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Benfica advances with shock away triumph over Ajax

AMSTERDAM — Striker Darwin Nunez headed home a 77th-minute winner as Benfica grabbed a shock 1-0 victory away at Ajax Amsterdam on Tuesday to secure a surprise Champions League quarterfinal place.

The Uruguayan striker rose above the Ajax defense to score from a free kick in a rare attack for the Portuguese club, who put up a stout defensive performance at the Johan Cruyff Arena to advance 3-2 on aggregate.

Benfica’s veteran centre back pair of Jan Vertonghen and Nicolas Otamendi were a defensive wall that Ajax were unable to break down, despite dominating possession and constantly attacking the visitors’ goal.

The Dutch club had won all their group games and, after a 2-2 draw in the first leg of the last-16 tie in Lisbon last month, were expected to ease through to the last eight with home advantage in the second leg.

But their hopes of an extended run in the Champions League were brought to a sudden end by Benfica, who have had a poor domestic season and flounder 12 points from the summit of the Portuguese league.

Ajax peppered the Benfica goal in the first half at the end of swift build-ups and multiple crosses into the penalty area, but got few of their efforts on target.

Teenager Ryan Gravenberch created an opening for himself with a strong run but fired his 36th-minute shot just over the crossbar in the best effort of the opening period.

Ajax kept up the pressure in the second half with Brazilian winger Antony having two good chances. He put a header wide and was then foiled by a late Vertonghen tackle.

Benfica’s one attempt on target came after Ajax defender Edson Alvarez conceded a soft free kick.

Nunez rose high above Jurrien Timber and the on-rushing goalkeeper Andre Onana from the set piece to stun the home crowd.

“Obviously, I’m very happy. It was a very difficult game, we knew we all had to run when it came time to defend and attack,” Nunez told reporters.

“We played against a team that plays very well, we knew we were going to suffer, we suffered, we had to defend but our team gave everything,” he added.

Ajax could have equalized deep in stoppage time but Benfica goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos pulled off a superb stop to deny Brian Brobbey, although the Ajax substitute was then ruled offside.

Elimination was a bitter blow said home captain Dusan Tadic.

“We stopped all their efforts to counter attack and then we lose from a free kick… We didn’t deserve to lose. We were the better team, but in Europe it’s also about set pieces and counters. Then such a moment can be fatal.” — Reuters

Atletico wins at Old Trafford to knock United out

MANCHESTER, England — Atletico Madrid knocked Manchester United out of the Champions League and moved into the quarterfinals after a 41st minute header from Brazilian Renan Lodi gave them a 1-0 (2-1 aggregate) win at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

It was a typical display of the kind of gritty defending and swift counterattacking for which Diego Simeone’s Atletico side have been known while United, for all their pressure, were unable to create enough quality opportunities to get themselves the goal they needed.

United, who have not won a trophy since the Europa League in 2017, are left to focus on a Premier League campaign where they face a real battle to make the top four and earn a place in next year’s Champions League.

The Spanish champions may not be favourites to reach the final in Paris on May 28 but none of the teams in the last eight will be hoping to be drawn against them.

After Saturday’s win over Tottenham Hotspur, inspired by a Cristiano Ronaldo hat trick, there was a positive mood around Old Trafford and the night began brightly for United with Anthony Elanga forcing a fine reflex save out of Jan Oblak with a near post flick from a Bruno Fernandes cross.

United’s Spanish keeper David de Gea then produced an outstanding diving save to push wide a long range effort from Rodrigo De Paul.

Joao Felix then had the ball in the net, tapping in a cross from Marcos Llorente but the effort was ruled out for offside.

There was no reprieve though for United, though, when after a trademark Atletico counter-attack, a clever flick from Joao Felix found Antoine Griezmann whose cross was nodded in at the back post by Lodi.

United argued that the move had followed a foul on Elanga deep in Atletico’s half but referee Slavko Vincic waved away their protests.

Fernandes ended the half with a fierce shot that again tested Oblak to the full and raised hopes among the home support ahead of the second half.

United, as expected, poured forward after the break in search of an equaliser but there was little design or craft to their attacks.

LACK OF CREATIVITY
Interim manager Ralf Rangnick threw on forwards as he sought the breakthrough bringing on Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani to play up front with Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho.

But his decision to take off Fernandes in the 67th minute left the team short of creativity and their attacks were increasingly just one dimensional charges at the Atletico back line.

Captain Harry Maguire was taken off, to cheers from the home support, as Rangnick threw on Spanish winger Juan Mata but the nearest United came to an equaliser was a fine header from Raphael Varane that had Oblak at full stretch.

It was scrappy and at times cynical from Atletico in the latter stages but their disciplined defense held firm for the victory that sends them into the last eight.

“We want to go far in the competition and it’s incredible to still be in it. It’s important for us to still be in the Champions League in what’s an up-and-down season,” said midfielder Koke.

“For me, Jan Oblak is the best goalkeeper in the world. He’s shown it once again tonight.”

Rangnick was upset with the refereeing of the game but had few complaints about his team’s performance.

“I think we played a very good first half — exactly the way we wanted to play with a high energy level, but we couldn’t convert that into one or two goals,” he said.

“Conceding that counterattacking goal just before half time didn’t make life any easier. It was hard in the second half and always interrupted. There was always somebody lying on the floor.

“I would also say some curious refereeing decisions. I wouldn’t say they were decisive, but at least he fell too often for those time-wasting antics.” — Reuters

Kyrie Irving drops 60 as Nets trounce Magic

Kyrie Irving scored 41 of his career-high 60 points during Brooklyn’s record-setting first half, leading the Nets to a 150-108 victory over the host Orlando Magic on Tuesday night for their fourth consecutive win.

Irving’s first-ever 60-point game, breaking his previous career-high of 57 against San Antonio in 2015, featured 20 made field goals on 31 attempts. He also went 8-for-12 from beyond the arc and 12-for-13 at the foul line en route to his sixth career performance with 50-plus points, which included scoring 50 against Charlotte on March 8.

Kevin Durant, coming off a 53-point performance against the New York Knicks on Sunday, had 19 points and seven assists in the Nets’ wire-to-wire victory. Irving’s final three points came on a triple off the left wing with 8:32 left, sending him to the bench for the remainder of the game, while Brooklyn put seven total players in double figures.

Brooklyn led 86-56 at half time — a franchise record for points in a half — on the strength of a 48-point first quarter during which Irving had 16 points and the Nets shot 74.1% (20-for-27). The 48 points represented a franchise record for points in an opening period and the most points scored by the Nets in any quarter this season.

Irving exploded for 25 points in the second quarter as Brooklyn extended a 48-30 lead. The 41 points marked the most scored in a half this season in the NBA, besting Karl-Anthony Towns’ mark of 36 recorded on Monday against San Antonio, as Irving finished 14 of 19 from the field, 6 of 7 from 3-point range and a perfect 7 of 7 at the free-throw line.

Irving’s free throw at the 11:22 mark of the third quarter gave him 42 points, the most ever scored by a Nets player against Orlando. Kendall Gill held the previous mark of 41 set in 1997.

The 60 points was also just four shy of Michael Jordan’s all-time record against Orlando, which happened in 1993.

The Nets, who were fined $50,000 this week as an organization for allowing Irving to enter the locker room at the Barclays Center during Sunday’s game against the New York Knicks in violation of New York City law and health and safety protocols, led 116-89 after three quarters.

Orlando, which lost three of four games to Brooklyn this season, was led by Cole Anthony’s 19 points and seven assists. Wendell Carter, Jr. posted 18 points and seven rebounds, Moe Wagner had 17 points and Franz Wagner scored 16 points. — Reuters

Stephen Loman vs Shoko Sato beef up ONE X card

ONE Championship is swinging for the fences to make ONE X its biggest show in history. That said, the entire card has been divided into three parts, with five world championships on the line.

But the stacked event has gotten even better with the addition of an intriguing bantamweight clash between No. 3-ranked contender Stephen “The Sniper” Loman and Shoko Sato.

The Filipino warrior entered the division’s rankings after defeating Yusup “Maestro” Saadulaev during his debut at ONE: Winter Warriors II.

With less than a minute left in the first round, the wushu sanda specialist from Baguio City landed a counter left punch that sent the Russian crashing to the canvas. Referee Olivier Coste stopped the fight immediately as Saadulaev was dealing with the impact of that thunderous strike.

That victory made him the third-ranked bantamweight in The Home of Martial Arts, behind former ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes and “Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il.

On the other hand, 34-year-old Mr. Sato has a 3-1 record and a 100 percent finish rate at ONE. He defeated Mark “Tyson” Abelardo, Rafael “Morcego” Silva, and Kwon before suffering a setback versus No, 4-ranked Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade at ONE: Unbreakable III.

The combatant from Sakaguchi Dojo hopes to return to the win column and improve his 35-17-3 career mixed martial arts record with a win over Mr. Loman. Expect an all-out striking war between the two bantamweights.

Mr. Loman, the 26-year-old competitor with a 15-2 MMA record, is the third Team Lakay member who will compete in ONE’s tenth-anniversary event. In part one of the historic show, strawweight Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang will face compatriot Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado.

Likewise, two legends will clash in part three as Eduard “Landslide” Folayang will face John Wayne “The Gunslinger” Parr in a Muay Thai rules match. The former ONE Lightweight World Champion hopes to defeat the Australian in his retirement fight.

Also, No. 2-ranked atomweight Denice “Lycan Queen” Zamboanga will be seeking payback when she gets her rematch against No. 3-ranked Ham Seo Hee. The bout was bound to happen after the Marrok Force mainstay suffered a controversial loss to the South Korean in their ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix quarterfinal match.

Gov’t demanded tax payments from Marcoses

EX-PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand E. Marcos and his family at the presidential palace on the day of his 1965 inaugural. — MALACANANG.GOV.PH

THE PHILIPPINE government in December asked the heirs of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos to pay billions of pesos in estate and income taxes from the 1980s, according to the nation’s tax agency.

“The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) did send a written demand letter to the Marcos heirs on Dec. 2, 2021 regarding their tax liabilities,” Internal Revenue Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay said in a letter to Aksyon Demokratiko party on March 14.

Aksyon Demokratiko Chairman Ernesto M. Ramel, Jr. inquired and asked the BIR this month whether it had demanded payment from the Marcoses of their tax deficiencies, including estate and income taxes. The party gave reporters a copy of the BIR reply on Wednesday.

Aksyon Demokratiko is the political party of Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” M. Domagoso, who is running against Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. in this year’s presidential race.

BIR Deputy Commissioner Arnel SD. Guballa did not immediately reply to a text message asking for a copy of the BIR demand letter.

Mr. Ramel also sought clarification from the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) on March 9 whether the government had reached a deal on the taxes.

If there was indeed a deal, PCGG must disclose the details because these are a “matter of public interest,” he said. “If your answer is ‘No,’ then this is another proof that the camp of Marcos, Jr. has again lied as they always do in so many issues about their family, including their ill-gotten wealth.”

He earlier said the Marcos family’s refusal to settle the taxes is a clear demonstration of “abuse of power, disregard for the laws enforced by the government and lack of respect for citizens who religiously pay the taxes imposed on them.”

Marcos lawyer and spokesman Victor D. Rodriguez did not immediately reply to a text message seeking comment.

He earlier said the pieces of property subject to the tax were still under litigation. He also said PCGG and BIR had agreed to wait for a decision on the case before collections were enforced.

“This is a very good asset, this is a huge amount of money that can be used for cash aid for the people,” Mr. Domagoso said in a video streamed live on Facebook.

PCGG, the agency created in the 1980s to recover ill-gotten wealth of the dictator and his cronies, on March 11 said there was a “verbal understanding” between it and BIR to collect estate taxes on all Marcos assets except those that had been seized by the government, as well as Swiss funds in escrow.

“It may not be accurate to state that the said agreement was ‘to determine with accuracy the fair and just tax base to be used in computing estate taxes, if any’ because as early as 1993, BIR already executed its final assessment when it levied and sold 11 real properties in Tacloban City,” it said in reply to Mr. Ramel’s inquiries.

PCGG said BIR in 1991 assessed the estate of Ferdinand Marcos P23.29 billion in estate taxes, P184.16 million in unpaid income taxes of Mr. Marcos and his wife Imelda for 1985 and 1986 and P20,410 in unpaid income taxes against the dictator for 1982 to 1985.

In 1993, BIR levied and auctioned off 11 Marcos properties in Tacloban after the family failed to file an administrative protest. The lots were awarded to the state in the absence of bidders, PCGG said.

The Supreme Court in 1997 denied a plea by Marcos, Jr. to void the levies as it ruled the tax assessments had become final and unappealable.

The P23-billion estate tax had ballooned to P203.8 billion due to interests and penalties after the Marcoses refused to pay it, Mr. Ramel said in a Viber message, citing computations by retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio T. Carpio in a Sept. 30, 2021 column for the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“Twenty-four years after the Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Appeals decision, the Marcos heirs still have not paid the estate tax,” Mr. Carpio said at that time.

The former magistrate has called the supposed agreement “wrong, a falsehood and laughable.” “There is no such thing,” he told GMA News last week, adding that the Supreme Court ruling on the case had become final.

The younger Mr. Marcos, who is leading in presidential opinion polls, was convicted in 1995 for failing to pay taxes from 1982 to 1985 when he was governor and vice governor of Ilocos Norte.

The dictator stole as much as $10 billion (P503 billion) from the Filipino people, according to government estimates, earning him a Guinness World Record for the “greatest robbery of a government.”

PCGG, created in 1987 to recover ill-gotten wealth of the family and their cronies, has recovered about P171 billion. — Norman P. Aquino and Jaspearl Emerald G. Tan

‘Innocent passage’ cited by China for navy ship intrusion

WIKIPEDIA

CHINA did not violate international law when a navy ship entered Philippine waters without permission on Jan. 29 to Feb. 1, its Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday evening.

“The Chinese naval vessel’s sailing through Philippine waters was an exercise of the right of innocent passage pursuant to UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea),” according to a transcript of Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian’s news briefing posted on the agency’s website.

“The Chinese passage was safe and standard, and consistent with international law and international practice. We hope relevant parties can view it in an objective and rational manner,” he added.

The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday summoned Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian over its navy’s intrusion in the Sulu Sea.

The vessel had reached the Cuyo Group of Islands in Palawan province and Apo Island in Mindoro, it said in a statement. Philippine Navy vessel BRP Antonio Luna challenged the ship, which responded by saying it was exercising innocent passage.

China violated international law when People’s Liberation Army Navy electronic reconnaissance ship ignored orders from the Philippine Navy for them to leave immediately, Foreign Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary Gonar B. Musor told reporters via WhatsApp on Monday.

DFA said its movements did not follow a track that could be considered continuous and expeditious, lingering in the Sulu Sea for three days.

In 2019, a Chinese aircraft carrier, the CV-16 Liaoning, had also passed through the Philippines’ Sibutu Passage — a narrow sea lane between the main island of Tawi-Tawi and Sibutu Island — without notice.

In April, DFA summoned Mr. Huang due to the lingering presence of Chinese ships around the Whitsun Reef, locally known as Julian Felipe, and other maritime zones of the country.

Retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio T. Carpio had called the Chinese out for its double standard, saying it was ironic that in their country, the right of innocent passage could only be exercised with prior notice, but the same regard was not given to its neighbors.

He was referring to China’s repeated acts of driving away vessels and planes passing through territories in the South China Sea that it claims.

A United Nations-backed tribunal in 2016 rejected China’s claim to more than 80% of the South China Sea based on a 1940s map. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Robredo support from PDP-Laban official ‘personal’

PCOO

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has yet to endorse his preferred successor, his spokesman said on Wednesday after an administration ally claimed that he received a presidential blessing to endorse the candidacy of Vice-President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo.

The president won’t support anyone in the presidential race “unless there is a compelling reason,” his spokesman Jose Ruperto Martin M. Andanar told a news briefing on Wednesday.

He said Eastern Samar Governor Ben P. Evardone, PDP-Laban Vice President for the Visayas, endorsed Ms. Robredo in his personal capacity.

Mr. Evardone on Monday endorsed Ms. Robredo, citing the qualifications set by Mr. Duterte himself. 

“We are not sure if that is the official stand of PDP-Laban and the officers of PDP-Laban,” Mr. Andanar said, adding that Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi, the president of Mr. Duterte’s party, is in the best position to answer that.

Ms. Robredo would welcome Mr. Duterte’s endorsement provided that it’s not based on political favors, her spokesman Ibarra M. Gutierrez III said.

“She said if that happens, she will welcome it provided that it’s not a transactional arrangement,” he told CNN Philippines. “In other words, it’s not an endorsement in exchange for something else.”

Mr. Duterte at the weekend said the next president should be a lawyer who is compassionate and decisive.

Ms. Robredo and Jose Montemayor, Jr. are the only lawyers among the 10 presidential candidates for the May 2022 elections.

On Monday, Mr. Evardone said the President’s remarks on the traits of his successor was “a virtual endorsement” of Ms. Robredo.

The ruling PDP-Laban has been divided by in-fighting, with two factions claiming leadership over the party. Senator and boxing champion Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao, who is running for president, claims to be the rightful party president.

He was ousted last year by the faction led by Mr. Cusi.

Meanwhile, former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. said he was not worried that Mr. Duterte preferred a lawyer to become his successor.

“He found that his legal training to be of use, and that’s why he’s saying that,” he told an online forum.

Mr. Duterte last month said he would not endorse the presidential bid of Mr. Marcos even if he’s the running mate of his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

The tough-talking leader, who canceled his vice-presidential bid last year, also said he would not endorse any presidential candidate. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

No further easing of restrictions until all areas reach Alert Level 1 — DoH

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

THE PHILIPPINE government would further relax restrictions once all parts of the country are placed under the lowest coronavirus alert level, a health official said on Wednesday. 

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire said the entire country should be under Alert Level 1 before regulations are again adjusted.  

“The status below Alert Level 1 will be imposed when all areas in the country — all provinces, highly-urbanized cities, and independent component cities — deescalate to Alert Level 1,” she said at a Palace news conference.  

Ms. Vergeire said any status lower than Alert Level 1 will be declared for the entire country and not per area. 

“When we talk about the next level after Alert Level 1, we’re considering it not per area but for the whole country already,” she said in mixed English and Filipino. 

Ms. Vergeire said “Alert Level 0,” which was first mentioned by the country’s health chief, is not yet an official term for the government’s pandemic task force.  

Under Alert Level 1, practically all mobility restrictions are lifted while minimum health protocols such as wearing of face mask are still implemented. 

She said the government will review if there is still a need for dedicated beds for coronavirus patients in hospitals, quarantine facilities in local areas, and surveillance on testing. 

Ms. Vergeire said on Tuesday that almost all areas in the country were now at low risk from the coronavirus. 

The government earlier placed Metro Manila and 47 other areas under Level 1 from March 16 to 31. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Duterte: Gov’t needs income from online cockfighting operations

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte on Tuesday night rejected calls to suspend online cockfighting operations in the country, saying the popular game is a major source of income for the government. 

Mr. Duterte said suspending electronic sabong (e-sabong), the Filipino term for cockfighting, would significantly decrease government revenues. 

“I took my time and did not issue an order immediately to suspend its operations because of the income that the government derives from allowing this kind of game to go online in public,” he said in mixed English and Filipino at a taped Cabinet meeting. 

Several lawmakers have been calling for the suspension of the popular game after the reported disappearances of small-time online cockfighters over the past few months. 

Mr. Duterte said he once “hated” gambling but he needs to allow it because the government benefits from it. 

“It is good because the government allows it,” he said. “If it’s bad…you cannot look for a rationale to justify it.” 

The President asked lawmakers to respect his decision because the government is “short of money”. 

Andrea D. Domingo, chief of the country’s gaming regulator, told Mr. Duterte that the government was able to collect about P3.69 billion from the operations of eight e-sabong licensees from April to December last year. 

She added there was a collection of about P1.37 billion from the operations of seven licensees from January to March 15 this year.  

Ms. Domingo also reported that the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation has suspended two of eight e-sabong operators due to failure to comply with their financial obligations. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Fuel subsidy distribution has started — LTFRB

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

THE LAND Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Wednesday said the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) has started distributing the fuel subsidy for public transport operators and drivers. 

For tricycle and delivery drivers, LTFRB said they are still waiting for the list of beneficiaries from the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Trade and Industry. 

Tricycles are regulated by local governments while delivery drivers are under private companies. 

“They are not covered by the LTFRB regulatory powers, but the agency will help facilitate the distribution,” it said in a statement in a mix of English and Filipino.  

Mar S. Valbuena, president of the transport group Samahang Manibela Mananakay at Nagkaisang Terminal ng Transportasyon, said in a phone interview that the challenge now is that the LTFRB’s database “is not updated.” 

“Some operators can’t be given a subsidy card due to the franchise still named under their previous owners,” he said in Filipino. 

Mr. Valbuena also said that the P6,500 fuel subsidy is only good for one week for the UV Express type of public transport. “We consume P1,200 a day for an average of 150 kilometers compared with P700 previously.”  

He said they are hoping that the government will lift the excise tax on fuel.   

He noted that around 30% to 40% of public utility vehicles or about 20,000 units have stopped operating as drivers no longer earn.  

“It’s the drivers’ choice,” he said, “Wala kaming panawagan na magtigil pasada (We have not called for a suspension of trips). It’s their decision.” 

Pump prices went up for an 11th straight week on Tuesday. Fuel retailers raised gasoline and diesel prices by P7.10 and P13.15 per liter, respectively.  

FARMERS, FISHERFOLK
Meanwhile, fuel subsidy for farmers and fisherfolk in Leyte, located in central Philippines, is also ready for distribution, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).   

“We will start distributing the fuel discount cards to qualified corn farmers and fisherfolk in Leyte, where each will receive a total subsidy of P3,000,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar at a virtual briefing. 

“To avail of the 30% discount on diesel or gasoline fuel, they should present their respective discount card or voucher to fuel stations accredited by the Department of Energy,” he said.  

The discount vouchers, which will be issued in partnership with the Development Bank of the Philippines, will be primarily for all farmers with machinery used in corn production from land preparation to postharvest activities, and for fishermen who own motorized boats registered with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. 

Rice farmers are not covered by the fuel subsidy program as they are already receiving P5,000 from the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance. 

The legislated P500-million fuel subsidy will initially benefit 158,730 corn farmers and fisherfolk nationwide.  

For the second tranche, Mr. Dar said President Rodrigo R. Duterte has approved an additional P600-million funding for the subsidy program. — Arjay L. Balinbin and Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson 

Comelec asked to conduct random sampling of ballots with observers 

PHILIPPINE STAR/ RUSSEL PALMA

AN ELECTION lawyer has asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to examine randomly selected ballots in the presence of representatives of political parties and candidates for the May 9 elections to test the security of the printing process. 

“These randomly selected ballots will be verified and examined by said representatives of the parties to determine if they contain all the security features as required by the law and will be fed into the vote counting-machines to find out if said ballots would be recognized by these machines,” lawyer Romulo B. Macalintal said in a letter to the Comelec en banc dated Mar. 16. 

He reiterated the request of presidential candidate Vice-President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo to let representatives observe the ballot printing, which is “disallowed in the meantime.”  

Comelec Commissioner Marlon S. Casquejo said on Tuesday that the printing process has been closed to observers due to the surge in coronavirus cases in January and mobility restrictions. 

“With due respect, we submit that the printing of the ballots without giving notice to the political parties and candidates is a violation of Section 187 of the Omnibus Election Code and related provisions thereof since they are entitled to send their watchers to witness the printing of these ballots,” Mr. Macalintal said. 

The Omnibus Election Code provides that the poll body should allow any designated representative to observe the printing, distribution, and similar proceedings related to the ballots upon the request of any candidate, political party, civic group, or any related organization. 

Mr. Casquejo said 73% or 49 million of the 67.4 million ballots have been printed as of Tuesday.  

Given the volume already printed, Mr. Macalintal said a transparency measure and compromise that could still be undertaken now is to provide candidates and political parties a full inventory of the ballots per province, city, and municipality, and allow observers during the remaining printing process. 

Comelec on Wednesday live-streamed the printing of the official ballots at the National Printing Office on its Facebook page. — John Victor D. Ordoñez 

Lacson eyes public service delivery scheme; Anakpawis seeks presidential candidates’ support on oil price relief measures 

SENATOR Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson, Sr. said on Wednesday that he will order government officials to launch initiatives that will bring services directly to the communities if he wins as president.  

“It is the government offices that go to the people instead of people having to go to the government offices to avail of services,” he said in Filipino in a statement. 

The presidential aspirant said he found this governance scheme as a solution to public concerns after holding consultations with communities, including those in far-flung areas. 

Mr. Lacson said he learned about such an initiative through a program implemented by Tuguegarao City Mayor Jefferson P. Soriano. 

“Senate President (Vicente) Sotto and I have been looking for solutions to the country’s problems and we learn whenever we hold consultations,” Mr. Lacson said. “Tough problems call for tough solutions from tough leaders, and Senate President Sotto and I are tough leaders.” 

Robredo
Meanwhile, Anakpawis Party-list said it will be staging a protest on Thursday in front of the House of Representatives to call for a minimum wage increase to P750 as it called on presidential candidates to back their call.  

“The P350-500 minimum wage will really not be enough if the Living Family Wage reaches P1,000 every day,” Anakpawis Vice President Lana Linaban said in Filipino in a statement on Wednesday.  

“We hope that VP Leni (Robredo) and other candidates join us in supporting concrete measures to bring relief to those at the bottom.” 

“We call on the legislators to expedite hearings and immediately pass legislative measures on wage increases,” she added. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan and Jaspearl Emerald G. Tan 

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