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Medvedev one win from reclaiming world number one spot at Miami Open

DANIIL Medvedev is one win away from retaking the world number one spot after moving past American Jenson Brooksby 7-5, 6-1 and into the Miami Open quarterfinals on Tuesday.

The US Open champion lost his serve in the first game but found momentum after fending off two more break points in the fifth, winning the final four games of the first set in which he fired down six aces.

He ripped through the second set in less than half an hour, dropping one first serve point.

Medvedev will face defending champion Hubert Hurkacz in the quarters, with a win moving the Russian back to world number one on Monday, two weeks after he lost the spot to Novak Djokovic.

“At this moment, I don’t feel any pressure,” Medvedev said. “To be in the semifinals, I knew before the tournament that I have to be there if I want to be number one.

“It’s great that I have this chance. Only one match left. Of course maybe during the match, pressure can start to build up, depending on how the match is going… But at this moment, it’s just a lot of extra motivation to try to make this one more step.”

KYRGIOS EXITS, OSAKA ROLLS
Australian wild card Nick Kyrgios lost to Italian Jannik Sinner 7-6(3), 6-3 after a dispute with the chair umpire.

Kyrgios received a point penalty for bad behavior in the first-set tie-break and in between sets angrily and repeatedly asked the chair umpire “What is unsportsmanlike?” before walking to his bench and whacking his racket against the court.

The gesture earned him a game penalty, allowing Sinner to open the second set up a break.

Elsewhere in the day’s action, fourth-ranked German Alexander Zverev overcame a solid defensive effort from Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis to win 6-4, 6-4 and set up a quarterfinal clash with eighth-ranked Casper Ruud.

The Norwegian, who lost to Zverev in the Paris Masters quarterfinals in November, had earlier sent top British player Cameron Norrie packing 6-3, 6-4 in the Grandstand.

“(Ruud is) somebody that really does not miss much,” said Zverev. “He’s somebody that tries to play aggressive with his forehand as well. Got to take away his strength in a way and we’ll see how it goes tomorrow.”

Hurkacz defeated South African Lloyd Harris 7-6(3), 6-2, while Spain’s 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz battled past Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 6-3 in the night session.

Alcaraz, who improved to 15-2 on the season, is one win from consecutive Masters 1000 semi-finals after Indian Wells. He will next face Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic, who beat Indian Wells champion Taylor Fritz 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo also advanced to the last eight after beating Frances Tiafoe 6-7(2), 7-6(3), 6-2.

Naomi Oaka thumped 13 aces and 25 winners to dispatch an injured Danielle Collins 6-2, 6-1 to reach the semifinals, where she will meet Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic of Switzerland.

Bencic, who beat Daria Saville 6-1, 6-2 earlier in the day, has won all three of her Tour-level meetings with the four-time Grand Slam champion, although they have not met since the 2019 US Open.

“I’ve never had anything to lose against her,” Bencic said of her past success against the Japanese star.

“She’s the player that has to defend, she has won a lot of Grand Slams, so she’s in that position.” — Reuters

NFL owners approve overtime rules adjustment for playoffs

NATIONAL Football League (NFL) owners on Tuesday approved a proposal to modify its overtime rule in the playoffs by ensuring both teams have a possession.

The proposal was brought forth by the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles.

Per ESPN, teams that won the overtime coin flip posted a 10-2 record in the playoffs, with seven of those wins coming on the opening possession.

Overtime in the regular season will remain under the current rules, with the game ending should one team score a touchdown on its opening possession regardless if the other side has touched the ball.

The change to the overtime rule in the playoffs comes on the heels of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 42-36 win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional round on Jan. 23.

The Chiefs won the coin toss prior to the start of overtime and elected to receive the ball.

Tight end Travis Kelce reeled in an 8-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to cap an eight-play, 75-yard drive on the first possession of overtime.

Quarterback Josh Allen and the Buffalo offense did not have a chance to respond. — Reuters

Duterte asks why Marcos taxes remain unpaid

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

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte on Tuesday night asked why billions of pesos in taxes owed by the heirs of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos for decades remained unpaid.

“In our taxation, the government can only prod,” he said in a taped speech. “The Bureau of Internal Revenue is there. Let’s ask them why the estate tax is still unpaid.”

Both the country’s tax agency and a body formed in the 1980s tasked to recover ill-gotten wealth of the dictator and his cronies this month confirmed the tax assessments, but did not say why these have not been paid.

The country’s tax agency had demanded payment of the taxes from Marcos estate administrators, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III told reporters in a Viber message on Wednesday, citing the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). “They have not paid.”

Internal Revenue Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay on March 14 said his office did send a written demand letter to the Marcos heirs on Dec. 2, 2021 regarding their tax liabilities.

The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) separately said the tax agency 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 sold 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, it 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 BIR would continue to consolidate the titles on the properties in favor of the government, Mr. Dominguez said. “Bottomline, Marcos does not take any steps to settle and pay because [of] pending litigation.”

The Finance chief did not immediately reply to further questions about the matter, including whether the tax cases are still pending in court.

Mr. Marcos’s detractors have pressed his family to pay the taxes, which have supposedly ballooned to P203 billion due to interest and other penalties.

Mr. Duterte’s spokesman, Jose Ruperto Martin M. Andanar, said the tough-talking leader was just reminding the BIR to do its duty of collecting the taxes.

“The President only reminded the BIR to act on its mandate, and that is to collect taxes,” he told a news briefing.

The Finance department has said the estate tax would be an additional revenue source for the government amid surging global oil prices.

Critics including retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio T. Carpio have been calling on the tax agency to file a criminal case against the Marcoses for refusing to pay the taxes.

Marcos, Jr. is running for president in tandem with Mr. Duterte’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

The President last year called Mr. Marcos, who is leading in several opinion polls, a “weak leader” and a “spoiled child,” saying he is the reason why his political party did not form an alliance with his daughter. “I am not impressed by him.”

A rival political party earlier warned that the debt could get erased if the tax agency fails to collect the tax by June 30, in case Mr. Marcos wins the election.   

An opposition group earlier said the Marcos camp’s claim that the estate tax liability is still pending in court is “the worst kind of black propaganda. It said Filipinos could not afford to have a president who had been convicted for tax evasion.

The dictator stole as much as $10 billion (P521 billion) from the Filipino people, according to government estimates, earning him a Guinness World Record for the “greatest robbery of a government.” PCGG has recovered about P171 billion. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and Tobias Jared Tomas

Task force rescued 134 exploited kids in past year — NBI

FREEPIK

AN INTER-AGENCY task force rescued 134 sexually exploited children and arrested 15 offenders from 51 operations in the past 12 months, according to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

The task force rescued 238 child victims and arrested 50 offenders in 76 operations in the first two years of collaboration among NBI, Philippine police and their counterparts from Australia and the United Kingdom, NBI said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Despite the pandemic brought about by COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), the recorded accomplishments were achieved through the joint efforts of the NBI-Anti Human Trafficking Division and Philippine National Police Women and Children Protection Center,” it added.

The task force, called the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center also partnered with the International Justice Mission (IJM), a global organization focused on human rights.

“This international collaboration of law enforcers has made a significant impact on stopping online sexual exploitation,” Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said at an anniversary ceremony streamed live on the NBI Facebook. “The task force now serves as a model for an enhanced global response against online sexual abuse and exploitation cases.”

He said Justice department’s Office of Cyber-crime has been working with the task force in its investigations by sharing leads through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The cyber-crime division also monitors incidents of online sexual exploitation by coordinating with internet service providers and social media platforms such as Google and Facebook.

Last year, NBI opened its Cyber Trafficking in Persons Monitoring Center, which monitors cyber-space for human trafficking.   

The United Nations Children Agency in 2017 said one of three internet users were children below 18, and were at risk of harmful content and contact. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Eight of 10 Pinoys rely on Facebook for political news

EIGHT of 10 Filipinos get their news from Facebook, according to the Ateneo de Manila University School of Government, citing a 2021 study.

In a statement on Wednesday, the university said 79% of Filipinos often get their news from random feeds on the social network. Television was their second source of news at 66%, followed by YouTube at 57% and other news websites at 54%.

“While 79% of the respondents often get their news randomly from Facebook, it does not necessarily mean that Facebook is their only source of news,” Ateneo Associate Professor and project research manager Ma. Rosel San Pascual said. “Respondents generally have multiple sources of news.”

Ateneo said Filipinos tend to read political news on Facebook, even if clicking a story or video does not mean they will finish reading or watching it.

It said people who do not rely solely on Facebook feed for political information think they have a better understanding of politics and are more confident to participate in political discussions.

“Those who are not reliant on their Facebook feed for news have a greater variety of sources of news for politics, government, and governance,” Ateneo said. “They are proactively seeking news, they do not just depend on random news exposure on their Facebook feed, they also encounter news from other sources,” Ms. San Pascual said.

The study showed that people who rely on random news on Facebook are more cynical about politics. Most respondents said they trust traditional media to provide accurate information about politics and politicians.

Ateneo asked 2,000 respondents for the online survey on Oct. 27 to Nov. 12. The team also had researchers from the University of the Philippines. — KATA

PHL logs among lowest daily coronavirus cases in SE Asia 

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

THE PHILIPPINES’ daily coronavirus cases is now among the lowest among southeast Asian nations, its health chief said on Tuesday night. 

Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said at a taped Cabinet meeting that the country recorded 3.45 new infections for every one million people per day as of March 28, citing figures from Our World in Data. 

He said the Philippines was followed by Cambodia with 3.61 cases, Myanmar with 4.52, and Indonesia with 17.82.  

Mr. Duque said countries with the most number of infections include Brunei with 869.29, Vietnam with 1,724, Singapore with 1,295.34, Malaysia with 615.65, Thailand with 360.67, and Laos with 293.52. 

The Philippines has experienced four waves of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) since 2020. It reported the highest single-day tally on Jan. 15 at 30,004. 

The country, which currently remains at minimal risk from the coronavirus, recorded an average of 389 daily infections from March 21 to 27, lower by 24% than a week earlier.  

The Philippine health agency said 484 of 3,204 intensive care unit (ICU) beds were in use as of March 27, while 4,613 of 27,547 non-ICU beds were occupied. There were 758 severe and critical admissions as of March 27. 

The government is aiming to vaccinate more people as it plans to further relax COVID-19 restrictions.  

Cabinet Secretary José Ruperto Martín M. Andanar said the country has fully vaccinated 65.81 million people as of March 29, while 11.95 million people have received booster shots. 

He said 850,777 children aged 5 to 11 and 8.94 million aged 12 to 17 have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza 

DoT boosts protection of tourism spots vs illegal drugs 

MALAY MUNICIPAL POLICE

THE DEPARTMENT of Tourism (DoT) is beefing up protection of the country’s tourist destinations against illegal substances through the deployment of teams focusing on drug-related concerns.  

In a statement on Wednesday, the DoT said it recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the police for the Tourism Operation Protection against Illegal Drugs (TOP-AID). 

“Under the new TOP-AID… the parties agree to cooperate and render assistance to ensure further protection, safety, and security of tourists in DoT-identified tourist destinations,” the department said. 

“This latest partnership… is a follow through to the Tourist–Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection program, the tourism security force assisting in maintaining peace and order within areas of high tourism traffic,” it said. 

The tourism police program established in 2011 has trained 5,457 cops and put up 365 assistance centers in strategic locations across the country. 

With TOP-AID, similar assistance centers and appropriate manpower from the drug enforcement agency will be set up.   

“These tourist assistance and complaint desks will focus on drug related concerns. (PDEA) will also lead the information drive on the drug free workplace program, while assisting in drug clearing operations including apprehending any person engaged in illegal drug activities in coordination with the PNP and concerned local government units,” the DoT said.   

More tourists are expected to enter the Philippines starting April 1 as the government further eases travel restrictions for fully-vaccinated foreigners from all countries. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave  

Indonesian minister to push Garuda to resume Manado-Davao flights 

SECRETARY Maria Belen Sunga-Acosta of the Mindanao Development Authority and Indonesian Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly met last week at the Indonesian Consulate General in Davao City where they discussed opportunities in transport and halal sectors, among others. — MINDA  

INDONESIAN Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly has vowed to push his country’s flag carrier, Garuda Indonesia, to resume flights between Manado and Davao following a visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties with Mindanao in southern Philippines. 

“Returning from here, I will talk to Garuda. The governor of Manado is a very close friend of mine. I’ll talk to him. We have to move forward,” Mr. Laoly said in an interview.  

The airline relaunched its Manado-Davao route in Sept. 2019, but was again suspended in mid-March of 2020 as travel restrictions were imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Mr. Laoly met with Secretary Maria Belen Sunga-Acosta of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and discussed potential economic partnerships, particularly in the construction of the Mindanao Railway Project and halal sector, among others. 

“Mindanao is now constructing railways and highways and we would like to cooperate in that as our Indonesian companies also has wide experiences in building highways and also trains/tracks,” he said. “We would like to cooperate with that and also halal food and beverages.” 

During his visit, Mr. Laoly also led the distribution of passports and non-immigrant visas to undocumented Indonesian citizens who have long been residing in Mindanao. 

The Philippines and Indonesia agreed to address the situation of stateless individuals through a program of registration and confirmation of citizenship during the 2014 Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation meeting. The Indonesian Consulate General in Davao City has since issued more than 1,250 passports to Indonesian citizens in Mindanao.   

“They are now not only documented but also legal to live in the Philippines,” said Indonesian Consul General Dicky Fabrian. — Maya M. Padillo 

Salceda calls for more focus on maritime defense   

THE COUNTRY should assert its claim over the West Philippine Sea by strengthening its maritime defense, a lawmaker said Wednesday. 

“The Philippines is a maritime state. Our domestic insurgency has forced us to focus much of our energies on land-based security, but really, most of our territory is unhampered water,” Albay Rep. Jose Maria Clemente S. Salceda said in a statement. 

“So, as we remove the socioeconomic roots of internal insurgency, we must begin the shift from land-based security to maritime security.” 

He made the statement following the most recent incident involving a Chinese Coast Guard vessel. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wengbin said Monday that the Philippines should respect its sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal, locally known as Panatag, after Manila’s coast guard reported a Chinese vessel’s close distance maneuver that risked a collision near the shoal. 

“Panatag is ours, that much is clear. But anyone who has done real estate knows that possession and security matter almost as much as legal ownership. So, we have to invest in our naval, air, and coastal defense capabilities,” Mr. Salceda said, noting that the best diplomatic leverage is having a credible defense. 

Meanwhile, Bayan Muna senatorial candidate Neri J. Colmenares said that the country could file a complaint or resolution in addition to its diplomatic protests.  

“We should do more than send diplomatic protests. Among the other steps taken could be the filing of a complaint in the International Criminal Court or a resolution in the UN (United Nations) General Assembly,” he said in a statement. 

Executive Director Myca Magnolia M. Fischer of the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Office of Asian and Pacific Affairs reported to the Senate in December that the Philippines has filed 241 diplomatic protests against China since 2016, but Beijing had only responded to 152 protests. 

An international arbitration tribunal ruled in 2016 that the Philippines has sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea and has jurisdiction over 200 nautical miles of exclusive economic zone. — Jaspearl Emerald G. Tan 

Ferolino to head vote-buying task force 

PHILIPPINE STAR/ BOY SANTOS

ELECTION Commissioner Aimee P. Ferolino will lead the poll body’s planned inter-agency task force against vote-buying, another official announced on Wednesday.  

“Aimee Ferolino will be the chairman of the Kontra Bigay task force and therefore she will be immediately calling for meetings of the task force, drafting necessary guidelines, and implementing the mandate of the Commission on Elections on complaints about vote-buying,” Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner George M. Garcia told reporters.

Mr. Garcia said last week that Comelec intends to form a team composed of representatives from law enforcement agencies and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to address vote-buying incidents relating to national and local elections.  

The Department of Justice will also be part of the team.  

The task force is expected to act on these reported incidents based on either formal complaints or motu proprio, meaning upon its own initiative. 

“She is a very fierce commissioner and vice-chairman of the gun ban and security personnel exemption and other committees,” he noted. “Her field experience will be a very good ingredient in being chairman of this task force.” 

Retired Comelec Commissioner Maria Rowena V. Guanzon earlier accused Ms. Ferolino of delaying a disqualification case against presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr.   

Ms. Ferolino has denied the allegation and said it was a “minor issue” that will not affect the credibility of Comelec as a whole. — John Victor D. Ordonez 

Party-list reps say minimum wage hike should consider pandemic-hit businesses

PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

REPRESENTATIVES of two party-lists seeking reelection in May expressed support to calls for a minimum wage increase, but said the rate should take into consideration that businesses are also recovering from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.  

Bagong Henerasyon Party-list Rep. Bernadette R. Herrera-Dy and Ang Probinsyano Party-list Rep. Alfred C. delos Santos, speaking in an online forum on Wednesday, said a “balancing act” is necessary on the interests of both workers and employers.  

“While of course, I believe that the minimum wage should be increased, we should also consider the situation of the companies that are opening just now because of the pandemic,” Ms. Herrera-Dy said in Filipino. 

Mr. Delos Santos, for his part, said Congress should take up pending bills on minimum wage, including those that aim to address the gap between rates in the National Capital Region and other parts of the country.  

“I believe it’s really time we take up minimum wage in Congress,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. “We should consider what kind of entrepreneurs they are… Should it (minimum wage) be the same (for everyone)? Should the minimum wage in a grocery store be the same as a big mall? So, we should consider all of these and review all the factors involved.” 

In a hearing at the House of Representatives earlier this month, finance and economic development officials rejected calls for a uniform wage across regions, saying that it will worsen inequality. — Jaspearl Emerald G. Tan 

Domagoso eyes using public funds for natural gas exploration in Liguasan Marsh 

PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” M. Domagoso said Wednesday that if elected, he is ready to put in government funds for the exploration of natural gas resources in Mindanao.  

“Being here in Iligan and Mindanao, I can honestly say that Mindanao is the answer to our daily need for fuel and methane and natural gas,” he said in Filipino in a live-streamed interview.  

“As we all know, there is a recent development in the Liguasan Marsh which is composed of so (much) natural gas and possible oil.”  

The Department of Energy earlier this month awarded a service contract to a Mindanao-based oil firm to explore the Cotabato Basin, which covers the Liguasan Marsh.  

The standard-bearer of Aksyon Demokratiko said he would push for the exploration of the marsh, which could partially be funded by collecting the estate tax dues of the heirs of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos.   

“We’ll initially explore the Liguasan Marsh which will help us get initially, methane gas that can produce electricity or can be used in producing enough electricity for the whole country,” Mr. Domagoso said. — Jaspearl Emerald G. Tan 

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