De Lima detention shows gov’t abuse of law, experts say

May 3, 2022 | 7:26 pm

By John Victor D. Ordoñez

TWO key witnesses in the drug charges against a senator critical of President Rodrigo R. Duterte showed how the country’s justice system could be easily abused, human rights and political experts said on Tuesday.

“Their retractions showed how the judicial system is being used and misused as an instrument of political persecution in the hands of a vindictive president,” Fides M. Lim, convenor of rights group Kapatid, said in a statement.

“If this can be done to a sitting senator, all the more is this being done to equally vocal activists who have become political prisoners or victims of extrajudicial killings,” she added, referring to Senator Leila M. de Lima, one of Mr. Duterte’s most outspoken critics.

Former jail chief Rafael Z. Ragos and self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa separately took back their allegations against the lawmaker, who has been in jail since Feb. 2017 while being tried for drug trafficking.

Both claimed to have been coerced by Mr. Duterte’s agents into falsely accusing Ms. De Lima.

“Politically, this series of withdrawal of testimonies against Senator De Lima will further tarnish the image and confidence of the people toward Duterte’s war on drugs,” Marlon M. Villarin, a political science professor from the University of Santo Tomas, said in a Viber message. “It will look more like a political witch-hunt that promised a solution to the drug menace in our society.”

In an April 30 affidavit, Mr. Ragos recanted his allegations that Ms. De Lima received P5 million in drug money from him — care of convicted drug lord Peter Co — when she was still Justice secretary in 2012. She allegedly used the fund to finance her senatorial bid in 2016.

Last week, Mr. Espinosa separately affirmed that police had forced him to implicate the senator during Senate hearings investigating the illegal drug trade inside the national jail when she was still Justice secretary.

Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra told reporters in a Viber message on Friday he would discuss with a panel of prosecutors if the drug suspect could be charged with perjury.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) earlier said Espinosa’s retraction “bears no weight” because he was not used as a witness against Ms. De Lima.

“The question now is, can the DoJ extricate itself from this mess, or is it already too compromised for allowing itself to be weaponized?” Ms. Lim said. “Secretary Guevarra will just have to find in himself the common decency to let the rule of law prevail and allow Senator De Lima to step out of jail.”

Mr. Villarin said the Justice department should immediately seek the senator’s release if the evidence supports it.

“It’s better for the DoJ to let go of an innocent person and stand corrected with their insufficient pieces of evidence than to let Senator De Lima rot in jail because of wrong allegations,” he said.

That would eventually put the Justice department’s credibility in a bad light, he added.

Ms. De Lima in a statement on Monday noted that despite being five years too late, the retractions have affirmed her innocence.

The presidential palace had consistently said it does not meddle in court matters.

Rebranding Mindanao: DoT highlights ecotours, farms, and halal in new campaign

May 3, 2022 | 7:17 pm

mindaneeee — MINDANAO’s tourism regional directors and Undersecretary Myra Paz Valderrosa-Abubakar (center), who formulated the intra-regional Colors of Mindanao campaign, don clothing that showcase fabric made by indigenous communities in southern Philippines during the launching event on May 2 in Cagayan de Oro City.

THE TOURISM department has launched a new campaign focusing on the diverse attractions of Mindanao, the southern Philippine islands that have long been saddled with a sweeping perception of bandits and lawlessness.

“It is high time that travelers and tourists think of Mindanao as a top destination in the Philippines,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said at the launching of the Colors of Mindanao campaign on Monday.

“The island region is blessed with a multitude of beautiful destinations, historical sites, and cultural wonders. The Colors of Mindanao campaign aims to attract different types of travelers to the region, from divers, eco-adventurers, and beach bums — to history buffs, foodies, and the faithful,” she said.

The marketing campaign covers five regions — Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, CARAGA, Davao, and SOCCSKSARGEN — with color themes that correspond to tourism products.

These are: blue for dive tourism, teal for sun and beach, green for ecotourism, brown for farm tourism, violet for culture and heritage, red for adventure and sports, orange for food tourism, and yellow for faith tourism.

“These were formulated by the five Mindanao regional offices in a bid to foster unity in diversity, sustainability, inclusivity, and a more progressive tourism not only in Mindanao but also in the country,” the tourism department said.

The new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has an independent tourism ministry that has authority to develop its own programs as well as coordinate with national agencies for collaborative travel campaigns.

“This campaign also highlights halal and Muslim-friendly tourism, one of the fastest growing tourism sectors in the world,” Ms. Puyat said.

“As one of the major new products of the DoT (Department of Tourism), halal tourism will bring special attention to the attractions and cuisine in Mindanao and help boost the tourism economy in the area,” she added.

The Mindanao Development Authority said the campaign is also part of joint tourism initiatives under the BIMP-EAGA sub-regional grouping that covers Brunei Darussalam and parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. — MSJ

Zamboanga City records 14 deaths due to dengue

May 3, 2022 | 7:16 pm

Fogging-dengue-ZAMBOANGA-CIO — ZAMBOANGA CIO

ZAMBOANGA CITY is ramping up its information campaign and fogging activities against dengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease, as the local health office recorded 1,444 cases with 14 deaths from January 1 to April 23.

“Last April, a dengue outbreak was declared over the city as cases exceeded dengue epidemic thresholds for 4 consecutive weeks,” the city government said in a statement.

As of May 1, the City Health Office said hospital admissions due to dengue has reached 51.

Local authorities appealed to the public to help curb the rising dengue cases by clearing mosquito breeding sites, use self-protection measures such as insect repellants, and cooperate with the city government’s fogging activities.

Health officials also advised residents to immediately seek medical assistance when dengue symptoms are observed. Common symptoms are fever with nausea and vomiting, rash, and pains typically behind the eyes or muscle and joints.

At least 15 of the 98 barangays in the city have high number of cases, according to the health office.

Zamboanga City, a coastal city in the southwestern side of mainland Mindanao, has a population of more than 977,000. — MSJ

Shellfish banned in 6 areas due to red tide

May 3, 2022 | 7:16 pm

THE BUREAU of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has banned the harvest and consumption of shellfish in six areas that tested positive for Paralytic Shellfish Poison or toxic red tide.

The banned areas are: coastal waters of Bolinao in Pangasinan; Milagros in Masbate; Dauis and Tagbilaran City in Bohol; Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur; Litalit Bay, San Benito in Surigao del Norte; and Lianga Bay in Surigao del Sur.

These areas “are still positive for… toxic red tide that is beyond the regulatory limit,” BFAR said in its latest bulletin dated April 29.

All other areas have been declared free from the shellfish poison.

All types of shellfish and Acetes sp. (alamang) gathered from the said areas are not safe for human consumption.

However, fish, squids, shrimps, and crabs are safe for human consumption provided that these are washed and gutted before cooking.

Consuming shellfish affected by red tide could lead to numbness, drowsiness, and respiratory paralysis. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

Education to get P1-trillion budget under Ka Leody-Bello leadership

May 3, 2022 | 7:16 pm

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE Leodegario “Ka Leody” de Guzman, and his running mate, former Akbayan Party-list representative Walden F. Bello, said on Tuesday that they plan to increase the budget for education to P1 trillion if they are elected as the country’s next leaders.

“We need to raise the budget for education not just for classrooms and facilities, but for upgrading the capability of our teachers, and raising their wages,” Mr. De Guzman, a longtime labor sector leader, said at the presidential forum of the Commission on Elections in partnership with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas.

He said a higher allocation for the sector would provide free training for teachers and improve the public school curriculum.

“The curriculum of our schools has become too profit-driven instead of focusing on critical thinking, we need to focus on moral training and critical thinking not just the technical aspects,” he said.

Mr. De Guzman added that a lack of emphasis on human rights and history subjects in schools is a major contributor to the spread of fake news.

Mr. Bello told the same forum that of the P1-trillion proposed budget for education, P300 billion will be devoted to improving the quality of education at all levels.

The education sector’s allocation in this year’s national budget is P788.5 billion, according to the Department of Budget and Management.

Mr. De Guzman also said the government should promote a more inclusive education system that accommodates students with special needs, and brings schools closer to students and teachers in far-flung areas.

“The situation of students reflects the state of our teachers as well, which is why teachers should not have to pay for their training and should be included in the government’s budget,” he said.

The labor leader earlier proposed a “Universal Students’ Magna Carta,” a law that would institutionalize students’ rights and academic freedom.

In his closing statement at the forum, Mr. De Guzman reiterated that his government would recognize workers as partners in the country’s development.

“The mark of our government would be a government of the people, not the of billionaires,” he said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Better distribution system key to agriculture sector growth — senator

May 3, 2022 | 7:15 pm

Truck-bangus-PanaboCity-BWFILE — BW FILE PHOTO

IMPROVING the country’s logistics for agricultural produce is needed to ensure stable food supply and the sector’s growth, a senator said on Tuesday.

Senator María Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos, who chairs the Senate Economic Affairs Committee, said an effective distribution system will improve the country’s cycle of food production and supply.

“A poor distribution system creates scarcity amid bounty, waste amid want,” she said.

With an efficient delivery of farm products from source to consumers, authorities would be able to determine where real shortages are and the import volume needed for such goods as rice, sugar, vegetables, pork, beef, poultry, and fish.

“We need to redirect the flow of income from import cartels toward our local farmers and provide the lowest food prices possible for the public,” she said.

The senator also called for the expansion of the Young Farmers Challenge program to increase the national food supply and encourage the youth to farm using modern technology and develop new ideas.

“This advocacy must become more than a prize-giving contest supported by the Department of Agriculture. To make a bigger difference, other government departments and all local government units should be involved,” she said.

“We need more young farmers with new ideas for a dying vocation whose practitioners now average 57 years old,” she added. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Vote counters

May 3, 2022 | 7:14 pm

A SECURITY officer watches over the unloading of vote counting machines at the Dr. Rafael Palma Elementary School in Manila on May 3. The equipment will be tested and sealed before the voting on May 9.

Suns’ balance overcomes Mavs’ Luka Doncic in Game 1

May 3, 2022 | 6:23 pm

PHOENIX Suns guard Devin Booker (1) and Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22) slap hands against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of Game 1 of the second round for the 2022 NBA playoffs. — REUTERS

DEANDRE Ayton scored a team-high 25 points and the Phoenix Suns dominated the visiting Dallas Mavericks on the boards en route to a 121-114 victory in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series on Monday night.

Devin Booker contributed 23 points to a balanced attack, with nine rebounds and eight assists. Chris Paul had 19 points, Cam Johnson 17, Mikal Bridges 13 and Jae Crowder 11 as the top-seeded Suns held serve in a best-of-seven that continues on Wednesday in Phoenix.

Luka Doncic finished with 45 points — one shy of his postseason career-high — for the Mavericks, who were outrebounded 51-36 and lost despite outscoring the host 48-33 on 3-pointers.

Coming off a hard-fought win over the New Orleans Pelicans in six games, the Suns wasted no time gaining the upper hand on the fourth-seeded Mavericks, scoring the game’s first nine points. Crowder contributed a 3-pointer to cap the run.

Phoenix went on to lead by as many as 15 later in the first quarter, 18 in the third period and 106-85 on a dunk by JaVale McGee with 8:48 remaining before coasting home.

With Ayton hitting 12 of his 20 shots, the Suns outshot the Mavericks 50.5% to 47.1%. Phoenix led the NBA with a 52.3% shooting percentage in the first round, while Dallas allowed just 44.3% shooting, third-best in the league, in its opening-round win over the Utah Jazz.

The Suns also helped themselves with 13 offensive rebounds and a perfect (18-for-18) at the free throw line, with Booker going 8-for-8.

Ayton picked up right where he left off in the first round, when he had four 20-plus-point games, with a high of 28. He and Crowder each had eight rebounds.

Doncic was the game’s leading rebounder with 12, completing his ninth double-double in 17 playoff games. He missed a fourth career postseason triple-double by two assists.

His 45 points gave him six 40-point playoff games. His postseason career-high of 46 came last year in Game 7 of Dallas’ opening-round loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Maxi Kleber chipped in with 19 points for Dallas, which also lost Game 1 in the Utah series before rallying to take four of the next five. Dorian Finney-Smith added 15 points and Jalen Brunson 13. — Reuters

Heat pull away for series-opening win against 76ers

May 3, 2022 | 6:23 pm

TYLER HERRO scored 25 points, Bam Adebayo added 24 points and 12 rebounds and the host Miami Heat defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 106-92 in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series on Monday.

Miami’s Jimmy Butler contributed 15 points and nine rebounds, while P.J. Tucker and Gabe Vincent had 10 points apiece. Kyle Lowry sat out due to a strained left hamstring.

The 76ers played without Most Valuable Player candidate Joel Embiid, who is in the concussion protocol and also is dealing with an orbital fracture and a torn ligament in his right thumb.

Tobias Harris led Philadelphia with 27 points, and Tyrese Maxey added 19. James Harden had 16 points and nine rebounds.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series will be played Wednesday in Miami.

The Heat led by 14 points in the first quarter and by 13 in the second before the 76ers rallied. Consecutive layups from Maxey and Harden gave Philadelphia a 51-50 advantage and that wound up being the score at half time.

Herro and Adebayo each had 12 first-half points for the Heat, who managed only two points in the final 4:39 of the second period.

Harris paced the Sixers with 14 before the break, and Harden had 12.

After the Sixers went ahead 55-50, the Heat came back with a 20-6 run to take a 70-61 lead midway through the third.

Harris ended the run with a trey from the wing and added a short jumper to close the gap to 70-66.

The Heat led 80-72 at the end of the third.

Miami’s Victor Oladipo opened the fourth with a difficult runner in the lane.

After Philadelphia’s Paul Reed missed from point-blank range, Herro dropped in a 31-foot 3-pointer for an 85-72 advantage.

The Heat’s lead ballooned to 98-77 after Max Strus threw down a dunk with 6:15 left. Philadelphia went nearly five minutes without a field goal while Miami extended its advantage.

The Heat cruised to the victory in the final minutes as both teams emptied their benches. — Reuters

Halep storms into Madrid quarters; Sinner advances after great escape

May 3, 2022 | 6:22 pm

FORMER world number one Simona Halep stepped up her French Open preparations with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over American Coco Gauff to march into the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open on Monday.

Halep, who won the French Open in 2018 and the Madrid title twice, is unseeded after her ranking fell last year following a series of injuries but she has yet to drop a set in the tournament this year.

The Romanian, now ranked 21^st in the world, was at her aggressive best on the red clay and showed determination to win the longer rallies but was unable to break until the American teenager made a series of unforced errors to go down 5-4.

Halep served out the set but it only fired up Gauff as the 18-year-old suddenly grew in confidence and found success at the net to race into a 3-0 lead in the second set.

But the Romanian counter-puncher quickly recovered and fought back as Gauff’s error count continued to climb, breaking twice to go up 5-4 before wrapping up the contest in 77 minutes.

“I felt like I played the exactly what I had to play. In the second set, she changed a little bit,” Halep said in a post-match interview.

“She’s been more aggressive and it was not easy to adjust, but in the end, I pushed her back and I did what I wanted to do… We played a few times so I knew what to expect.”

Halep will face Tunisian eighth seed Ons Jabeur who beat Belinda Bencic 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in an earlier match where the final set was played under the roof due to rain.

“Just a reminder guys, Simona won against Paula (Badosa in the previous round) and she’s Spanish. So if she wins you have to cheer for me,” Jabeur said.

In the men’s tournament, Italian 10^th seed Jannik Sinner fought back from a set down and then saved three match points to dispatch American Tommy Paul 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 6-3 in a three-hour battle to move into the second round.

“It was a very difficult situation. I was up in the first set 5-2 and then I lost it,” said Sinner, who will next face Alex de Minaur. “He played a very good tie-break. I made a couple of unforced errors at the beginning and the second set was kind of a rollercoaster also.” — Reuters

Norman says Mickelson’s remarks hurt Saudi-backed breakaway tour

May 3, 2022 | 6:22 pm

GREG NORMAN, a former two-time major championship winner who is fronting a new golf league backed by Saudi Arabian investors, confirmed on Monday that Phil Mickelson’s recent comments complicated things for the upstart operation.

“There’s no question (it) hurt,” Norman told ESPN. “It hurt a lot of aspects. It hurt the PGA Tour. It hurt us. It hurt the game of golf. It hurt Phil. So yeah, across all fronts. It wasn’t just specifically to us. But it definitely created negative momentum against us.”

Norman is the CEO of the LIV Golf Invitational Series, formerly known as the Super Golf League. As the venture was trying to get rolling, comments from Mickelson published on Feb. 15, after a November interview with author Alan Shipnuck, caused a firestorm.

Mickelson referenced the killing of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi and called the Saudi Arabians “scary motherf—s to get involved with.” He went on to explain why he still had interest in joining the Saudi-backed league.

“(They) have a horrible record on human rights,” Mickelson was said, according to Shipnuck. “They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates.”

“They’ve been able to get by with manipulative, coercive, strong-arm tactics because we, the players, had no recourse.”

Norman said on Monday that nearly one third of the top 50 players in the world were committed to playing in the new golf tour.

When Mickelson’s comments were revealed, many top players reaffirmed their commitment to playing on the PGA Tour.

“Quite honestly, we were ready to launch (in February),” Norman said to ESPN. “We had enough players in our strength of field, or minimal viable product, ready to come on board. And when all of that happened, everybody got the jitters, and the PGA Tour threatened people with lifetime bans and stuff like that.”

Originally set to be a 14-event schedule, the LIV Golf Invitational Series has restructured itself with a potential eight-event season. Of those, five are expected to take place in the United States.

A total of $255 million is expected to be up for grabs. Mickelson has since filed a request to play in an event that conflicts with the PGA Tour, signaling his desire to still play in the LIV Golf Invitational Series.

A June 9-11 tournament is set for London and will be open to 48 players set to compete on 12 four-man teams. — Reuters

The Draymond Green flagrant foul

May 3, 2022 | 6:22 pm

It isn’t hard to see why Draymond Green was ejected in the Warriors-Grizzlies set-to the other day. With one minute and change left in the second quarter, he moved to stop the drive of third-year forward Brandon Clarke first with a hack above the neck and then with a jersey grab that impaired momentum and caused loss of balance.

After a review, the contact was deemed excessive enough to merit the assessment of a Flagrant 2 foul on him, resulting in an automatic ejection and, just as importantly, getting him two Flagrant 1 fouls or one Flagrant 2 foul away from an automatic one-game suspension.

Green would go on to mock the decision; he reflected his teammates’ and coaches’ incredulity by egging on the 17,794-strong crowd at the FedExForum to boo him while dancing his way to the dugout. And so fired up was he in opposition to the call that he went on to record an episode for The Draymond Green Show in his hotel room after the match.

In the podcast, he explained that he “actually tried to hold (Clarke) up… (G)uys were told I was ejected for throwing him down, which is very interesting because even once he hit the ground I still was holding his jersey.”

Significantly, he used the very replays that justified his ejection and subsequently led to the league’s front office upholding the call to prove his point.

Which, in a nutshell, highlights the fact that Green’s reputation precedes him, for better or for worse. Not for nothing is he deemed one of the best defenders in the National Basketball Association, but his style of play treads the fine line between what is legal and what is illegitimate.

As he himself noted, if he could get suspended in Game Five of the 2016 Finals, then he could get suspended in a second-round series.

In any case, league honchos had reason not to rescind the flagrant foul. He did instigate a hit above the neck, and he did hold on to Clarke’s jersey while the latter was airborne — both dangerous actions that, absent a ruling, would have been emulated, especially coming from a former Defensive Player of the Year awardee.

For the Warriors, the good news is that they won the contest anyway. And because they did so, they now possess the added confidence to withstand the challenge a possible Green suspension brings.

Then again, he’s such an integral part of their system on both ends of the court that his absence cannot but be considered a handicap. In other words, he needs to dial down on his antics even as he stays true to himself. And only he knows, and only time can tell, if it’s easier said than done.

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.