Nature is jilted by untrue lovers

November 21, 2021 | 8:17 pm

Why have the birds stopped singing and flown away from the Arroceros Forest Park?

The Haribon Society and the Wild Bird Club have seen and identified some 30 or so species of migratory birds resting or living in the mini-forest. They chirped and warbled under the darkened canopy of 3,500 endemic or native trees — including 150 centuries-old survivors of World War II, and more trees that are at least 30 years old and older — at the Arroceros Forest Park. Fragile seedlings and younger trees of a diverse variety grow undisturbed, such as the acacia, agoho, anahaw, banyan, kamagong, mahogany, molave and narra, among others.

The Arroceros Park is a natural forest, where the ground cover of small plants keeps the soil moist and rich with the natural compost of fallen leaves and broken twigs. Like a womb, the forest provides natural incubation for life and growth. Between the latticed canopy of the older trees and the speckled ground vibrates the chi of virgin Nature, cooled by the gentle breath of the Pasig River that flows alongside the 2.2 hectare protected forest.

In a study on Manila’s urban green spaces conducted in 2016, Arroceros was found to have the highest proportion of crown canopy cover among the other parks in Manila’s fifth electoral district. It also has one of the highest rates of vegetation, one of the parameters of resiliency that “improves infiltration, reduces surface run off, prevents siltation and ultimately, reduce exposure to flooding,” the study says (https://www.sciencedirect.com). Arroceros’ high coverage of crown canopy also helps in regulating the city’s temperatures, which can sometimes reach as high as 38 degrees Celsius /100 degrees Fahrenheit (https://news.mongabay.com).

“The last lung of Manila” is the only natural park of the city, encapsulated against the heavy pollution of vehicle traffic in the city of about 1.85 million people. The 2019 average pollution index for Metro Manila was 18.2 US AQI (air quality index) which placed it as the 5^th most polluted city in all of the Philippines. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the safe level of air quality ranged from 10 ug per cubic meter of PM2.5, or below. The WHO said that in 2018, there were 45.3 air pollution-related deaths for every 100,000 people in the Philippines. This was the third highest in the world, after China’s 81.5 pollution-related deaths and Mongolia’s 48.8 deaths per 100,000 people. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2016 stressed that “Arroceros Forest Park … can remove 30 tons of particulates per year. It provides a ‘Lung’ for the city.”

The Arroceros Forest Park should be one of the most treasured and protected nature sanctuaries, and it is a historic icon — once the first of three “parians” that contained and suppressed the local Chinese community since the rebellion of Chinese traders in the early Spanish colonial period in the 19^thcentury. The Parian de Arroceros served as a marketplace and trading post for Chinese merchants. Among the commodities traded back then was rice, hence the term arroceros, which means “rice cultivators” in Spanish.

The space vacated by the parian had been used as temporary “holding area” for odds-and-ends of government activities both in the Spanish era and in the American occupation, through World War II. Only after the government’s education department offices, erstwhile “parked” in the area, were transferred to their present location in Pasig in 1993, was the Arroceros Forest Park concept formalized. A memorandum of agreement was signed between the City of Manila and Winner Foundation, a proactive private environment group, to work with the Manila Seedling Bank and manage reforestation efforts to resuscitate and nurture “the Last Lung of Manila” (The Philippine Star, retrieved June 10, 2015).

Did many give much importance to the Arroceros Forest Park as it grew and bloomed into a solitary environment sanctuary in the heart of polluted Manila? Sadly, the stream of elected Manila City mayors did not really respect the forest park (except Mayor Alfredo Lim, who gave Winner Foundation free sway in managing the reforestation). And few common citizens come to visit and enjoy the forest park. There seems to be no deep passion for the environment. Sad.

“Yet, despite the respite the park offers its avian and human visitors, Manila’s mayors have persistently insisted on getting rid of it. Lito Atienza, who served as mayor from 1998 to 2007, allowed a portion of the park to be bulldozed for a new government building, while Joseph ‘Erap’ Estrada, a former president and mayor from 2013, wanted to turn the park into a school gymnasium.” (https://news.mongabay.com/2019/09/).

Enter Mayor (Yorme) “Isko” Moreno (Francisco Domagoso) after winning over his long-time idol, Mayor Erap, in the 2019 mayoralty elections. Bringing with him his matinee-idol lover boy image in local young-love movies of the 1990s, young and old swooned to romantic hero-worship for what he promised to do for Manila. A big come-on, aside from his good looks and supposed “clean” image is that he was born and raised in the slums of Tondo, Manila, where he spent his childhood supporting his family by scrapping for leftover food and scavenging the trash heaps of “Smokey Mountain.” Surely, Isko would be a passionate lover and protector of the environment.

And so, Winner Foundation and cooperator Manila Doctors Hospital CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) staff met with Isko upon his assumption as Mayor, to plead for the final and official cancellation of former Mayor Erap’s pending project to raze a big portion of the forest park to set up a full-service gym. And Isko signed on Feb. 27, 2020 Manila City Ordinance No. 8607, declaring the land along Arroceros Street as a “permanent forest park” from simply being a “property” (Rappler, March 3, 2020).

“The use and enjoyment of the Arroceros Forest Park must be consistent with the principles of sustainable development and the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology,” the ordinance reads.

The ordinance prohibits the cutting trees, the dumping waste, and any form of excavation in the area. Violators will be slapped with a P2,500 fine for the first offense, P3,500 for the second offense, and P5,000 fine and/or imprisonment up to one year, depending on the court’s discretion, for their third offense. (Ibid.).

But when Regina “Ninit” Roces-Paterno, chair of Winner Foundation, and Chiqui Sy-Quia Mabanta, president, with other environment activists visited the Arroceros Forest Park on Nov. 13, 2021, it was a shock that Mayor Isko was already implementing his September 2021 development plan for the Lawton area, the vicinity of the Arroceros Forest Park. Construction was not supposed to encroach into the nature park but confined only to outside of its perimeter.

Paterno sent this message on Viber:

“I am so sad to report to the Catholic Women’s Club that the City of Manila administration under Isko Moreno has all but ruined the forest in the course of their desire to turn it into a theme park with stairways and elevated walk ways. The CWC area is all but destroyed with two structures being constructed in the front area. In our second project by the bridge, they covered the fishpond and it is used for dumping construction materials and debris.

“I was with a group of environmental organizations and we were all filled with shock and disgust over a complete disregard for environmental laws.

“We hope that it is not too late to halt what is going on. They have hundreds of men working fast and filling the area with concreted grounds and pathways.

“Five natural ponds were filled up with soil and all secondary trees and ground cover were destroyed in their desire to make it look like Luneta. They should have chosen another area because this forest took almost 30 years to grow not counting the 150 pre-war trees. Winner Foundation planted 3,000 trees from Manila seedling bank. And eventually CWC planted more than 100 trees not to mention supported the maintenance of two workers for several years.”

“A sad day for enviromentalists!” Paterno said.

Nature is again jilted by untrue lovers.

Amelia H. C. Ylagan is a doctor of Business Administration from the University of the Philippines.

ahcylagan@yahoo.com

China downgrades its ties with Lithuania for letting Taiwan open its embassy

November 21, 2021 | 8:08 pm

BEIJING — China downgraded its diplomatic ties with Lithuania on Sunday, expressing strong dissatisfaction with Vilnius for allowing Taiwan to open a de facto embassy in the Baltic state, raising tensions in a spat that has also dragged in Washington.

China views self-ruled and democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory with no right to the trappings of a state, and has stepped up pressure on countries to downgrade or sever their relations with the island, even non-official ones.

Beijing had already expressed anger that Lithuania — which has formal relations with China and not Taiwan — let Taiwan open its office in the country, and recalled its ambassador in August.

The Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania opened on Thursday. Other Taiwan offices in Europe and the United States use the name of the city Taipei, avoiding a reference to the island itself, something that has further angered Beijing.

China’s Foreign Ministry said in a brusque statement that Lithuania ignored China’s “solemn stance” and the basic norms of international relations in allowing Taiwan to set up its representative office in Lithuania.

The move “undermined China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs,” creating a “bad precedent internationally,” it said, adding relations would be downgraded to the level of charge d’affaires, a rung below ambassador.

“We urge the Lithuanian side to correct its mistakes immediately and not to underestimate the Chinese people’s firm determination and staunch resolve to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

No matter what Taiwan does, it cannot change the fact that it is part of China, the ministry added.

Taiwan says it is an independent country called the Republic of China, its official name, and that the People’s Republic of China has never ruled it and has no right to speak for it.

Taiwan has been heartened by growing international support for it in the face of China’s military and diplomatic pressure, especially from the United States and some of its allies.

Washington has offered Vilnius support to withstand Chinese pressure, and Lithuania will sign a $600 million export credit agreement with the US Export-Import Bank this week.

Only 15 countries have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Taipei could lose another ally to Beijing after the Honduran presidential election later this month, where a candidate backed by main opposition parties is leading in opinion polls.

If elected, Xiomara Castro has vowed to establish official relations with China. — Reuters

Venezuelans head to regional, local polls as opposition party comes back

November 21, 2021 | 8:03 pm

CARACAS — Venezuelans head to the polls on Sunday in local and regional elections which represent a major challenge for electoral authorities and opposition politicians alike, as the latter return to compete for votes against the government of President Nicolas Maduro for the first time in four years.

During the elections, over 3,000 state governors, mayors and city councils will be chosen across the South American country, which is beset by a long-running recession and hyperinflation.

Opposition politicians had boycotted presidential elections and parliamentary elections in 2018 and 2020 respectively accusing Mr. Maduro’s government of fraud.

Should the opposition lose the 4 state governorships it won in 2017 — out of 23 states — it would lack a powerbase to launch a campaign for presidential elections, due in 2024.

The vote will test the impartiality of Venezuela’s electoral commission, which in May included two opponents among its top five directors, making it the most balanced board in 17 years, its members have said.

European Union election observers will be present at around 1,000 of the 14,400 voting centers, the first such European mission since 2006.

Mr. Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is backed by the United States, among other countries, both urged supporters to vote on Friday night, though Mr. Guaido decried voting conditions.

“I want to see a change in my country, not just in Carabobo but in all of Venezuela,” said Betty Gomez, 48, from the city of Valencia, the capital of Venezuela’s Carabobo state, adding that she planned to vote for an opposition candidate.

Others will back the government’s candidates. Nelson Aparicio, a 44-year-old teacher in Tachira state, which borders Colombia, is betting on the ruling party’s contender to address issues including power cuts and gasoline shortages.

“I believe (Freddy) Bernal doesn’t represent a wealthy demographic, but everyone,” Aparicio said, adding that the country needs to come together in talks. — Reuters

US teenager Rittenhouse acquitted of all charges after divisive murder trial

November 21, 2021 | 8:02 pm

KENOSHA, Wis. — A jury acquitted teenager Kyle Rittenhouse on Friday of murder in the fatal shooting of two men during racial justice protests in a decision that re-ignited fierce debate about gun rights and the boundaries of self defense in the United States.

Jurors found Mr. Rittenhouse, 18, not guilty on all charges: two counts of homicide, one count of attempted homicide for wounding a third man, and two counts of recklessly endangering safety in protests marred by arson, rioting and looting on Aug. 25, 2020 in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Mr. Rittenhouse broke down sobbing after the verdict and collapsed to the floor before being helped back into his chair, his hands shaking. His mother also wept.

Amid a heavy law enforcement presence, several dozen protesters lined the steps outside the courthouse after the verdict was read, some carrying placards in support of Mr. Rittenhouse and others expressing disappointment. By early evening, the crowd had thinned to a handful of people and there was no sign of disturbances in the city.

“We are all so very happy that Kyle can live his life as a free and innocent man, but in this whole situation there are no winners, there are two people who lost their lives and that’s not lost on us at all,” David Hancock, a spokesperson for the Rittenhouse family, told Reuters.

Mr. Rittenhouse shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and fired a bullet that tore a chunk off the arm of Gaige Grosskreutz, 28. Mr. Rittenhouse claimed self defense.

US President Joseph R. Biden, who during last year’s election campaign tweeted a video that appeared to link Mr. Rittenhouse to white supremacists, said on Friday he supported the jury’s decision and urged Americans to react with calm. “While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken,” Mr. Biden said.

Elsewhere reactions showed the country’s deep partisan divisions. The verdict was greeted with outrage by many on the political left and celebrated by gun rights supporters.

“It is unconscionable our justice system would allow an armed vigilante… to go free,” the Congressional Black Caucus said in a statement.

The thorny issue of race also hung over the case, although Mr. Rittenhouse and the men he shot were all white. Some Black activists said on Friday the US police and courts would have treated the teenager more harshly if he had been Black.

But conservatives saw the verdict as a validation of the US Constitution’s Second Amendment, which grants Americans the right to bear arms.

US congressman Madison Cawthorn, a Republican representative from North Carolina, said on Instagram: “Kyle Rittenhouse is not guilty my friends. You have a right to defend yourselves. Be armed, be dangerous and be moral.”

REPEATEDLY ATTACKED
In reaching its verdict after more than three days of deliberations, the jury contended with dueling narratives from the defense and prosecution that offered vastly different portrayals of the teenager’s actions on the night of the shootings.

The defense argued that Mr. Rittenhouse had been repeatedly attacked and had shot the men in fear for his life. They said he was a civic-minded teen who carried a medical kit in addition to his gun and was in Kenosha to protect private property after several nights of unrest in the city south of Milwaukee.

The violence followed the police shooting of a Black man named Jacob Blake, who was left paralyzed from the waist down.

The prosecution portrayed Mr. Rittenhouse as a reckless vigilante who provoked the violent encounters and showed no remorse for the men he shot with his AR-15-style rifle.

Wisconsin criminal defense lawyer Daniel Adams, who closely followed the trial, called the verdict “very dramatic but not entirely surprising.”

Most lawyers “who looked at the evidence had a feeling the state would not be able to clear the threshold of disproving self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt,” he said.

Live-streamed and dissected by cable TV pundits daily, the trial unfolded during a time of social and political polarization in the United States. Gun rights are cherished by many Americans and are enshrined in the US Constitution even as the nation experiences a high rate of gun violence and the easy availability of firearms.

Mr. Rittenhouse, who testified that he had no choice but to open fire to protect himself, is viewed as heroic by some pro-gun conservatives who consider the shootings justified. Many on the left view Mr. Rittenhouse as a vigilante and an embodiment of an out-of-control American gun culture.

Protests against racism and police brutality turned violent in many US cities after the police killing of Black man George Floyd in Minneapolis three months before the Kenosha shootings.

The Rittenhouse verdict ended the highest-profile US civilian self-defense case since a man named George Zimmerman was acquitted in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed Black teenager, in Florida in 2013.

With so much of that night in Kenosha caught on cellphone and surveillance video, few basic facts were in dispute. The trial instead focused on whether Mr. Rittenhouse acted reasonably to prevent “imminent death or great bodily harm,” the requirement for using deadly force under Wisconsin law.

The prosecution, led by Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger, sought to paint Mr. Rittenhouse as the aggressor and repeatedly stressed that he was the only one to kill anyone that night.

RISKY DECISION
Mr. Rittenhouse’s gun was loaded with 30 rounds of full metal jacket bullets, which are designed to penetrate their target. The jury saw a series of graphic videos, including the moments after Mr. Rittenhouse fired four rounds into Rosenbaum, who lay motionless, bleeding and groaning. Other video showed Grosskreutz screaming, with blood gushing from his arm.

Mr. Rittenhouse testified in his own defense last Wednesday in the trial’s most dramatic moment — a risky decision by his lawyers given his youth and the prospect of tough prosecution cross-examination. Mr. Rittenhouse broke down sobbing at one point, and emphasized that he acted out of fear for his life.

“I did what I had to do to stop the person who was attacking me,” he said.

His defense counsel, Mark Richards, said Mr. Rittenhouse has difficulty sleeping at night and was being treated for post traumatic stress disorder. He said the defense team decided to have him testify after they tested two versions of their case before mock juries, one with him testifying and one without.

“It was substantially better when we put him on,” Mr. Richards told reporters after the verdict. “In Wisconsin, if you don’t put a client on the stand, you’re going to lose. Period.”

Mr. Rittenhouse testified that he shot Mr. Huber after he had struck him with a skateboard and pulled on his weapon. He said he fired on Mr. Grosskreutz after the man pointed the pistol he was carrying at him — an assertion Mr. Grosskreutz acknowledged under questioning from the defense. Mr. Rittenhouse testified that he shot Mr. Rosenbaum after the man chased him and grabbed his gun.

Mr. Huber’s parents, Karen Bloom and John Huber, said in a statement they were “heartbroken” by the verdict.

“It sends the unacceptable message that armed civilians can show up in any town, incite violence, and then use the danger they have created to justify shooting people in the street.” — Reuters

Lawyer who tried to overturn Trump’s 2020 loss named to election board

November 21, 2021 | 8:01 pm

IN JANUARY, lawyer Cleta Mitchell joined a phone call with then-President Donald Trump as he pressured Georgia’s top election official to “find” enough votes to overturn his defeat in the state, playing an important role in Mr. Trump’s attempts to subvert the 2020 results.

Nearly a year later, the longtime conservative has been appointed to the advisory board of a federal agency with a mission to help states conduct secure elections.

Her surprise appointment to the US Election Assistance Commission’s (EAC) Board of Advisors shows how once-fringe “election integrity” activists are trying to gain footholds in US institutions in the run up to next year’s congressional elections. And it illustrates Mr. Trump’s continued dominance over his party as Ms. Mitchell and other backers of his stolen-election falsehoods win support from powerful Republicans in Congress.

Ms. Mitchell, part of a small network of Republican lawyers who have for decades pushed the idea that US elections are vulnerable to rampant fraud, left her partnership at law firm Foley & Lardner days after the Georgia phone call. She has since been focused on championing “election integrity” as chairwoman of the conservative Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF). She began work at the EAC advisory board on Nov. 3.

Research by election lawyers shows voter fraud in the United States is rare, despite what Mr. Trump and his allies have claimed about voting in 2016, 2018 and 2020.

Ms. Mitchell’s appointment, which was made in August but only came to light this week after a tweet by a reporter with non-profit media organization Votebeat, alarmed Democrats and voting rights groups. Although the 35-member board is an advisory body and does not have any specific powers over voting procedures, critics said the appointment gives legitimacy to someone they accuse of undermining faith in the democratic process in the United States.

“I would expect Mitchell to continue to spread disinformation about the actual integrity of American elections,” said Lisa Graves, executive director of watchdog group True North Research and a former deputy assistant attorney general at the US Department of Justice.

“Putting Mitchell on the advisory board demonstrates how devoted the Trump party is to rewarding those who spread his claims.”

Mitchell pushed back against the criticism, saying “millions of Americans” are concerned about voting integrity.

“The real outliers are the tiny fraction of Americans who oppose voter ID, who promote an avalanche of unverified mail ballots and who work constantly to eliminate procedures that ensure proper election administration,” she said in a statement to Reuters.

The EAC’s four commissioners said in a statement it was not their role to “comment on or criticize” appointments to the Board of Advisors.

Ms. Mitchell was nominated to the board by conservative members on the US Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR), a bipartisan agency that studies allegations of discrimination, including in voting rights.

Her appointment is part of a much larger Republican push to try to exert more control over election administration. At least 18 Republican-led states have passed voting restrictions this year, while backers of false stolen-election claims are running campaigns for secretary of state — the top election official — in election battleground states.

‘HOSTAGE’
Ms. Mitchell said her role was clinched with bipartisan support by the eight-person USCCR, evenly split between conservatives and liberals. But Democratic commissioner Michael Yaki told Reuters that his bloc was subject to a “hostage-like” situation by conservatives.

The commission’s conservative faction refused to ratify Norma Cantu, who was appointed by President Joseph Biden to chair the agency in February, unless certain demands were met, Mr. Yaki and Ms. Cantu said.

“One of the changes the Conservative placed as a condition to ratifying me as the Chair was to create a process for bipartisan nominations to the board of advisors of Elections Assistance Commission,” Ms. Cantu said in a statement to Reuters.

At the time, the USCCR chair put forward nominees, who were then ratified by majority vote, but Republicans asked each of the two political factions to put forward a candidate, Mr. Yaki said.

The conservatives initially wanted J. Christian Adams, a Trump-appointed USCCR commissioner who has, without evidence, alleged “alien invasion” by non-citizens trying to vote illegally in the United States and spent years suing counties to force them to purge voter rolls. Mr. Adams, president of the PILF group, was also a member of Mr. Trump’s election integrity commission, which disbanded without finding evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2016 election.

When Democrats refused to accept Adams, work on the commission stalled, Mr. Yaki said.

Eventually, the two sides reached a deal in which both factions put forward two appointments to boards such as the EAC’s and the opposite side selects one of them.

Mr. Adams told Reuters that the selections should have always been bipartisan. “They weren’t. We fixed that,” he said. “You don’t really think having a bipartisan process is ‘being held hostage do you?’”

On April 30, the USCCR commissioners ratified Ms. Cantu and, minutes later, agreed to change the appointment process. The commission’s four conservatives then put forward two names for the EAC board, according to an internal nomination email reviewed by Reuters: Mr. Adams and Ms. Mitchell.

“Well, do you drink cyanide or hemlock? It’s a Hobson’s choice of nightmarish proportions,” Mr. Yaki said.

Mr. Adams was well-known for his work at PILF whereas Ms. Mitchell was more of an “unknown variable,” Ms. Cantu said. “I am not pleased with the appointment and would have welcomed another choice.” — Reuters

Messi scores maiden Ligue 1 goal as 10-man PSG opens huge lead

November 21, 2021 | 8:00 pm

PARIS — Lionel Messi scored his first Ligue 1 goal as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) opened a 12-point lead at the top despite playing almost half an hour with 10 men in a 3-1 home win against Nantes on Saturday.

Messi scored with a curled left-footer from outside the box three minutes from time, adding to Dennis Appiah’s own goal after Randal Kolo Muani canceled out Kylian Mbappé’s first-half opener.

The result left PSG with 37 points from 14 games ahead of a Champions League trip to Manchester City on Wednesday, while Nantes are 11^th on 18 points.

Stade Rennais moved into provisional second spot on 25 points after goals by Martin Terrier and Lovro Majer gave them a 2-0 home win over 10-man Montpellier.

Messi has scored three goals in the Champions League since joining the capital club from Barcelona during the close season, but the Argentina forward had not found the back of the net in his five previous appearances in Ligue 1.

“I’m happy with this first goal, I really wanted it. I had several chances before in this match and in the previous matches,” said Messi.

“I am very happy with this first goal in the league, I had already scored in the Champions League. I had chances but I didn’t convert them. I am very happy.”

BRILLIANT START
PSG started brilliantly as Mbappé deflected Leandro Paredes’ long-range strike to put the hosts ahead after two minutes.

The attacking trio coordinated nicely, with Mbappé shifting to the right and leaving more space on the inside for Messi, who came close in the 17^th minute after being set up by Neymar.

Mbappé tormented the Nantes defense with his technique and brutal accelerations as he looked to find Messi.

Nantes goalkeeper Alban Lafont kept his team afloat with several saves as the visitors struggled to get into PSG’s half in a one-sided opening half.

Nantes applied some pressure after the break but their attempts were too weak for Navas, who made his first proper save in the 61^st minute to block Ludovic Blas’ strike.

But the keeper was sent off four minutes later for charging into Blas outside his area. With Gianluigi Donnarumma out with a bout of gastroenteritis, Sergio Rico stepped in between the posts and Neymar was sent back to the bench.

Rico made a brilliant save in a packed goalmouth and parried Kolo Muani’s header in the 76^th minute but the striker followed up and netted with a back heel to put the visitors level.

However, Appiah deflected a Messi cross into his own net in the 81^st before the Argentine sent the Parc des Princes crowd into raptures with his trademark curled strike. — Reuters

Jazz pull away in fourth quarter to beat Kings, win third straight

November 21, 2021 | 7:58 pm

1 of 2

MIKE Conley and Rudy Gay contributed 3-pointers to a 12-0 spurt early in the fourth quarter Saturday night as the visiting Utah Jazz broke open a tight game en route to a 123-105 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

Donovan Mitchell went for a game-high 26 points, Rudy Gobert 21 and 14 rebounds, Conley 17 points and Jordan Clarkson 16 in a balanced Utah attack that produced the Jazz’s third straight win, their third against the Kings this season and the second at Sacramento.

Richaun Holmes had a team-high 22 points, Harrison Barnes 18, Tyrese Haliburton 17 and Buddy Hield 16 for the Kings, who dropped their third in a row, including their second in two nights. Sacramento was beaten 108-89 at home by the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.

The Kings hung within 86-82 in the first minute of the final period before Conley ignited the game-breaking run with a layup.

He added a 3-pointer, as did Gay, while Gobert and Clarkson chipped in with hoops as the visitors exploded into a commanding position at 98-82 with 9:09 to go.

The Kings got no closer than 13 after that.

The Jazz led by as many as 12 points in the second quarter, but the Kings rallied into a 66-all tie midway through the third period on a Barnes layup.

A driving layup by Haliburton had the Kings within four in the first minute of the fourth quarter before the Jazz ran off.

Hassan Whiteside also notched a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Bojan Bogdanović added 10 points for Utah, which had lost its previous two road games at Miami and Orlando.

The Jazz outshot Sacramento 50.5% to 45.1% overall and outscored the hosts 51-30 on 3-pointers. Conley, Mitchell, Clarkson and Joe Ingles drilled three 3-pointers apiece.

Conley’s 3-pointers came on just four attempts. He shot 7-for-10 overall.

Barnes added team-highs with eight rebounds and five assists for Sacramento, which lost its fourth straight at home. The Kings were outrebounded 52-35.

De’Aaron Fox finished with 13 points for Sacramento, while Haliburton had a game-high four steals to complement his 17 points. — Reuters

Zverev beats Djokovic, will face Medvedev in Turin final

November 21, 2021 | 7:58 pm

TURIN, Italy — Alexander Zverev overcame late nerves to secure a (7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3) victory over world number one Novak Djokovic on Saturday to set up a final showdown with Daniil Medvedev at the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Finals.

After splitting the first two sets, unforced errors began to creep into Djokovic’s game in the third and he sent a backhand long to hand Zverev his first service break of the match for a 3-1 lead.

Two games later, the 24-year-old German appeared to get tight, taking speed off his first serves and pushing his groundstrokes, which opened the door for the resilient Djokovic to break back.

But Zverev pounded a second serve Djokovic could not handle to grab a 5-2 lead before sealing the match with his 14^th ace.

“Once Novak gets into a rhythm on the return, he’s very difficult, so I tried different things,” Zverev said.

“I would have been happy to double fault at times, but I did not want to let him get into a rhythm. I’m happy that I won, but the match could have gone either way.”

The victory prevented Djokovic from having a shot at winning a sixth title at the season-ending tournament, which would have tied him with Roger Federer’s record haul. Zverev won the title in 2018.

MEDVEDEV CRUSHES RUUD
Earlier in the day, defending champion Medvedev stormed into the final after crushing Norway’s Casper Ruud (6-4, 6-2).

Medvedev started strongly against Ruud, breaking early to take a 2-1 lead in the first set and dictating play from the back of the court as Ruud struggled to contend with his opponent’s deep groundstrokes.

The second set followed a similar pattern to the first, with Medvedev racing into a 4-2 lead before closing out the match in 80 minutes, sending down 17 winners and making just 14 unforced errors in the one-sided victory.

The 25-year-old US Open champion said one key to success was to never let up regardless of what the scoreboard says.

“As soon as you are a set and a breakup, you feel like you are in control, but that is where the danger is,” Medvedev said.

“You need to stay focused and fight for every point. In the last game, I had 0-30 on my serve and, until the last point, it is never over. So, I am happy I was able to finish it.”

Medvedev went undefeated in the round-robin stage of the season-ending tournament with wins over Hubert Hurkacz, Zverev and Jannik Sinner before dispatching Ruud.

“I think all the matches were a great level. Different opponents and different styles,” he said.

The result marked world number two Medvedev’s ninth win in a row at the ATP Finals and he improved his head-to-head record over Ruud to 3-0.

The Russian holds a 6-5 lead in head-to-head matches against world number three Zverev, including a (6-3, 6-7(3), 7-6(6)) round-robin win earlier this week.

“There are a few things that I might change, but it was 8-6 in the third set,” Zverev said when asked how he will prepare for Sunday’s final.

“We’re two of the three best players in the world tomorrow on the court. It’s going to be a difficult match no matter what.” — Reuters

Peng Shuai appears in Beijing; WTA not reassured

November 21, 2021 | 7:57 pm

BEIJING — Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, whose whereabouts have been a matter of international concern for weeks, attended a tennis tournament in Beijing on Sunday, according to official photos published by the tournament organized by China Open.

Peng can be seen among guests at the Fila Kids Junior Tennis Challenger Finals, dressed in dark blue jacket and white trousers, according to the pictures published on the event’s official WeChat page.

The former doubles world number one had not been seen or heard from publicly since she said on Chinese social media on Nov. 2 that former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli had coerced her into sex and they later had an on-off consensual relationship.

Neither Zhang nor the Chinese government have commented on her allegation. Peng’s social media post was quickly deleted and the topic has been blocked from discussion on China’s heavily censored Internet.

World tennis bodies have expressed concern, with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) threatening to pull tournaments out of China. The United States and Britain have called for evidence of Peng’s whereabouts and safety.

The photographs and video footage of Peng that emerged on Sunday remain “insufficient” and do not address the WTA’s concerns, a spokesperson for the group told Reuters by e-mail.

The US and British embassies in Beijing did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment on Peng’s Sunday appearance in the Chinese capital.

Peng also visited a popular restaurant in downtown Beijing on Saturday night. Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the state-backed Global Times, posted a video of the outing, which a restaurant manager confirmed to Reuters on Sunday.

Seven people including Peng were at the Sichuanese restaurant, said the manager, Zhou Hongwei, adding that they ate in a private room and were joined by the restaurant’s owner.

“It was crowded at the restaurant as usual,” Zhou said, showing a bill that included noodles and bamboo shoots. “They didn’t have much. I think they mostly chatted.”

PENG’S SAFETY
The issue of Peng’s safety and whereabouts has emerged as China prepares to host the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February amid calls from global rights groups and others for a boycott over its human rights record.

Searches for Peng’s name on popular Chinese microblog Weibo continued to yield no results on Sunday, and discussions about her initial accusations have been blocked on social media.

Chinese state media outlet CGTN on Wednesday released what it said was an e-mail Peng had sent to WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon, in which she said the allegation of assault was untrue. Twitter is blocked in China.

Hu of the Global Times also tweeted Peng’s Sunday appearance at the tennis tournament. The Global Times is published by the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party.

Videos posted by Hu and a Global Times reporter showed her smiling, waving and signing autographs for children.

The 37-second video posted showed Peng standing in a row of people being introduced to the audience. An announcer says, “Two-time Grand Slam champion, former world number one in woman’s doubles — Peng Shuai!” She waves, smiling, and acknowledges applause.

Global Times chief reporter Chen Qingqing posted a 31-second video apparently from the same event. Peng appears to sign oversized tennis balls for children and pose with them for pictures.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the authenticity of the images, which were both credited to Global Times staffer Cui Meng. — Reuters

Cavs resiliency

November 21, 2021 | 7:57 pm

One of the most surprising developments unfolding over the first month of the National Basketball Association’s 2021-22 campaign has been the Cavaliers’ competitiveness. They weren’t supposed to be good, regardless of the relative strength — or lack thereof — of their schedule to date. Yet, they’ve more than held their own despite their seemingly talent-challenged roster; notwithstanding losses in their last three games, they’re a heady nine and eight, good for eighth in the tough Eastern Conference, where others have likewise enjoyed hot starts.

To be sure, it’s hard to draw any lasting conclusions from a small sample size. After all, the Cavaliers were similarly positioned last year, only to go on a swoon the rest of the way; they were eight and seven through their first 15 matches, but managed to win in just 15 of their final 57 outings. That said, there can be no doubting the strides they have made; even casual observers would concede that they looked, well, cohesive on the court — perhaps at no time since one LeBron James left the scene in 2018, and after which they predictably looked lost.

The question, of course, is whether the Cavaliers can sustain their outstanding play for the duration of the season. It isn’t simply that the odds favor a regression to the mean. It’s that they’ve been hit by significant injuries to vital cogs. Starting point guard Collin Sexton is lost for the foreseeable future, having just gone under the knife to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Meanwhile, overachieving rookie Evan Mobley figures to be sidelined for up to four weeks due to a ligament strain in his left elbow. The developments will definitely cramp head coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s substitution preferences.

All told, the Cavaliers have made progress, but the league’s usual grind figures to throw a monkey wrench to their hopes of exceeding preconceived notions. Perhaps the turn of events will prove beneficial to them in the final analysis; there’s nothing worse than middle-of-the-pack slates that sacrifice draft positioning for one-and-one stints in the postseason. Which is not to say they won’t survive — or thrive in — the challenge before them. How they respond to it should either underscore their resiliency or put them in their place.

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.

SEC clears share offerings of Haus Talk, EEI

November 19, 2021 | 8:49 pm

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has cleared the initial public offering (IPO) of property developer Haus Talk, Inc. and the preferred share offering of construction firm EEI Corp.

In a news release on Friday, the SEC said it “considered favorably” both offerings during the Commission En Banc meeting on Nov. 18, making effective the registration statements of Haus Talk for 2.5 billion common shares and that of EEI Corp. for 60 million perpetual preferred shares.

The SEC resolution is subject to the companies’ compliance with certain remaining requirements.

Haus Talk will offer up to 500 million of its common shares to the public at P1.50 apiece.

Meanwhile, EEI will offer a maximum of 40 million non-voting perpetual preferred shares to the public, with an oversubscription option of up to 20 million preferred shares, priced at P100 each.

The SEC said Haus Talk expects net proceeds of up to P723.70 million from its offer, while EEI expects to net about P5.95 billion if its oversubscription option is fully subscribed.

Proceeds from Haus Talk’s IPO will be used to acquire land, develop projects, and for general corporate purposes.

On the other hand, proceeds from EEI’s offer are allotted for financing of the company’s future projects and for new equipment, to pay its existing short-term loans, and for general corporate purposes and working capital requirements.

The issue manager and underwriter for Haus Talk’s offer is Investment and Capital Corp. of the Philippines, while EEI’s is RCBC Capital Corp., which will also serve as the joint lead underwriter and bookrunner along with SB Capital Investment Corp.

EEI’s preferred share offer will run from Dec. 9 to 15, “in time for the shares’ listing on the [stock exchange] on Dec. 24.”

Haus Talk is a residential real estate developer established in 2004 with projects based in Antipolo City and Laguna.

The company has sold about 1,900 housing units, and has around 2,300 more units in development until 2023.

EEI, on the other hand, is one of the lead construction and engineering companies in the country focused mainly on the construction of large-scale heavy and light industrial projects, infrastructure, and property development projects.

Shares in EEI at the stock exchange went up by 0.16% or one centavo on Friday to close at P6.43 apiece. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

AC Logistics, Glacier Megafridge building cold storage facility in Mindanao

November 19, 2021 | 8:46 pm

AC Logistics Holdings Corp. and Glacier Megafridge, Inc. are building a cold chain facility in Cagayan de Oro City to serve businesses in Northern Mindanao.

The two logistics companies broke ground for the project on Nov. 18. The facility is expected to start operations in 2022, AC Logistics said in an e-mailed statement on Friday.

“We envision a closed loop corridor that preserves and prolongs shelf life of both local and imported meat and poultry, fish catch and farm produce from traders, manufacturers and producers in and around the region,” Glacier Megafridge President and Chief Executive Officer Arturo C. Yan said.

Demand for vaccine storage, food, and import goods are increasing the need for cold chain facilities.

AC Logistics said there is a shortage in capacity to meet the growth in the country’s cold storage needs for food production and consumption.

“The current need to keep and preserve temperature-sensitive vaccines and other healthcare products in cold storage facilities exacerbates the shortfall,” it noted.

In July, the Cold Chain Association of the Philippines said there would be a 10% growth in the country’s cold storage industry capacity this year, with 50,000 new pallets to be added to the existing 500,000.

Over half or 60% of the additional capacity will be located in Luzon, while 40% will be in Mindanao.

Mr. Yan said bringing facilities closer to key sources of food provides “prospect of better incomes for farmers and fishermen, [as well as] safe, secure and sufficient products at stable prices to consumers.” — Arjay L. Balinbin