Water service disconnection activities banned only under Alert Level 5 or granular lockdown

September 16, 2021 | 9:26 pm

METRO MANILA’s water concessionaires can carry out disconnection activities unless a locality is placed under Alert Level 5, the strictest under the government’s new quarantine system, or an area is placed on granular lockdown, according to the regulator.

Patrick Lester N. Ty, chief regulator of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) Regulatory Office, said they have given the directive to Manila Water Co., Inc. and Maynilad Water Services, Inc.

“This is in light of the implementation of Alert Levels system and granular lockdowns in certain areas of the National Capital Region (NCR) beginning Sept. 16,” Mr. Ty said in a statement on Thursday.

The new alert level system took effect on Sept. 16 with the pilot run in the capital region, which has been placed under Alert Level 4.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ty urged customers of Manila Water and Maynilad in areas not under Alert Level 5 or granular lockdown to pay their bills to ensure continuous water service.

“As the MWSS Regulatory Office has previously directed the concessionaires to provide economic relief and consideration for customers in this difficult time of the pandemic, customers who are not able to settle their water bills may contact their service provider for flexible payment terms,” he said.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which has a majority stake in Maynilad, is one of three Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Peso down on weak US factory production

September 16, 2021 | 9:00 pm

THE PESO declined against the greenback on Thursday on weak US industrial production and cautious trading ahead of the release of US jobless claims data.

The local unit closed at P49.97 per dollar on Thursday, down by 18 centavos from its P49.79 finish on Wednesday, data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines showed.

The peso opened Thursday’s session at P49.72 per dollar. Its weakest point was at P50.02, while its intraday best was at P49.70 versus the greenback.

Dollars exchanged rose to $1.273 billion on Thursday from $654.8 million on Wednesday.

The peso depreciated on data showing slower US factory production, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said.

The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday said manufacturing output inched up by 0.2% in August, Reuters reported, slower than the upwardly-revised 1.6% expansion in July.

Hurricane Ida likely reduced manufacturing output by 0.2 percentage point as it led to plant closures for petrochemicals, plastic resins and petroleum refining, the Fed said.

Meanwhile, a trader said investors were cautious ahead of the release of the weekly initial jobless claims report expected overnight.

For today, Mr. Ricafort expects the local unit to move from P49.85 to P50.05 per dollar, while the trader gave a forecast range of P49.90 to P50.10. — with Reuters

Stocks rise as remittances hit seven-month high

September 16, 2021 | 9:00 pm

PHILIPPINE shares snapped three days of decline on Thursday amid improved remittances and as the implementation of an alert level system in Metro Manila started.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) gained 88.23 points or 1.28% on Thursday to close at 6,968.43, while the all shares index climbed 45.90 points or 1.07% to 4,323.53.

“Market went on bargain hunting after three days down at the start of localized or granular lockdown as NCR’s (National Capital Region)… and with remittances higher year on year,” Diversified Securities, Inc. Equity Trader Aniceto K. Pangan said in a text message.

Metro Manila is now under Alert Level 4 as the government shifted the capital to looser restrictions despite rising infections and hospitals remaining full.

The Health department reported 16,989 new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases on Wednesday, bringing active cases to 170,446.

The Health department’s COVID-19 vaccination dashboard showed the country has administered over 40.03 million jabs so far, with nearly 17.68 million fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, money sent home by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) reached a seven-month high in July, reflecting the improved employment situation in major economies that have begun recovering from the coronavirus pandemic.

Cash remittances rose 2.5% to $2.853 billion in July from $2.783 billion a year earlier, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Wednesday.

For the first seven months of 2021, cash remittances stood at $17.771 billion, up 5.8% from the $16.802 billion in the same period of 2020.

“Though still in trickles and inspired by the inoculation ramp-up and economic reopening, foreign investors are buying up the market in increasing frequency of late and at the higher range of the PSE trading band, which suggests the rally may have further to run,” First Metro Investment Corp. Head of Research Cristina S. Ulang said in a Viber message.

Foreigners turned buyers anew, recording P53.9 million in net purchases on Thursday from the P73.03 million in net outflows logged on Wednesday.

All sectoral indices posted gains on Thursday. Services went up by 44 points or 2.40% to end at 1,871.30; property gained 66.14 points or 2.19% to 3,075.79; industrials rose 150.05 points or 1.48% to 10,246.84; financials went up by 8.83 points or 0.62% to 1,432.53; holding firms improved by 40.13 points or 0.57% to 7,013.71; and mining and oil inched up by 6.25 points or 0.06% to 9,609.74.

Value turnover inched down to P7.37 billion with 1.07 billion shares traded on Thursday, lower than the P7.55 billion with 1.51 billion issues logged the previous day.

Advancers beat decliners, 103 versus 90, while 47 names closed unchanged. — K.C.G. Valmonte

Bolts mark return with win

September 16, 2021 | 7:57 pm

PBA-Images — THE Meralco Bolts marked their return to Philippine Basketball Association action with a victory, 95-83, over the Terrafirma Dyip on Thursday in Pampanga. — PBA IMAGES

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

THE Meralco Bolts marked their return to Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) action with a victory, 95-83, over the Terrafirma Dyip on Thursday at the Don Honorio Ventura State University (DHVSU) Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga.

Held out as a team for two weeks over the league’s health and safety protocols, it took a while for Meralco to shrug off Terrafirma, but when it got the leverage it needed, the team was not to be denied en route to the win that saw the Bolts improve to 6-2 in the Philippine Cup.

The Bolts did it minus key cogs Chris Newsome and Cliff Hodge, who had yet to be cleared for play in accordance with the PBA’s health guidelines, and sophomore Aaron Black, who hurt his hand early in the contest and was taken to the hospital to be checked.

The teams played it back-and-forth for three quarters, fighting to a 73-70 count, with the Bolts ahead, after 36 minutes of play.

In the fourth quarter, Meralco got early traction on the lead by veteran Reynel Hugnatan and guard Anjo Caram.

The Bolts outscored the Dyip, 12-9, to build a six-point cushion, 85-79, by the 6:17 mark.

They extended their lead, 93-79, four minutes later and were never threatened after.

Bong Quinto led five Meralco players in double digits with 17 points, with Mr. Caram adding 13 and Allein Maliksi 12 points. Raymond Almazan finished with 11 while Mr. Hugnatan had 10.

“We we’re missing some key players so I just told them to play as a team, play for one another. Good thing some players stepped up,” said Meralco coach Norman Black after the game.

With the loss, Terrafirma is now on the brink of elimination with a 3-7 record.

Aldrech Ramos top-scored for the Dyip with 15 points, followed by Joseph Gabyani with 14. Juami Tiongson and Reden Celda each had 10 points.

ALASKA STARTS GRIND
Meanwhile, the Alaska Aces begin their grind of three straight matches on Friday with a clash against defending champions Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings.

Out for two weeks because of the league’s health and safety protocols, the Aces (2-4) look to get wind in their push for the playoffs although under tough conditions, playing three in a row, beginning with the Kings set for 6 p.m.

They then take on league-leading TnT Tropang Giga (9-1) on Saturday and Terrafirma on Sunday.

Against the Kings (4-5), Alaska will be facing a team fresh from a huge come-from-behind win in their previous game and are looking to sustain the momentum.

Despite the adversity they are set to face, the Aces remain hopeful, taking it “a game at a time.”

Volleyball Champions League set for November

September 16, 2021 | 7:56 pm

THE Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) will be holding Champions League tournaments for men and women in November, the sports body announced on Thursday.

Federation chief Ramon Suzara said that they have approved the staging of the Champions League (CL) early this week upon the recommendation of a dedicated working group.

With the targeted national league, the PNVF aims to bring together all volleyball stakeholders through a high level of club play.

The Women’s CL is eyed to take place from Nov. 13 to 19, with the Men’s CL following suit from Nov. 20 to 26.

Eight teams are expected to play in each tournament, playing as many as 24 matches.

The PNVF is eyeing either the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena in Laoag City, Claro M. Recto Events Center in Lipa City or Tagaytay City as a potential venue for the semi-bubble competitions.

In the preliminary round, the eight clubs will be divided into two pools of four teams playing in a round-robin format. At the end of pool play, the teams will be ranked and will advance to the quarterfinals playing a cross-over single elimination.

The quarterfinal winners will advance to the semifinals, while the losing clubs will play in the classification round.

The semifinal winners will progress to the gold medal match, while the losing teams will play for the bronze medal.

The two winning clubs in the first stage of the classification phase will figure in the fifth to sixth place match, while the losing teams will play in the seventh to eighth place match. Deadline for the submission of 20-player rosters is on Oct. 20.

“One of the PNVF’s 10-point agendas is to serve Filipino families with entertainment through volleyball and to make volleyball a widely played sport by elevating it through high-performance competition,” said Mr. Suzara in a statement just as he underscored their push to strengthen and sustain the country’s national team program through an alternate yet equally strong platform like the Champions League.

The PNVF said that with Mr. Suzara in the meeting were federation Secretary-General Don Caringal, Vice-President Arnel Hajan and board members Charo Soriano, Carmela Gamboa and Yul Benosa, and Technical and Coaching Commission Chairman Jerry Yee.

Present, too, were representatives from Metro Manila clubs Cignal HD, Black Mamba-Army, Sta. Lucia, Chery Tiggo, PetroGazz and F2 Logistics, as well as teams from Baguio City and Iligan City. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Malditas begin Asian Cup Qualifiers bid anchored on ‘Remember The Goal’ push

September 16, 2021 | 7:50 pm

THE Philippine national women’s football team begins its 2022 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Asian Cup Qualifier campaign this weekend, seeking to do well in the competition and beyond.

The team, collectively known as the Malditas, will start its bid in Group F where it is lumped with Hong Kong and Nepal.

World 68^th ranked Philippines plays Nepal (101^st) on Sept. 18 at the JAR Stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, then collides with Hong Kong (78^th) on Sept. 24.

Qualifying phase format has the top teams in each of the eight groupings advancing to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, where they get to vie for spots in the 2023 International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) Women’s World Cup.

“As further motivation to the players, we came up with the rallying cry of ‘Remember The Goal,’ which is to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023, and it starts here in Tashkent,” shared national team coach Marlon Maro in a virtual press conference with Filipino media on Wednesday from Uzbekistan.

The team, some coming from here and the training camp in California, left for Tashkent early this week and arrived safely, with the squad happy to report that all of the members tested negative for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in tests done upon their arrival.

Mr. Maro said the team is in high spirits and looking forward to playing and representing the country.

He is confident that they have assembled a good team and prepared well for the competition at hand.

“This is definitely a new team, an exciting team to watch. And they are very motivated. When it comes to the lineup, I think this is the best lineup that we were able to assemble. It’s a combination of young and senior players and we have a combination of big and tall players from goalkeeper, midfield, and strikers,” the coach said.

Adding, “We were able to prepare for the competition through the training camp and competitive matches where the team continued to improve day by day.”

Named team captain of the Maldita is goalkeeper Inna Palacios, with defender Hali Long serving as co-captain.

Also part of the team are goalkeepers Olivia Davies McDaniel and Isabelle Mapanao; defenders Sofia Harrison, Chelo Hodges, Tara Shelton and Patricia Tomanon; and midfielders TahSara Castañeda, Anicka Castañeda, Malea Cesar, Charisa Lemoran, Rocelle Mendano, Jessica Miclat, Camille Rodrigue, Alyssa Ube and Camille Wilson.

Completing the squad are forwards Alisha Del Campo, Arianna Lepage and Chandler McDaniel.

The team will be sans veterans Tahnai Annis and Ryley Bugay, who are with their respective clubs in Japan, but Mr. Maro said the team they have can manage.

“We will miss their services, but the team, as it is, is very competitive,” said Mr. Maro.

Team captain Ms. Palacios also shared her coach’s confidence in the team.

“We’re confident of the tactics we have for the competition. We just have to follow the game plan. We’ll play our best and we’re very much motivated by the campaign that we have #RememberTheGoal in our heads at all times,” said Ms. Palacios, part of the Malditas team which saw action in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

In the lead-up to the qualifiers, the team conducted online training sessions early this year before going to camp in Irvine, California, from Aug. 4 to Sept. 11.

The team’s campaign is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and MVP Sports Foundation.

The Philippine Football Federation said it is currently working on ways to show the Malditas’ matches, if not on live television, at least through livestream.

In the 12-country AFC Women’s Asian Cup happening in India next year, five spots in the FIFA Women’s World Cup are up for grabs. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Man City survives Nkunku hat trick to overwhelm Leipzig 6-3

September 16, 2021 | 7:50 pm

MANCHESTER, England — Manchester City, last season’s Champions League runners-up, crushed RB Leipzig (6-3) in a thrilling Group A game on Wednesday as Christopher Nkunku scored a hat trick for the German side.

It was a hugely entertaining match at the Etihad Stadium and although City manager Guardiola will be happy with the three points he will be concerned about the spaces his team left for the German side to exploit on the break.

Nkunku became only the fourth player to score a Champions League treble and end up on the losing side and he deserved his player of the match award as Leipzig showed real spirit to keep fighting back against City’s impressive firepower.

Defender Nathan Ake put City ahead in the 16^th minute with a header from a Jack Grealish corner and the hosts doubled the lead 12 minutes later when Kevin De Bruyne produced wonderful skill to leave three defenders for dead before his deep cross was headed into his own net by Leipzig defender Nordi Mukiele.

Leipzig got back in the game with a 42^nd-minute header from Nkunku, only for City to restore their two-goal advantage on the stroke of half time.

Lukas Klostermann was ruled to have handled after the referee went to the pitchside monitor to check the incident and Riyad Mahrez blasted home the spot-kick.

Leipzig were not deterred, though, and Nkunku reduced the deficit again in the 51^st minute by heading in a cross from the excellent Spanish midfielder Dani Olmo.

Grealish then delivered a wonderful solo goal to mark his first European club appearance, collecting the ball on the left flank and jinking inside before giving Péter Gulácsi no chance with a curling shot into the far corner.

That was surely that, the City fans could be forgiven for thinking, but once again French forward Nkunku kept the game alive, completing his hat trick with a crisp drive after being set up by Yussuf Poulsen.

Incredibly, City responded immediately with an unstoppable long-range drive from Portuguese full back João Cancelo and any hopes the visitors had of a comeback ended when they went down to 10 men when former City full back Angelino was sent off in the 79^th minute.

Substitute Gabriel Jesus added the sixth from close range five minutes from time and the home crowd were delighted with the display of Grealish, in front of his England manager Gareth Southgate.

“I loved it,” Grealish said of his first taste of the competition.

“I’ve been waiting a while. The past few weeks, I couldn’t wait for this game. It’s a great night.

“It was one of those games. It had absolutely everything. In the end, we’re delighted to get the win against a good team full of energy and young players,” he said.

City lead the group on three points after Paris St.-Germain were held to a 1-1 draw at Club Brugge in their opener. — Reuters

Yankees rally past Orioles, keep pace in wild card race

September 16, 2021 | 7:49 pm

BRETT Gardner hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the ninth inning and the New York Yankees beat the host Baltimore Orioles (4-3) on Wednesday night after blowing a one-run lead in the eighth.

Luke Voit opened the ninth off Tyler Wells (2-3) with a walk, and Gleyber Torres followed with a single. With one out, pinch runner Tyler Wade and Torres pulled off a double steal that was upheld via replay, and both scored when Gardner lifted a 1-2 slider into short left field after fouling off three consecutive pitches.

Shortstop Richie Martin ran out and attempted to make a diving catch, but had his back turned and the ball fell in just before he could make the catch.

Gardner’s clutch hit in the rain occurred after New York’s Chad Green was one strike away from preserving a 2-1 lead. Green allowed a two-run homer to Austin Hays that gave Baltimore a 3-2 lead, and Wandy Peralta (5-3) got the final out of the eighth after Green allowed his 14^th homer in 60 appearances this season.

The homer was Hays’ second of the night and 20^th of the season.

Aroldis Chapman, pitching for the third straight day, needed only eight pitches to toss a perfect ninth and convert his 27^th save in 31 chances.

The Yankees (82-64) earned their third straight win after a 3-12 skid that followed their first 13-game winning streak since 1961. New York remains tied with the Toronto Blue Jays (82-64) and the Boston Red Sox (83-65) for the two American League wild card spots.

Baltimore (46-99) took its fifth straight loss.

Yankees starter Nestor Cortes, Jr. logged a career-high 11 strikeouts and allowed one run and Hays’ solo homer among three hits in 6 1/3 innings. He walked two.

Gio Urshela hit a two-run homer in the third, but the Yankees did little else offensively most of the night after tying a season high with five homers while winning the series opener on Tuesday.

Hays slugged a solo shot in the sixth before his two-run homer in the eighth.

Baltimore left-hander John Means allowed two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked two. — Reuters

Henderson fires winner as Liverpool beats Milan in thriller

September 16, 2021 | 7:48 pm

LIVERPOOL, England — Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson struck a rare Champions League goal to earn his side a 3-2 victory over AC Milan in a rip-roaring Group B opener at a rocking Anfield on Wednesday.

Henderson rifled home in the 69^th minute to settle an absorbing contest between the two European heavyweights whose only two previous meetings had been in finals.

With Anfield welcoming back fans for a Champions League night for the first time in 18 months, Liverpool had threatened to run riot when Fikayo Tomori’s own goal handed them an early lead in a barnstorming start.

Remarkably, after weathering the storm which included a Mohamed Salah penalty miss, Milan struck twice in quick succession at the end of the first half with Ante Rebić and Brahim Diaz silencing the home crowd.

Milan then had a goal disallowed shortly after the break before Salah made amends for his penalty miss by equalizing from close range in the 49^th minute.

The outcome was still in doubt until Henderson capped a memorable Anfield night with a thumping effort — only his second in the competition and first for seven years.

“First half an hour, we blew them away,” Liverpool left back Andy Robertson said. “Then we got sloppy and stopped doing the things we were doing really well. We let them back into the game and walk in at half time thinking ‘how have we let this happen?’”

Milan’s return to Europe’s top club competition for the first time in seven years began in torrid fashion as the seven-time champions were initially overwhelmed.

With Zlatan Ibrahimović unavailable and several players making their Champions League debut, Milan looked ill-equipped to compete and fell behind in the ninth minute when Trent Alexander-Arnold got in on the right side of the area and his cross struck former Chelsea player Tomori and beat Milan keeper Mike Maignan.

MISSED PENALTY
Before Milan could clear their heads, they conceded a penalty when Ismael Bennacer blocked Robertson’s shot with his arm.

But Maignan dived to his right to keep out Salah’s penalty.

It was only the second time in 19 attempts that Salah had failed to convert a spot kick and it proved a turning point.

Salah fired over and Joel Matip headed straight at Maignan as the chances kept coming, but Liverpool were rocked on their heels as Milan turned the game on its head — Liverpool manager Klopp saying later that his team had got a bit “carried away.”

For the first time, Liverpool’s high press relented and Milan worked the ball neatly forward before Franck Kessie’s pass played in Rebić to sweep a low shot past Alisson.

Klopp wore a wry smile after that, but one minute and 48 seconds later he looked as stunned as everyone else.

Milan attacked down the left again with Kessie and Rebić combining to set up Alexis Saelemaekers whose shot was blocked on the line by Robertson only for Diaz to pounce and convert.

It could have got even worse for Liverpool a minute after the restart when Saelemaekers scored from close range following a corner, but an offside flag spared Liverpool.

The frantic pace continued and Liverpool were level in the 48^th minute as Divock Origi, given his first action of the season, scooped a ball over Milan’s defense for Salah to dink a bouncing ball past Maignan for his 14^th Champions League goal at Anfield, equaling former captain Steven Gerrard’s record.

Milan did well to soak up Liverpool pressure, but they finally cracked when a corner was cleared to the edge of the area and Henderson smashed the ball home. — Reuters

Koepka on Woods: ‘I’m going to catch him on majors’

September 16, 2021 | 7:48 pm

BROOKS Koepka is shooting for the moon in regard to winning major titles.

Koepka, who has four major championships to his credit, said time is on his side in his bid to catch Tiger Woods (15 majors) — or even Jack Nicklaus (18 majors).

“In my mind, I’m going to catch (Woods) on majors. I believe that. I don’t see any reason that can stop me,” Koepka said in a recent interview with Golf Digest.

“I’m 31. I have another 14 years left. If I win one a year, I got Jack. People misconstrue that as being cocky. No, that’s just my belief. If I don’t have that belief, I shouldn’t be out there. If you don’t think you can win, why the hell are you teeing it up?”

Koepka has won the 2017 and 2018 US Open as well as the 2018 and 2019 PGA Championship. He finished in a tie for second place in the 2019 Masters, which was won by Woods. — Reuters

Next-gen taekwondo athletes in PSC’s Rise Up Shape Up

September 16, 2021 | 7:43 pm

YOUNG and promising women and girls taekwondo practitioners of the country will headline the webisode of Rise Up Shape Up (RUSU) on Sept. 18.

RUSU is a weekly web series of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) under the Women in Sports program. It highlights the inspiring stories of women and girls who demonstrated excellence in the field and provides equal opportunity and exposure for them.

In the latest webisode, PSC-RUSU will feature 45 taekwondo rising stars who showcased what they could do in the recent 7^th Women’s Martial Arts Festival.

“Courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and an indomitable spirit — these are the five tenets of taekwondo that any practitioner or athlete knows by heart. These are also the same characteristics manifested by these 45 young taekwondo champions,” shared PSC Women in Sports Commissioner oversight Celia H. Kiram.

The brief history of taekwondo will also be discussed during the 10:30 a.m. web program which will be explained further by Commissioner Kiram in the “K-Isport: Kwentong Isport” segment.

“This project echoes the agency’s commitment to supporting and nurturing women in the field of sports.” told the lady commissioner.

In the previous webisodes, PSC’s Rise Up Shape Up also starred different martial arts presented in the 7^th Women’s Martial Arts Festival such as karatedo, judo, arnis, muay thai, wrestling, among others.

Long dragged-out story

September 16, 2021 | 7:39 pm

Ben Simmons has wanted out since Sixers head coach Doc Rivers and top dog Joel Embiid threw him under the bus for his poor showing in the 2021 Playoffs. True, he did admit that his confidence got the better of him to the point where he could not — did not — want to shoot, especially in the crunch. That said, he likely saw criticism of his extreme timidity on the court, particularly since it came from quarters supposed to close ranks with him, as the last straw.

Simmons cannot be blamed for thinking the way he did and thereafter moving to cut cleanly. Needless to say, the fact that the Sixers actively shopped him around did not help things any. And after a meeting with top brass, one also attended by super-agent Rich Paul, there was agreement that he would be dealt. Where didn’t seem important to him; the bottom line is that he no longer wanted to stay.

There was one problem, however: The Sixers didn’t feel like trading Simmons for pennies to the dollar. They were bona fide contenders, and far be it for them to thumb up a deal in which they stood to acquire draft picks instead of another vital cog. They wanted apples for apples, not a bunch of grapes. Which, as handicapped players in an already-depressed market, gave them little room to maneuver. His continued inability to shoot five seasons removed from being chosen first overall in the 2016 draft appeared to be a long-term concern.

The bottom line is that Simmons comes off as damaged goods. And he’s pushing to leave pronto, thus eroding whatever leverage the Sixers have left. That he’s prepared to sit out training camp when it begins on Sept. 28 does not help their cause any. And, nope, their threat to fine him in accordance with National Basketball Association rules and provisions on his contract won’t help. Were he compelled to return, he would be a distraction at best, and certainly far from motivated to perform up to par.

In other words, the Sixers would do well to move on, and fast. While general manager Daryl Morey has developed a reputation as a hard-nosed negotiator, he squeezes little to no value in encouraging a toxic atmosphere. Waiting may or may not have its rewards, but not taking action in the immediate to short term is a decidedly bad idea. In a dragged-out situation, there are no winners.

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.