of Odesa, Russian overnight air attacks damaged residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, but there were no injuries, Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov wrote on Telegram.

The full scale of the overnight Russian attack on Ukraine was not immediately known. There was no immediate comment from Moscow and Reuters could not independently verify the Ukrainian reports. — Reuters

HRW: Rwanda-backed rebels in Congo killed civilians Human Rights Watch says

MEMBERS of the M23 rebel group stand guard as people attend a rally addressed by Corneille Nangaa, Congolese rebel leader and coordinator of the AFC-M23 movement in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Feb. 27, 2025. — REUTERS

RWANDA-BACKED M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo executed at least 21 civilians over two days in February in the eastern city of Goma, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report published on Tuesday.

The report covers incidents on February 22-23 in a Goma neighborhood, offering a snapshot of the violence during the latest escalation of the decades-long conflict.

“Commanders and combatants who directly ordered or carried out abuses should be held criminally accountable,” Human Rights Watch said in the report.

M23 rebels have seized eastern Congo’s two largest cities, Goma and Bukavu, in an offensive that began in January. The unprecedented advance has killed thousands of people and forced hundreds of thousands to flee.

The 21 slain civilians included six men and one woman shot in the head near Katindo military camp in Goma on February 22. HRW said M23 were responsible, citing a witness.

In a separate incident, M23 killed people and dumped their bodies at a construction site less than 100 meters away from the camp. These included a 15-year-old who was taken from his home and later found dead at the site, HRW said, citing a relative and a neighbor.

Goma’s Kasika neighborhood was targeted because it had previously housed Congolese army barracks, HRW said.

The violence continued in the neighborhood a day later on Feb. 23 when M23 rounded up around 20 young men at a nearby sports field.

A witness told HRW the rebels accused the young men of being members of the army. Three that tried to run away were shot.

An M23 leader said the group would look into the allegations and publish the findings.

“HRW gives us an opportunity to mirror ourselves. We respect this organization despite its past accusations which proved to be false,” M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa told Reuters.

The overall toll in Goma is likely to be higher, HRW said, with medical workers reporting that over 50 bodies were collected from the Kasika area over the two-day period.

Other organizations have previously reported grievous crimes committed in eastern Congo since M23 seized swaths of territory.

Amnesty International in March said rebels had raided hospitals in Goma for wounded Congolese soldiers and taken 130 people including caregivers. Many were tortured and some are still missing.

UNICEF reported a five-fold surge in rape cases treated across 42 health centers in eastern Congo, in February, describing it as the worst sexual violence seen there in years. Almost a third of the victims were children, UNICEF said.

In one example, a mother reported that her six daughters, the youngest just 12 years old, were raped by armed men searching for food.

The conflict in eastern Congo is rooted in the spillover of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and the struggle over Congo’s vast mineral resources. Rwanda denies U.N. allegations that it backs the M23, saying its forces are acting in self-defense against Congo’s army and allied militias. — Reuters

Iran poised to dismiss US nuclear proposal, Iranian diplomat says

A 3D-printed miniature model of Donald Trump and the US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken Jan. 15, 2025. — REUTERS/DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION/FILE PHOTO

 – Iran is poised to reject a U.S. proposal to end a decades-old nuclear dispute, an Iranian diplomat said on Monday, dismissing it as a “non-starter” that fails to address Tehran’s interests or soften Washington’s stance on uranium enrichment.

“Iran is drafting a negative response to the U.S. proposal, which could be interpreted as a rejection of the U.S. offer,” the senior diplomat, who is close to Iran’s negotiating team, told Reuters.

The U.S. proposal for a new nuclear deal was presented to Iran on Saturday by Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, who was on a short visit to Tehran and has been mediating talks between Tehran and Washington.

After five rounds of discussions between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, several obstacles remain.

Among them are Iran’s rejection of a U.S. demand that it commit to scrapping uranium enrichment and its refusal to ship abroad its entire existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium – possible raw material for nuclear bombs.

Tehran says it wants to master nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and has long denied accusations by Western powers that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

“In this proposal, the U.S. stance on enrichment on Iranian soil remains unchanged, and there is no clear explanation regarding the lifting of sanctions,” said the diplomat, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Araqchi said Tehran would formally respond to the proposal soon.

The White House encouraged Iran to accept the deal.

“President Trump has made it clear that Iran can never obtain a nuclear bomb. Special Envoy Witkoff has sent a detailed and acceptable proposal to the Iranian regime, and it’s in their best interest to accept it,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “Out of respect for the ongoing deal, the Administration will not comment on details of the proposal to the media.”

Tehran demands the immediate removal of all U.S.-imposed curbs that impair its oil-based economy. But the U.S. says nuclear-related sanctions should be removed in phases.

Dozens of institutions vital to Iran’s economy, including its central bank and national oil company, have been blacklisted since 2018 for, according to Washington, “supporting terrorism or weapons proliferation.”

Trump’s revival of “maximum pressure” against Tehran since his return to the White House in January has included tightening sanctions and threatening to bomb Iran if the negotiations yield no deal.

During his first term in 2018, Trump ditched Tehran’s 2015 nuclear pact with six powers and reimposed sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy. Iran responded by escalating enrichment far beyond the pact’s limits.

Under the deal, Iran had until 2018 curbed its sensitive nuclear work in return for relief from U.S., EU and U.N. economic sanctions.

The diplomat said the assessment of “Iran’s nuclear negotiations committee”, under the supervision of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was that the U.S. proposal was “completely one-sided” and could not serve Tehran’s interests.

Therefore, the diplomat said, Tehran considers this proposal a “non-starter” and believes it unilaterally attempts to impose a “bad deal” on Iran through excessive demands.

 

NUCLEAR STANDOFF RAISES MIDDLE EAST TENSIONS

The stakes are high for both sides. Trump wants to curtail Tehran’s potential to produce a nuclear weapon that could trigger a regional nuclear arms race and perhaps threaten Israel. Iran’s clerical establishment, for its part, wants to be rid of the devastating sanctions.

Iran says it is ready to accept some limits on enrichment, but needs watertight guarantees that Washington would not renege on a future nuclear accord.

Two Iranian officials told Reuters last week that Iran could pause uranium enrichment if the U.S. released frozen Iranian funds and recognized Tehran’s right to refine uranium for civilian use under a “political deal” that could lead to a broader nuclear accord.

Iran’s arch-foe Israel, which sees Iran’s nuclear program as an existential threat, has repeatedly threatened to bomb the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Araqchi, in a joint news conference with his Egyptian counterpart in Cairo, said: “I do not think Israel will commit such a mistake as to attack Iran.”

Tehran’s regional influence has meanwhile been diminished by military setbacks suffered by its forces and those of its allies in the Shi’ite-dominated “Axis of Resistance”, which include Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, and Iraqi militias.

In April, Saudi Arabia’s defense minister delivered a blunt message to Iranian officials to take Trump’s offer of a new deal seriously as a way to avoid the risk of war with Israel. – Reuters

Australian woman accused of triple mushroom murders breaks down in court

SYDNEY — An Australian woman accused of murdering three of her estranged husband’s elderly relatives with a meal laced with poisonous mushrooms wept as she was questioned over expletive-laden messages about the victims on Tuesday, in a case that has captivated the country.

Erin Patterson, 50, is charged with the July 2023 murders of her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather’s husband.

The prosecution alleges she knowingly served the guests Beef Wellington that contained lethal death cap mushrooms at her home in Leongatha, a town of around 6,000 people some 135 km (84 miles) from Melbourne.

Patterson denies the charges, with her defense saying the deaths were a “terrible accident”. She faces a life sentence if found guilty.

Appearing as a witness for her own defense, Erin Patterson was questioned on Tuesday by her barrister Colin Mandy about a series of expletive-laden messages sent to friends regarding the Patterson family.

The court previously heard the relationship between the accused and her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, deteriorated shortly before the alleged murders due to a disagreement over child support.

“I wish I’d never said it. I feel ashamed for saying it and I wish that the family didn’t have to hear that I said that,” she said of the messages, that the court has previously heard in the prosecution’s case.

“I was really frustrated with Simon, but it wasn’t Don and Gail’s fault,” she told the court through tears.

Erin Patterson is the first witness for the defense after the prosecution rested its case on Monday, following a month of evidence from witnesses, including relatives and medical, forensic and mushroom experts.

The accused began her testimony on Monday afternoon. It is unknown how long she will give evidence for or whether she will be cross-examined by the prosecution.

The trial, which began on April 29, has seen intense interest from Australian and international media, with podcasters, journalists and documentary-makers descending on the town of Morwell, around two hours east of Melbourne, where the trial is being held.

State broadcaster ABC’s daily podcast about proceedings is currently the most popular in the country, with two others also high in the charts.

The trial continues. — Reuters

Guiao aware of danger in clash with out-of-running Terrafirma

RAIN OR SHINE — FACEBOOK.COM/PBAOFFICIAL

Games on Friday
(PhilSports Arena)
5 p.m. – Terrafirma vs Rain or Shine
7:30 p.m. – Phoenix vs NorthPort

RAIN OR SHINE (ROS) coach Yeng Guiao is fully aware of the danger an opponent like Terrafirma can pose.

The Dyip, at 1-8, are out of the running for the PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals with still two games to spare, unlike his Elasto Painters (5-3) charges, who are safe in the “Magic 8” no matter what.

But just as ROS is determined to grab the victory in the 5 p.m. match to fan its bid for the advantageous Top 4 spots, Terrafirma is even more resolved.

After all, the Dyip are on the homestretch of their PBA stint with the looming sale of the franchise to the Zamboanga Valientes and would love a leave on a positive note.

“It’s always dangerous playing a team without pressure,” Mr. Guiao said ahead of Friday’s duel with Terrafirma at the PhilSports Arena. “They might be trying to have a good account of themselves before they bow out so it’s always dangerous.”

And judging by the Dyip’s gritty showing versus Converge last time, Mr. Guiao has reasons to be wary. The Dyip stormed to an 18-point early before the FiberXers went on a fourth-quarter barrage to escape the blushes, 117-103.

“Any time you step on a basketball court with another team you always have a chance of losing. We have to be careful of that,” said Mr. Guiao.

Going out swinging is also foremost on the minds of Phoenix (2-7) and NorthPort (1-7), the protagonists in the 7:30 p.m. second match.

With the playoffs out of reach, it’s all about fighting for the most decent placing on the season-ending conference now for ninth-running Fuel Masters, No. 10 Blackwater (1-7), the No. 11 Batang Pier and the No. 12 Dyip. — Olmin Leyba

Fil-Am Alohi Robins-Hardy can’t choose a team — Palou

ALOHI ROBINS-HARDY — ONE SPORTS/RM CHUA

THE Premier Volleyball League (PVL) warned Alohi Robins-Hardy of the possibility of being slapped with sanctions should she make do her earlier pronouncement that she will not play should she be picked by other teams outside Farm Fresh in the Rookie Draft on Sunday at the Novotel Hotel.

“We will not allow that, she can’t choose a team,” said PVL President Ricky Palou during yesterday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Rizal Memorial Complex referring to the 29-year-old Fil-Am setter.

“We still have to discuss sanctions but once you go to the draft, you have to play for the team that drafted you. It’s either you play or don’t play at all,” he added.

Mr. Palou, of course, was referring to Ms. Robins-Hardy, who signed a five-year contract with Farm Fresh last year but was required to go through the draft like any other newcomers since she hadn’t played in the PVL before it decided to hold its first draft ceremony last year.

Unless it tabs another player, Farm Fresh should exercise its high No. 3 pick on Ms. Robin-Hardy and render the issue moot.

Capital1 is picking first and is expected to claim consensus No. 1 pick Mhicaela “Bella” Belen while Galeries Tower drew No. 2 and should use it on a spiker since it had already snared a talented and young setter in Julia Coronel a season ago.

Meanwhile, PVL Commissioner Sherwin Malonzo said has barred trading rookies or draft rights.

“Rookies must play for at least one year for them to be eligible for a trade,” said Mr. Malonzo.

PVL Notes: Akari named Tina Salak as its new head coach, succeeding Japanese Taka Minowa. The announcement came just as a day after Capital1 tapped Alas Pilipinas mentor Jorge Souza de Brito as its new bench tactician, succeeding Roger Gorayeb. — Joey Villar

SWP sees fight between Pinoys against Chinese in Los Angeles Olympics

ALBERT IAN DELOS SANTOS — IWF.SPORT

THE Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) is relying on its young talents with hopes of producing potential Olympians and champions like its best product — Tokyo Games gold winner Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo.

“We and China were the talk of the International Federation after we won as many gold medals as China,” said SWP Chief Monico Puentevella during Tuesday’s PSA Forum referring to the World Youth and Junior Championships in Lima, Peru last month.

“They are now predicting that it will be a fight between China and us in the LA (Olympics),” he added.

Mr. Puentevella’s optimism came from the Philippine team that looked eye to eye with powerhouse Chinese and captured 10 mints courtesy of Johdi Peralta, Alexandra Diaz, Albert Ian delos Santos and Jay-R Colonia.

Mr. Delos Santos appeared the most impressive as he beat a Chinese in his division.

“We’re hoping to have four or five qualifiers in LA (Los Angeles) and, barring injuries, Ian Delos Santos might be one of them,” said Mr. Puentevella, who was accompanied by national team coach Patrick Lee. — Joey Villar