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Duterte daughter top bet for president — Pulse Asia poll

PCOO

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and her father President Rodrigo R. Duterte topped the list of Filipinos’ choices for president and vice president at next year’s elections, according to a poll by Pulse Asia Research, Inc.

In a statement, the polling firm said 28% of Filipinos would vote for Ms. Carpio for President, while 18% would choose Mr. Duterte for vice president.

Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso III was the second choice for president, with 14% of Filipinos saying they would vote for him.

Mr. Domagoso was followed by former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. (13%), and Senators Mary Grace S. Poe-Llamanzares (10%) and Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao (8%).

Vice President Maria Leonor G. Robredo placed sixth with 6% of respondents willing to vote for her. She was followed by Senators Panfilo M. Lacson (4%), Christopher Lawrence T. Go (3%), former Vice President Jejomar C. Binay, Sr. (2%), Taguig Rep. Alan Peter C. Cayetano (2%), and former Senator Antonio F. Trillanes (2%).

More than 60% of respondents in Mindanao backed the candidacy of Ms. Carpio, whose rating in Metro Manila was 16%. Mr. Moreno and Mr. Marcos scored 23% and 22%, respectively, in the capital region.

For the most preferred vice presidential bets, Mr. Duterte was followed by Mr. Moreno (14%), Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III (10%), Mr. Marcos (10%) and Mr. Pacquiao (9%). — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

House bill seeks to expedite marriage annulment proceedings

CONGRESS.GOV.PH
CONGRESS.GOV.PH

A BILL has been filed at the House of Representatives seeking to hasten the dissolution and annulment of marriage by taking the process out of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).

Under House Bill 9774 or the Family Law Reform Act of 2021, filed on July 5, the roles of the OSG in such family law cases will be transferred to the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).

Bohol Rep. Kristine Alexie B. Tutor, the bill’s author, said once signed into law, all marriage annulment cases with the OSG will be transferred to the PAO and the DSWD.

The department will be required to create a Family Relations Welfare Office to serve as staff support to the PAO to immediately cover the social services aspect of the cases.   

The PAO, meanwhile, will create a Special Branch for Family Law to handle the cases.

The bill “sets a timeline of up to 360 working days for the hearing and resolution of annulment and other Family Law cases: 180 days at the Family Court and 180 days on appeal,” Ms. Tutor explained in a news release on Tuesday.

It also sets “fifteen days for the religious authorities, the office of the civil registrar, and the Philippine Statistics Authority to record the annulment or dissolution of marriage in the official government records.”

It further authorizes an agreement between the PAO and IBP to allow the lawyers’ group to assign members who will work for free in such cases to address the PAO’s lack of manpower.

Two Catholic bishops of Talibon and Tagbilaran, both in Bohol, have expressed support for the Family Law Reform Act of 2021, acknowledging the “painful reality of invalid marriages” and the “advantages” of church annulment being recognized.”

The religious leaders said the three main advantages of the bill are providing mercy for victims of marriages that are invalid from the start, access to annulment and marriage dissolution for poor couples, and avoidance of unnecessary procedural duplication. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago 

SC warns makers, sellers of items with unauthorized Supreme Court seal

PHILSTAR

THE SUPREME Court (SC) warned manufacturers and sellers of items with unauthorized seal of the High Court, saying they face imprisonment for the illegal activity.

The warning came after reports of the sale of identification cards, lanyards, car stickers, emblems, and license plates with the court’s seal and/or badge through online platforms.

In its resolution dated June 15 and published on July 9, the High Court warned that those who will produce, sell, or distribute such merchandise will be criminally prosecuted under Article 179 of the Revised Penal Code.

Article 179 states that “any person who shall publicly and improperly make use of insignia, uniforms or dress pertaining to an office not held by such person or to a class of persons of which he is not a member” will be imprisoned from one month and one day to six months.

The Supreme Court further directed all individuals currently producing, selling, or distributing such items to immediately stop, or they will be charged with indirect contempt of court punishable by a maximum fine of P30,000 or imprisonment of up to six months, or both.

The court’s Office of Administrative Services (OAS) was instructed to strictly monitor and regulate these illegal activities.

The court will also be giving a copy of the resolution to the head offices of online shopping platforms such as Shopee Philippines, Inc. and Lazada Group Philippines.

The resolution will take effect after its publication in two general circulation newspapers. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

Manila City gov’t to penalize offices that fail to automate transactions

MANILA.GOV.PH

THE CITY of Manila is automating government transactions and digitizing all transactional documents in all its offices as part of its pandemic-response efforts.

The local government passed an ordinance on June 14 establishing the automation of transactions through the internet and the digitization of transactional documents in all departments, offices, bureaus, and agencies under the city government.

All units covered are required to establish an automated or online process of conducting official transactions.

Digitized transactional documents should be “deemed to possess and retain the exact integrity of original transactional documents in physical paper form” and should “possess the same value and binding effect,” according to the city ordinance.

Failure to comply with the ordinance’s provisions will result in fines ranging from P2,000 to P3,000.

Aside from failure to comply with the required automation and digitization of transactions, the ordinance also penalizes theft, deletion, substitution or alteration of transactional documents, and the unauthorized transmission or sharing of digitized transactional documents.

In a statement in April, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said cities and municipalities were directed to transition to an electronic business one-stop-shop.

The DICT said the online portal’s functions must include online or electronic submission of application; electronic issuance of tax bill or order of payment; online payments; and issuance of electronic versions of permits, licenses, and clearances; among others. — Arjay L. Balinbin

PRC urged to set up more satellite venues for licensure exams

NURSING graduates get a briefing before taking the Nursing Licensure Exam in Zamboanga City on July 3. Elmeir E. Apolinario, head of the city task force handling the coronavirus response, said the exams were successfully conducted with close coordination of various local units and the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) to ensure the observance of health safety protocols. He said the city is ready to host other licensure exams. — ZAMBOANGA CITY PIO

A SENATOR on Tuesday urged the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) to consider more satellite venues for its board examinations scheduled this year to address financial and mobility concerns of aspiring professionals amid the prolonged pandemic.

The PRC should establish satellite testing venues in provinces where there are over 100 examinees, Senator Juan Edgardo E. Angara said in a press release, noting that local government units can support the program “by providing the venues for the exams and the personnel needed for this purpose.”

“By doing this, the cost should not be too much on the part of the (national) government,” Mr. Angara, chair of the Senate finance committee, said.

“Licensure examinations are held at the regional offices of the PRC and for many of those who will take the exam, this means traveling long distances from their home provinces. Apart from the cost of transportation, they will also have to look for accommodations and because of the pandemic, undergo COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) testing,” he said.

The licensure exams for teachers and doctors are scheduled for September. The professional exams for nurses and criminologists are scheduled for November and December, respectively.

“If we can produce more of our frontliners during this pandemic then we should find ways to make this happen. Setting up satellite exam venues is one small way we can help in this effort,” he said.

Philippine officials last week had misgivings over Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III’s idea of scrapping licensure exams for certain professions.

The country’s commission on higher education has said the idea should be based on empirical data. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Northern Samar provincial gov’t holding parallel probe on anomalous vaccine use

NORTHERN SAMAR PIO

THE PROVINCIAL government of Northern Samar said it welcomes the involvement of national agents in the investigation of the alleged anomalous transfer of coronavirus vaccines to a politician’s house.

“The provincial leadership will respect the course and outcome of the investigation and shall rely on the sound disposition of those entrusted with the process,” the local government said in a statement released late Monday.

Following a directive from Governor Edwin O. Ongchuan, the provincial health office has created an investigation committee that is conducting a probe parallel to that of the provincial board.

“This is a testament to the commitment of the provincial government to uphold integrity, honesty, and professionalism of all its officials and employees, while at the same time acting in accordance with the implementing rules and regulations of R.A. 7305 or The Magna Carta for Public Health Workers,” it said.

The provincial government also gave assurance of objectivity “in the treatment of the issue and will not tolerate any abuse of authority or breach of the protocols.”

A female doctor allegedly took 15 doses of SinoVac vaccines from the Northern Samar Provincial Hospital’s facility and brought these to the unnamed politician where members of the household were given the jab.

While the investigations are ongoing, the provincial government said the vaccination program “continues despite this setback.”

As of July 10, the province has received 57,084 vaccine doses, the second highest in the Eastern Visayas Region after Leyte with 67,120.

Of the total allocation, Northern Samar has administered 71.7% or 33,344 out of 46,502 for the first dose, and 58.8% or 12,352 of 21,012 for the second dose.

The region has since took delivery of additional SinoVac and Pfizer vaccines supply.

Northern Samar has a population of 639,186 as of the 2020 census. — MSJ 

Financial incentives for Olympic Games medal winners expand

Pole-vaulter EJ Obiena to be replaced as flag-bearer

AN expanded set of financial incentives awaits Filipino athletes who will win medals in the Tokyo Olympics.

This was announced by Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham N. Tolentino in his session on the online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday.

The POC head said that aside from the P10 million (gold), P5 million (silver) and P2 million (bronze) that the MVP Sports Foundation of Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP) and the government will each hand out to medal winners, businessman Ramon S. Ang has also pledged to give the same amount in addition.

“I officially announce, and we thank, Mr. Ramon Ang of San Miguel who committed the same amount as the MVP group for incentives for our Olympic athletes,” said Mr. Tolentino.

The development brings to date the total financial incentives to P30 million for the gold medal winner, P15 million for silver and P6 million for bronze.

Mr. Tolentino expressed hope that the expanded incentives inspire the Philippine athletes to perform well in the rescheduled Olympics, happening from July 23 to Aug. 8, including winning the country’s first-ever gold medal.

The Philippines will be represented in the Tokyo Games by 19 athletes set to play in 11 sports.

Meanwhile, Mr. Tolentino also shared that because of an availability issue, pole-vaulter EJ Obiena will be replaced as the male flag-bearer for the Philippines in the Olympic Opening Ceremonies.

He said because of the new guidelines of organizers, which include requiring flag-bearers to be in Tokyo 48 hours before the opening, Mr. Obiena is a no-go.

Mr. Obiena will be coming from his camp in Italy and will arrive on July 23 itself, hours before the ceremonies.

While they can try to ask for an exemption, Mr. Tolentino said, considering the expected queue in processing in the airport, Mr. Obiena may not still make it on time for the opening event.

The POC is expected to announce a replacement, who will be joining judoka Kiyomi Watanabe as flag-bearer, on Wednesday or Thursday.

In the opening, only the flag-bearers can join six sports officials from their respective countries in the Parade of Nations as part of strict health and safety protocols against the coronavirus.

In a related development, the first batch of Team Philippines officials will leave for Tokyo on Wednesday to set up office in preparation for the arrival of the athletes and other officials.

Among those leaving is Philippine Chef de Mission Mariano V. Araneta. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Djokovic to reach 25 majors after Wimbledon triumph — McEnroe

SERBIA’S Novak Djokovic kisses the trophy as he celebrates after winning his final match against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini. — REUTERS

LONDON — Novak Djokovic’s ability to play his best tennis under pressure can help him win at least five more Grand Slam titles, John McEnroe said after the world No. 1 tied Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal’s record with his 20th major at Wimbledon on Sunday.

The 34-year-old Serb beat Italian seventh seed Matteo Berrettini (6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3) in the final and McEnroe, a seven-times major winner, told the BBC he was “playing better than he’s ever played.”

“I think he’ll probably win at least four or five more… depending on staying healthy,” added the American.

“He’s put himself so far out in front of everyone in terms of his ability to embrace what he’s doing — in terms of creating history — and being able to execute under a lot of stress.

“You’re trying to break the all-time records — there’s a lot of pressure. He’s able to play his best tennis at this point. You expect that to go on for another couple of years, unless someone steps up and realizes how great they are.”

Djokovic’s coach and ex-Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanišević said the debate over the Greatest Player of All Time (GOAT) could be settled if the Serb wins the US Open and completes the calendar Grand Slam.

Rod Laver was the last man to win all four majors in a single year in 1969.

“He’s the only guy who can win four in a row in the same year,” Ivanišević told British media. “If he wins the US Open, it (the GOAT debate) is over.” — Reuters

First-time PHL Olympians seek to make an impact

(CLOCKWISE from top left) Rower Cris Nievarez, swimmers Remedy Rule and Luke Gebbie, and taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa are out to make an impact in their Olympic debut.

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

EIGHTEEN of the 19 athletes who will represent the Philippines in the rescheduled Olympics this year are first-timers, and all are out to make an impact in one form or another in their initial foray in the Tokyo Games.

Among these athletes are rower Cris Nievarez, swimmers Remedy Rule and Luke Gebbie, and taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa.

The four are all excited to get their respective campaigns going in the Olympics, happening from July 23 to Aug. 8, just as they admit a tough road lies ahead for them.

Mr. Nievarez, 25, was one of the first athletes to book a spot in the quadrennial Games in the second wave of Filipino qualifiers along with weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz and boxers Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam.

He got his ticket to compete in the men’s single sculls in May after seeing action in the 2021 World Rowing Asia Oceania Continental Qualification Regatta in Tokyo.

The Quezon province native did not have a podium finish in the qualifiers but still got the nod after other events where he competed in were considered as well.

In the Olympics, aside from going as deep as possible in his event and contending for medals, important for Mr. Nievarez, too, is to showcase Philippine rowing on the world stage through his performance.

“One of my goals is for Philippine rowing to be highlighted in top-class international competitions like the Olympics, for our flag to be represented along with the best in the world,” said Mr. Nievarez in Filipino in his recent session on the online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.

“I will try my best. I’m training hard, trying to improve so I can compete better,” he added.

Philippine rowing will be represented in the Olympics once again after two decades when Benjamin Tolentino competed in the men’s single sculls in 2000 in the Sydney Olympics.

Mr. Nievarez incidentally will be the first Filipino athlete to see action in Tokyo, beginning his campaign on July 23.

Swimmer Rule, meanwhile, is looking forward to pitting her skills against the best in the world in the 200m butterfly and freestyle events.

Ms. Rule earned a spot in the Olympics, along with Mr. Gebbie, by being awarded universality places by the International Swimming Federation.

She is currently in the wind-up of her preparation and is out to make a solid splash in her debut Olympic bid.

“I have done the bulk of the work. Now, it is about fine-tuning the mental game,” Ms. Rule shared to Tiebreaker Times’ Midlife Halftime, referring to where she is now in her training.

The Filipino-American swimmer went on to say that the Tokyo Olympics is a competition like no other she has experienced before, making her all the more motivated.

“I want to finish my races knowing I gave it my all, that I did my best, enjoyed racing at the pinnacle of my sport, and made my country proud. It’s time to have fun doing what I love in this Olympic dream that I have had for so long!” she said.

Competitive showing is also what national swimmer Gebbie is targeting just as he expressed hope that through their campaign in Tokyo, more Filipino swimmers will be inspired to dream big and go for it.

Filipino-Australian Gebbie will see action in the 100m and 50m freestyle events.

Taekwondo’s Barbosa, for his part, is savoring the journey of becoming the first Filipino male taekwondo jin to play in the Olympics since Tshomlee Go in 2008 in Beijing.

He shared that while he is happy to qualify for the Olympics, the campaign does not stop in qualification and that now he needs to prove that he belongs to compete against the top players in the world.

Mr. Barbosa, who competed for National University, started doing taekwondo at an early age and is proud to have reached the standing where he is now in the sport.

“It is such an honor to represent our beloved country, we will continue bringing pride on our flag,” he wrote on a Facebook post.

Mr. Barbosa will be competing in the men’s -59 kg division.

Reflective Phoenix Suns shift focus, eye rebound in Game 4

MILWAUKEE — Suns forward Jae Crowder’s homecoming game was memorable for a lot of reasons.

The former Marquette standout returned to Wisconsin on Sunday for Game 3 of the NBA Finals with Phoenix leading 2-0 and delivered his best game of the series with six 3-point field goals. He was also on the wrong side of a series of Giannis Antetokounmpo highlights, including a personal seven-point run in the second quarter.

For the first time in the Finals, the Suns rose in Milwaukee on Monday wondering what the rebound feels like.

“Whenever we win, we don’t get too high. You just move on to the next one,” said Crowder, who was also served a technical late in the game after one physical exchange with Antetokounmpo, who has back-to-back 40-point games. “You have a loss, you do the same. You got to do it with more focus, obviously. But I’ve been preaching that. That’s all. That’s my message, is just respond to it in the right way and do it collectively and we’ll be fine.”

Crowder said the Suns are shifting their focus and reminding one another character wins this time of year.

“We’ll be fine. We’re going to watch film, going to talk this out. Going to man up to it,” Crowder said. “Coach is going to do a good job of showing what went wrong. We got to man up and do what we’ve been doing all year: just respond to it, respond to a defeat, respond to things not going our way. Like you said, we have been doing it all year. So it’s no change now.”

Suns coach Monty Williams spent more time counseling than coaching in the second half of Game 3.

He consoled Devin Booker, who suffered a three-of-14 shooting night in defeat, and reminded DeAndre Ayton to keep his eyes focused forward. Ayton was saddled with foul trouble, souring his strong start with 16 points in 14 minutes. And he debated 36-year-old point guard Chris Paul on the sideline during the fourth quarter, when the Bucks ballooned their lead to 20 and beyond.

Williams encouraged all of them to leave the Game 3 loss and go get the next one.

“Just regroup, refocus, go over film and respond,” Booker said. “We’re on the road and we have to come in with the energy and effort. Like you said, the 50/50 balls, the offensive rebounds, protect the paint — just the details that we talked about. But that’s what the playoffs is. That’s why it’s a series, and we have some room for improvement.”

Paul had nine assists in Game 3 and moved up another spot on the all-time postseason assist list. He passed Kobe Bryant in Game 2 and moved ahead of Scottie Pippen on Sunday into ninth place with 1,050 postseason assists.

Next on the list? Former Suns great Steve Nash, head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, is currently 11 assists ahead of Paul and one behind Larry Bird. Bird is seventh with 1,062 assists.

Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer plans to continue to find spots to play Bobby Portis, a high-energy sub who draws chants and ovations from the home crowd with screens, second-effort rebounds and chippy exchanges with opponents. Portis went chest-to-chest with Crowder as Budenholzer removed Portis from the game on Sunday. — Reuters

Medical service unit takes spotlight in national sports summit

THE final batch of sessions for the National Sports Summit 2021 starts on Wednesday with Dr. Pilar Elena Villanueva underscoring the importance of the Philippine Sports Commission’s (PSC) Medical Scientific Athletes Service Unit for the national team and sports in general.

Dr. Villanueva, a medical consultant of the PSC, will discuss the services offered by MSAS, and how the unit actively partners with the national athletes and coaches in bringing an advanced sports science development in Philippine sports.

“We want our stakeholders to understand what we do and impart these services and learnings to them, especially in the field of sports science, as we near the end of the first phase of the Summit,” said PSC Chairman William Ramirez.

Before being a resource speaker for Session 21, Dr. Villanueva was also involved in the sports science programs of the PSC, from seminars about “First Aid in Sports” and other topics that encouraged sports stakeholders to seek sports science and sports medicine, enough to ensure the expansion of grassroots sports.

Dr. Villanueva is one of the founding members of the Sports Nutrition Association of the Philippines and is also a school physician at the University of Santo Tomas.

The online PSC summit is aimed at taking insights of different sports stakeholders and using them as foundations in crafting a sustainable and workable short to long-term plan for Philippine sports.

The PSC said all data gathered from the web series will be processed and studied to create a new set of resolutions to be presented to sports leaders for action.

Team USA loses again, drops Olympic exhibition to Australia

TEAM USA started its Olympic exhibition run with a second consecutive stunning loss Monday, falling to Australia (91-83) in Las Vegas.

The defeat comes two days after Team USA’s first-ever loss to an African nation, when the Americans fell 90-87 to Nigeria.

Patty Mills of the San Antonio Spurs led the Boomers with 22 points on nine-for-21 shooting, with Joe Ingles (Utah Jazz) adding 17 points and three 3-pointers. Australia also received 12 points and three steals from Matisse Thybulle of the Philadelphia 76ers and 11 points from Aussie league veteran Chris Goulding.

Damian Lillard scored 22 points for Team USA, going six-for-11 from 3-point range. Kevin Durant contributed 17 points in 28 minutes and Bradley Beal scored 12 on just six shots in 32 minutes. Jayson Tatum recorded just eight points on 4-for-12 shooting, misfiring on all six of his 3-point tries.

Defense was the biggest issue for the US, which shot 46.2 percent from the floor compared to 52.9 percent (36-for-68) for Australia. Team USA was also outrebounded 32-25.

The US squad went with a couple new starters against Australia, with Draymond Green and Jerami Grant joining All-Stars Durant, Lillard and Beal in the opening lineup.

Team USA came out firing and held a 27-24 lead after one quarter, and built the advantage to nine points at 46-37 by half time. But Australia outscored the Americans (32-18) in the third quarter, and although Team USA fought back to take a fourth-quarter lead, Mills scored 10 of his points in the final period to spur the upset.

The Americans are losers of consecutive games for the first time since professionals began representing the country in 1992. — Reuters

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