No intent to squeeze out PUV operators in PSA amendments — Poe

May 5, 2022 | 8:05 pm

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Senior Reporter

AMENDMENTS to the Public Service Act (PSA) were not specifically designed to force small-scale transport operators out of the industry, the author of the amendments said.

Senator Mary Grace Natividad S. Poe-Llamanzares, primary author and sponsor of the measure, said that “framers of the new Public Service Act… did not, in any way, intend to exclude natural persons from operating or managing” PUVs.

In a statement issued to BusinessWorld, Ms. Poe cited legal interpretations that took into account “The spirit rather than the letter of the law.”

“A statute must be read according to its spirit or intent, for what is within the spirit is within the statute although it is not within its letter, and that which is within the letter but not within the spirit is not within the statute,” she said.

Ms. Poe was queried about her views on the amendments in the wake of a newspaper column raising the possibility that operator licensing for public utility vehicles such as jeepneys, UV Express, mini buses, taxis, and tricycles could be closed to individuals.

In an April 26 BusinessWorld column, Mervin Kenneth C. Ignacio, an associate of the Corporate & Special Projects Department of the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices, said that the amended PSA, or Republic Act No. 11659, which opened some public services to full foreign ownership, also removed any reference to individuals being granted operating licenses.

He noted that under the amended Section 16 of the PSA, “individuals may no longer be granted a franchise for the operation, maintenance, or control” of Public Utility Vehicles (PUVs).

The old provision recognized “citizens of the Philippines” as eligible to hold operating permits for public services, including public utilities.

“A lot of (the) individual franchise holders are either the drivers themselves or operators of only a small number of vehicles. Further, with respect to public utility tricycles, unless they are operated by cooperatives, they are most likely operated by individuals,” Mr. Ignacio said.

He asked whether Congress intended to corporatize the operation, maintenance, and control of all PUVs.

In her statement, Ms. Poe said: “Even from a cursory reading of the law’s provisions, it is evident that certificates can be granted to natural persons, not only juridical persons. For one, measures were taken to protect the local tsuper and manongs, specifically by including PUVs under public utility,” she added.

Under the amended PSA, a service classified as a public utility remains subject to the 60-40 ownership restriction in favor of Filipino nationals.

“Further, the intent to not conflate the liberalization aspect with the franchise requirement is very clear from both the deliberations and the resulting statute,” Ms. Poe said.

“Congress took pains to expressly legislate under RA 11659, Section 4, amending Section 13 of the old PSA that ‘all public services, including those classified as public utilities, shall continue to be regulated and supervised by the relevant administrative agencies under existing laws,’” she added.

She said the PSA and its amendments “never excluded natural persons from the franchise requirement.”

Citing Section 13 of the original PSA, which the amendments do not repeal, she noted that the term “public service” covers “every person that now or hereafter may own, operate, manage, or control…”

“Section 13(c) states that ‘person’ includes ‘… every individual, … and whatever other persons or entities that may own or possess or operate public services,’” Ms. Poe said.

“That natural persons may still be granted franchises is evident in the criteria laid down by Congress under Sec. 13 (e) (1). The person or juridical entity regularly supplies and transmits and distributes to the public through a network a commodity or service of public consequence.”

“When read in conjunction with the amended Section 16(a), the proviso restricting grant of franchises and certificates to operate, manage, or control a public service to corporations organized in the Philippines should be read as a restriction upon grants to juridical persons, and not upon grants to natural persons.”

Asked to comment, Terry L. Ridon, convenor of infrastructure and investment think tank InfraWatchPH, said: “This is cute table-top legal analysis from big law firms, but certainly, the legislature did not intend to cover jeepneys, mini-buses and tricycles within the ambit of amendments of the Public Service Act.”

He said that Congress did not concern itself with putting small transport operators out of work especially during a pandemic.

“Although proponents of jeepney modernization may use this as a basis to remove individual operators from its franchise list, we are looking forward that the executive’s implementing rules will make clarifications on this specific matter,” he added.

Transport expert Rene S. Santiago said in a phone message: “I do not think that exclusion of natural persons was intentional, on the part of the authors of the bill.”

“SMEs (small- and medium-sized enterprises) are the dominant organization form for jeepneys and buses. Notwithstanding the order of DoTr (Department of Transportation) and LTFRB (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board), under the PUVM (Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program), to vanish individual ownership,” he added.

“The IRR (implementing rules and regulations), which has not been issued yet, should address the transition and possible confusion or ambiguity.”

At the same time, he noted that the revised Corporation Code now allows for one-person corporations.

Ms. Poe said: “We must always be guided by the intent of Sec. 16(a) which was to ensure that regulatory bodies would be better able to exercise jurisdiction over foreign-owned public services. This is not an issue with Filipino individuals.”

“As a final note, we must also remember that the issue of PUV fleet consolidation or corporatization is entirely separate from the PSA Amendments. This is a PUV Modernization issue for which the Senate Committee on Public Services continues to consult all stakeholders for a winning middle ground.”

She added that the PSA amendments “must be read as a whole and not piecemeal lest we run the risk of conjuring from thin air the problems that the PSA amendments sought to resolve in the first place.”

“The Philippine Senate and Congress passed the new Public Service Act in order to energize our industries. As such, the law should be read and interpreted to fulfill that mandate.”

Mar S. Valbuena, president of the transport group Samahang Manibela Mananakay at Nagkaisang Terminal ng Transportasyon, said in a phone interview that all stakeholders should be consulted before drafting the IRR to clarify these matters.

“Dapat magkaroon ng public consultation, wala munang IRR. Dapat i-clarify. Bago pa magkaroon nyan, ’yung mga stakeholders sana ay na-consult na. ’Yun ang makakabuti, kasi hindi naman sila ang nasa ground,” he said.

“Nagkakaroon lang ng consultations kapag nagra-rally na kami or nagrereklamo na kami.”

No disruption seen to SpaceX investment after administration steps down, DTI says

May 5, 2022 | 8:04 pm

SPACE EXPLORATION Technologies Corp.’s (SpaceX) decision to invest in the Philippines will not be affected by the upcoming change in government, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), which noted that the entry of Elon Musk-controlled company is governed by an executive order (EO) liberalizing the industry.

“Satellite services have been opened up by EO 127. Before this EO was issued, there was a franchise requirement for satellite services. But now, (the industry) has also been liberalized. There is no need for a franchise anymore,” Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said in a television interview on Thursday.

EO 127 was signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on March 10, 2021.

“The change in administration will not affect the (entry) of SpaceX,” Mr. Lopez said.

The Philippine general election will take place on May 9.

Mr. Lopez said SpaceX has yet to disclose its intended pricing for its satellite internet services, though he expects its price structure to be competitive.

“SpaceX will benefit areas that are not reached by existing telecommunication providers. The company will just install a dish and the service will be available,” Mr. Lopez said.

The DTI has said that SpaceX is hoping to install the first of three planned gateways before the end of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s term on June 30.

SpaceX provides internet service through low earth orbit satellite constellation Starlink. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Canada-ASEAN trade deal touted as gateway to North American markets

May 5, 2022 | 8:04 pm

The Tenth AEM-Canada Consultation — ASEAN

THE proposed Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Canada free trade agreement (ACANFTA) holds the potential to broaden Philippine goods’ access to North American markets, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.

Trade Assistant Secretary Allan B. Gepty said at a Tariff Commission virtual public consultation for the ACANFTA on Thursday that the Philippines lacks its own bilateral access to North America.

“Unlike other ASEAN member states who have existing FTAs with North American countries either bilaterally or through the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the Philippines has none that accords us with preferential treatment. Through ACANFTA, the Philippines will not only access Canadian markets, but also indirectly access lucrative markets of other countries in North America,” Mr. Gepty said.

Mr. Gepty said ACANFTA holds the potential to grow Philippine service exports to Canada, which is a net importer of services from the Philippines.

He said participation in the trade deal will open doors to products like desiccated coconut and processed food, while allowing the Philippines improved access to the fertilizer raw material potassium chloride, of which Canada is a major producer.

“I would say that… if you want to venture into the production of fertilizer, then Canada can be a good source of raw materials. We hope that we can encourage more investment in the production of fertilizer in the country to support our farmers,” Mr. Gepty said.

According to the DTI, Canada is the 18^th largest trading partner of the Philippines, with two-way shipments valued at $918.7 million, equivalent to 0.59% of the Philippines’ overall trade.

Philippine exports to Canada in 2020 amounted to $390.4 million, while imports were valued at $528.3 million.

In November, trade ministers of the ASEAN and Canada launched ACANFTA negotiations.

According to a feasibility study from 2018, the Philippines is projected to raise by 2.63% its gross domestic product (GDP), equivalent to $7.4 billion, after joining ACANFTA.

The study also projected ASEAN GDP to rise by 1.6% while Canada’s GDP will increase by 0.3% after signing up for ACANFTA. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

BIR amends rules for issuing GOCC tax clearances

May 5, 2022 | 8:04 pm

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said it amended the rules governing the issuance of tax clearance certificates as they relate to determining interim performance-based bonuses in government-owned or -controlled corporations (GOCCs).

In Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 67 issued on May 4, the BIR amended sections of RMC 32-2021, to insert provisions on large taxpayers, the verification of outstanding tax liabilities, and adjusting requirements.

Under the amended No. 3 section of General Policies, the tax compliance verification sheet for GOCCs (TCVS-GOCC), formerly only requested by the Accounts Receivable Monitoring Division (ARMD) of “the concerned Revenue District Office (RDO),” will now be requested of specific offices.

For regular large taxpayers, the TCVS-GOCC will be requested by the ARMD of the Large Taxpayers Assistance Division and the Large Taxpayers Document Processing and Quality Assurance Division (LTDPQAD).

For excise large taxpayers, the document will be requested of the Excise Large Taxpayers and Regulatory Division, as well as the LTDPQAD.

For large taxpayers registered under RDO No. 123 (Cebu) and RDO No. 127 (Davao), the requests will be made by their respective Large Taxpayers Divisions.

Additionally, the amended section No. 6 now states that applicants with outstanding accounts receivable/delinquent accounts but whose tax liabilities involved are the “subject of a pending application,” will be issued a Tax Clearance Certificate for GOCCs (TCC-GOCC) regardless.

However, the applicant must later issue an Affidavit of Undertaking and must fully pay the settlement or abatement of penalties, the BIR said.

A certificate of Outstanding Tax Liability/ies will now also be requested by the ARMD from the office for non-large taxpayers, and from the Large Taxpayers Collection Enforcement Division.

Meanwhile, alongside an accomplished and notarized application form for a TCC-GOCC, proof of payment of documentary stamp tax worth P30 is only required if it was paid electronically.

The RMC amendment also now requires applicants to submit two valid identification cards with three signatures of the authorized officer and corporate secretary of the GOCC.

Formerly, the applicants had to submit a Special Power of Attorney or authorization letter. Instead, this will now be used in order to claim an issued TCC-GOCC or a letter of denial, in the event the application is rejected. — Tobias Jared Tomas

Rice farmers urged to adjust seeding practices to raise yields

May 5, 2022 | 8:02 pm

seedling layer machine — PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) issued an advisory to farmers calling for adjustments to their seeding practices in order to realize improved yields.

PhilRice said that it recommends 40 kilograms (kg) of seed per hectare for transplanted rice and 60 to 80 kg per hectare for direct-seeded rice, assuming the adoption of high-quality seed varieties.

The seeding rate refers to the amount of rice seeds planted per hectare.

“When this is followed, rice plants grow healthier because they can receive sufficient sunlight and evenly absorb nutrients from the soil… This recommendation results in good yield and lower farm expenses,” PhilRice Chief Science Research Specialist Rizal G. Corales said in a statement.

PhilRice reported that the typical seeding rate is 200 to 250 kg per hectare, because farmers want a safety margin in case their fields are attacked by pests.

Mr. Corales said that planting beyond the recommended rate makes farmers spend more while resulting in insignificant yield gains.

“There are at least 1.6 million seeds in 40 kg. A one-hectare farm needs 750,000 seedlings, at 3 seedlings per hill. If high-quality seed has a germination rate of at least 85%, then 40 kg can produce 1.3 million seedlings. There could be around 600,000 extra seedlings that farmers can use for replanting in case pests cause damage,” he added.

PhilRice said the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program is implementing the recommended practice through its services.

“High-quality seed has a high germination rate. Farmers are assured that 40 kg is enough because most seeds will germinate. Farmers used to struggle in following the recommendation because they do not have access to high-quality seed,” Mr. Corales said.

“They source planting materials from their own harvests or from fellow farmers, so seeds did not undergo quality control. Now, access to high-quality is easier with the program,” he added.

The RCEF Seed Program also conducts technology demonstrations to show the effect of using the recommended seeding rate, alongside other modern technologies and practices.

Recommended farm machines include drum seeders, seed spreaders, precision spreaders, and drone seeder for direct seeding.

In a recent study, PhilRice reported that the 42 target provinces of the seed program showed that farmers reduced the amount of seeds they used to 86 kg during the dry season last year.

“We hope to further reduce the seeding rate with the use of farm machinery being used and showcased in various technology demonstration sites established nationwide,” Mr. Corales said.

“If farmers in RCEF’s target areas follow the recommendation, it would mean more farmers can be reached and more rice areas can be planted through the program. At most, our overall production can increase and there will be more sources of our country’s staple food,” PhilRice RCEF Program Management Office Head Flordeliza H. Bordey added.

The RCEF-Seed Program is a component of the Rice Tariffication Law, which allots P10-billion funds every year for rice farmers from rice tariff earnings. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

No palace advice on midnight posts — Comelec

May 5, 2022 | 7:43 pm

THE EXECUTIVE branch had not sought the approval of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s “midnight appointments,” according to an election commissioner.

“For midnight appointments, they have to seek an exception from Comelec,” Commissioner George Erwin M. Garcia told an online news briefing. “As far as I know, we have not received any yet.”

Under a Comelec resolution dated Dec. 16, government officials are barred from hiring new employees during the appointment ban from March 25 to May 8.

Mr. Duterte has appointed Lieutenant General Vicente D. Danao, Jr. acting police chief, the presidential palace said after the Comelec briefing.

Mr. Danao will replace General Dionardo B. Carlos, who will reach the mandatory retirement age of 56 on May 8, a day before election day. Mr. Carlos served for six months as police chief, while his replacement is set to retire next year.

Mr. Danao, who headed the regional police in the Calabarzon and National Capital Region, is the eighth police chief under the Duterte government.

“Danao’s taking over the helm of the Philippine National Police (PNP) is pivotal and timely especially at this time when the country is about to elect its new set of leaders during the national and local elections on Monday,” Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo M. Año said in a statement posted on the agency’s website.

“As officer-in-charge of the PNP, Danao’s first order of the day is to ensure that all security preparations are in place and all police units are mobilized and on alert so that the country will have peaceful, orderly and honest elections.”

Before the palace announcement of Mr. Danao’s appointment, Mr. Año told the same briefing the next police chief would only act as an officer-in-charge, citing the appointment ban under the 1987 Constitution.

Meanwhile, Mr. Garcia said senatorial and party-list winners might be proclaimed as early as May 15, while the winning local candidates would probably be proclaimed on the evening of election day on May 9, which Mr. Duterte on Thursday proclaimed a special nonworking holiday.

Congress will be the one to proclaim the new president and vice-president when it resumes session on May 23.

“Even before that, even after two or three days of voting, there will already be partial counts coming from citizens’ arms and media because they have access to our transparency server,” he added.

Meanwhile, Comelec has named PDP-Laban as the dominant majority party and the Nacionalista Party as the dominant minority party among 12 political parties for the May 9 elections.

Under an 11-page resolution issued on May 4, the watchers of the dominant parties will be given priority inside voting centers and access to election returns.

The election body chose the dominant parties based on the number of incumbent officials, organizational structure, the number of women candidates and their record in past elections.

The two factions of PDP-Laban were treated as one single political party, the election body said. Comelec has yet to decide on the intra-party dispute of the ruling PDP-Laban party.

The election body earlier allowed candidates from both factions to use the party name on their printed ballots pending a decision on the suit.

Mr. Garcia, who inhibited himself from the case because he used to lawyer for the party, earlier said they would resolve the dispute before May 9. He earlier said the quarrel would be resolved by end-March.

Mr. Garcia also said the Comelec full court would resolve before May 9 the lawsuits seeking to disqualify ex-Senator and presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr.

Also on Thursday, House Deputy Speaker Rufus B. Rodriguez asked Congress to secure all preparations for the canvassing of presidential and vice-presidential votes.

Arrangements should be made with Comelec for the smooth and speedy transmission of certificates of canvass from provinces and independent cities, he said in a statement.

“There should be a mechanism for expediting the sending of provincial and city results to Congress in case of unreasonable or suspicious delay,” he added. — John Victor D. Ordoñez, Alyssa Nicole O. Tan and Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Filipinos overseas take time to vote for new president

May 5, 2022 | 7:40 pm

By Patricia Mirasol, Reporter

GERVIL T. Dahay, a Filipino nurse based in Bayern, Germany took a leave from his job so he could come home in time for this year’s Philippine elections.

“I came home so I could vote while on vacation,” the 38-year-old migrant worker said in a Facebook Messenger chat in Filipino. “I didn’t want my vote to go to waste.”

About 10% or 170,000 of 1.7 million registered Filipino workers abroad had voted so far, the Commission on Elections said on April 28.

Under the law, Filipinos overseas may vote from April 10 to May 9 either manually or through an automated election system. They can either mail their ballots or physically vote at Philippine embassies and consulates overseas.

The top five vote-rich countries are the United Arab Emirates with 290,182 Filipino voters, Saudi Arabia (282,605), US (198,935), Hong Kong (93,886) and Canada (90,545), according to data from the Commission on Elections.

An information technology expert said the country’s voting system has been proven to work despite problems encountered by some migrant workers.

“Our current voting system was tested and vetted in other countries, so why fix a working clock?” Dax L. Labrador, an ethical hacker and founder of hacking conference Rootcon, said in an e-mail.

The actual voting experience varies per country. Forty-six of 92 overseas Philippine posts use the automated election system, the same number as those who use the manual one. Fifty-two, meanwhile, use the postal method.

Neil Fernandez, Jr., a graphic designer and co-creator of iVote.ph, said he and co-creator Rien Lewis Pecson had built the blockchain-based voting platform to demonstrate that new technologies could improve the voting experience.

“We know the hassle and risk of lining up just to get registered during the pandemic,” he said in a Messenger chat. “If we can offer a convenient process, perhaps more Filipinos can vote.”

There are 10.2 million Filipinos in more than 200 territories globally, according to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas.

Honey M. Lim, a 43-year-old physical therapist based in Queens, New York, said the postal voting method has proven to be straightforward.

“The ballot comes with a prepaid mail envelope,” Ms. Lim said. “I find voting easier here.”

Some Filipinos in Malaysia managed to vote after several trips to the embassy to get registered.

The actual voting process was smooth, according to Jing, a 41-year-old IT professional in Kuala Lumpur.

“I vote because I want changes in Philippine politics,” she said in a Messenger chat. “I feel sorry for my countrymen and for my family in the Philippines. That’s why I want to contribute and vote.”

Ms. Lim finds it “sad” that not all overseas Filipino workers vote.

“I am so tired of listening to them complain,” she said in a Viber message. “In my mind, they dare complain and say there’s no hope for the Philippines, when you and I have a chance to make changes.”

Among the 8 or so million migrants who choose not to vote is Marie, a 47-year-old nurse in Toronto.

“Some people no longer want to get involved with Philippine politics,” she said in a Messenger chat in Filipino.

Real Madrid fights back from the brink to shock Man City

May 5, 2022 | 7:22 pm

MADRID — Real Madrid fought back from the brink of elimination to beat Manchester City 3-1 after extra time and 6-5 on aggregate in an enthralling and dramatic Champions League semifinal on Wednesday.

City led 1-0 on the night and 5-3 on aggregate when Riyad Mahrez scored after 73 minutes, but Real substitute Rodrygo equalized in the last minute of normal time and headed home one minute later to level the tie at 5-5.

Five minutes into extra time, Karim Benzema converted a penalty awarded for a foul on him by Ruben Dias and Real, the record 13-times European champions, held the shell-shocked English side at bay to reach the final.

Real will play Liverpool on May 28 in Paris, a repeat of the 2018 final in Kyiv which the Spanish team won 3-1.

It was another superb rearguard action by Real who came from behind for the third consecutive time in this season Champions League knock-out stage to stay on course to win Europe’s most prestigious club competition for the fifth time in the last nine years.

After a breathtaking first leg packed with goals and individual brilliance from both sides, the return game was the complete opposite.

City worked tirelessly to subdue their hosts who failed to manage a shot on target on the first half.

With Real fast running out of ideas, Bernardo Silva broke through the middle of their defence and laid the ball off for Mahrez to finish and City looked certain to stay on course to win the trophy for the first time.

But as they did against Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 and Chelsea in the quarterfinals, Real conjured up the magic they required.

Rodrygo slotted in from close range to give them a lifeline and the Brazilian headed home to send the Bernabeu crowd into raptures before Benzema completed the turnaround.

CAUTIOUS APPROACH
City had dominated the first leg and their coach Pep Guardiola was content to sit tight and adopt a similar cautious approach as they did in their quarterfinal second leg against Atletico Madrid.

The plan worked well in the first half, but Real missed a good chance to take the lead after the interval when Vinicius, Jr. met a Dani Carvajal cross at the far post and sent his volley wide.

City continued to play their game of patience and earned the reward when Mahrez lashed home.

Phil Foden almost extended City’s lead with a counterattack led by Jack Grealish which Real defender Eder Militao kept out on the line but Real refused to lie down.

In the last minute of regulation time, substitute Eduardo Camavinga found Benzema at the far post and the French striker set up Rodrygo to score from close range.

One minute later, Rodrygo received a perfect cross from Dani Carvajal and got between three defenders to head the ball into the net.

With the Bernabeu turned into a cauldron, it was only a matter of time until Real delivered the killer blow which came when Benzema was fouled by Dias and the Frenchman sent a precise spot-kick into the corner of the net. — Reuters

PBA reffirmed its full commitment to Gilas Pilipinas

May 5, 2022 | 7:21 pm

EVEN with a full plate for its 47^th season, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has reaffirmed its full commitment to the Gilas Pilipinas program for various international tournaments.

“The calendar will be very tight because primarily the PBA board has committed its continued support to the SBP (Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas) on the formation of the national team,” PBA vice-chairman Bobby Rosales said.

“We’ll provide them with the players on their wish list and because of this, it will surely impact the calendar of the PBA, where we’re playing three conferences in the coming seaon,” he added.

The PBA’s new season begins on June 5 via the Philippine Cup with the Commissioner’s Cup eyed for an Oct. 2 tip-off and the Governors’ Cup targeted by Feb. 1, 2023.

Even before the season-opening All-Filipino fires off, pros are heavily involved in Gilas’ Southeast Asian Games title-retention bid this month. Ten PBA stalwarts, led by June Mar Fajardo, have been named to the 16-man pool by coach Chot Reyes, who is expected to soon cut the team to a final 12 to the May 16 to 22 tournament.

There’s also the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup Asian Qualifiers window Gilas is slated to play on June 30 on the road against New Zealand and July 3 at home against India.

By the second conference, the PBA will send its Top 2 teams to the East Asia Super League opening games and Gilas will embark on its Asian Games mission.

“It’s going to be a very tight calendar but I think the PBA management led by commissioner Willie Marcial was able to find a way to squeeze everything in,” said Mr. Rosales.

Pros may be called up time and again as Gilas continues its continued buildup for the FIBA World Cup that the country is co-hosting next year.

“We are in constant dialogue and communication with the SBP on how to have a smooth relationship as far as the PBA providing players for Gilas to mitigate whatever impact it will have on the calendar of the PBA,” said the Terrafirma governor.

Suns cruise to 2-0 series lead over Mavericks

May 5, 2022 | 7:21 pm

DEVIN Booker scored 21 of his 30 points in the second half and the Phoenix Suns took a 2-0 series lead with a convincing 129-109 victory over the visiting Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.

Chris Paul tallied 14 of his 28 points in the final quarter and also contributed eight assists for the Suns, who knocked out the Mavericks with a 23-2 fourth-quarter surge to turn a close game into a 27-point margin.

Luka Dončić scored 35 points for the Mavericks, who led by two at halftime of the Western Conference semifinal contest before being outscored 71-49 in the second half. Dončić is averaging 40 points in the series.

Game 3 is Friday night in Dallas.

Jae Crowder recorded 15 points and seven rebounds and Mikal Bridges added 11 points and six assists for the Phoenix. The Suns shot a scorching 64.5% from the field and made 13 of 25 3-point attempts.

Reggie Bullock scored 16 points and Spencer Dinwiddie added 11 for the Mavericks.

Dallas connected on 45.6% of its attempts and was 17 of 41 from behind the arc.

Phoenix led 76-68 after Bridges’ basket with 5:22 left in the third quarter. Bullock then drained three 3-pointers in 73 seconds during a 10-2 burst in which Dallas knotted the score at 78.

The Suns rebounded by scoring 11 of the quarter’s last 16 points to take an 89-83 lead into the final stanza.

Phoenix continued to play well early in the fourth as Paul broke loose to score 14 points in the first 4:56 of the quarter. He had seven of the points during an 11-0 burst that saw the Suns boost their lead to 110-93 with 6:31 left in the contest.

After Paul went on the bench, Booker buried three 3-pointers in a span of 62 seconds to increase Phoenix’s lead to 119-95 with 4:13 left. Ish Wainright knocked down another trey 24 seconds later to make it a 27-point margin and the Suns cruised to the finish.

Doncic scored 24 first-half points to help the Mavericks lead 60-58 at the break. Crowder tallied 15 in the half for the Suns.

Phoenix jumped out to a quick 12-2 lead before Dallas recovered to trail 32-28 at the end of the quarter. The Mavericks led by as many as five in the second quarter before settling for the two-point edge. — Reuters

Heat put away 76ers again, lead series 2-0

May 5, 2022 | 7:20 pm

BAM Adebayo scored 23 points and Jimmy Butler added 22 on Wednesday night as the top-seeded Miami Heat dumped the fourth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers 119-103 in Miami for a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal.

Off the bench, Miami got 19 points from Victor Oladipo and 18 from Tyler Herro. They combined to sink 6 of 9 from 3-point range, including a game-sealing bomb from Oladipo with 1:39 left off Butler’s 11^th of his 12 assists that made it 114-101.

Tyrese Maxey pumped in 34 points for Philadelphia on 12 of 22 shooting, while James Harden finished with 20 points and nine assists. Tobias Harris chipped in 21 points for the 76ers, who hope to get National Basketball Association (NBA) scoring champion Joel Embiid (multiple injuries) back into the lineup for Game 3 on Friday night in Philadelphia.

But it will take more than Embiid’s 30.6 points and 11.7 rebounds per game to get the 76ers back in this series. They’ll have to tighten up a defense that’s allowed 112.5 points per game in this series. The Heat dissected them for 51.3% shooting from the field on Wednesday, including 14 of 29 on 3-pointers.

Miami also dominated the boards 44-34 and stopped Harden in his tracks in the second half. Harden managed just four points after halftime.

Philadelphia led for most of the first quarter, but the Heat took command for good late in the period. Butler had a hand in the first seven points of a 9-2 burst with one assist to Herro and two to Dewayne Dedmon before Herro drove for a layup with 1.2 seconds left to make it 31-24.

Miami pushed the lead as high as 14 points in the second quarter before the 76ers made a late push. Harden drew a three-shot foul with 0.1 seconds remaining and drained all of the foul shots to pull Philadelphia within 60-52 at half time.

But the Heat steadily increased the lead in the third quarter, going up 76-61 on a 3-pointer by Max Strus and using Herro’s floater to take a 91-80 cushion to the fourth. — Reuters

Humdinger

May 5, 2022 | 7:20 pm

Ja Morant was beaming in the aftermath of the Grizzlies’ close win against the Warriors the other day, and with reason. He had just put the finishing touches on a 47-point masterpiece that ensured his place alongside all-time greats Kobe Bryant and LeBron James as the only players in National Basketball Association history with multiple 45-point outings in the postseason. Included in his opus were the last 15 points of the blue and gray, enabling them to hold court and head to the Chase Center this weekend with must-needed momentum.

To say Morant was walking wounded would be an embellishment given his lights-out effort. True, he was poked in the eye early in the second half, and he complained of blurred vision even after the buzzer. Then again, it didn’t seem to slow him down or impair his capacity to find the hoop from inside and out. And, make no mistake, the Warriors threw everything at him. He was simply too fast and too good — so good, in fact, that his 15-of-31 clip more than made up for the rest of the starters’ eight-of-28 atrocity.

How the Western Conference second-round set-to between the Warriors and Grizzlies would end up is anybody’s guess. From the outside looking in, it looks to be the type to go seven matches. Either could have gone two and zero, with the breaks deciding the outcome. And, yes, said breaks definitely had an effect in Game Two. Who knows if Morant could have exploded the way he did had Gary Payton II not been taken out by a flagrant 2 foul early in the contest? What would the final score have been if the newly minted Most Improved Player awardee been called for a palming violation halfway through the final minute of the encounter?

The NBA’s Last two Minute Report gave the Warriors no consolation. In hindsight, neither did the flagrant 2 foul meted on Dillon Brooks for leveling Payton three minutes in. And head coach Steve Kerr’s right; the dangerous hack “broke the code.” For the Grizzlies, it bore the added benefit of unleashing Morant on hapless defenders. With five-time All-Star Klay Thompson unfortunately a shell of his former self and still getting his sea legs under him post-injury, no one on the roster is as fleet of foot.

Bottom line, the Warriors and Grizzlies are headed for a humdinger.

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.

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