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MLB cheating

“Bizarre” is a word that seems appropriately applied to just about all aspects of Major League Baseball these days. For some time now, the organization that should stand for the best in the sport has instead been under a cloud showing its worst. It wasn’t simply that players on a team conspired to cheat. It was that those players found themselves rewarded with a championship for their efforts. And then, even after their transgressions were officially exposed, they somehow got to escape punishment AND keep the prize they shouldn’t have won in the first place.

Over the weekend, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred went public with his reasons for handing out punishments to manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow while seemingly allowing the actual transgressors — not coincidentally also the masterminds — to go scot-free. Interestingly, his explanations touched on both practical and legal considerations. Granting players immunity, he said, was the only way he could get to the bottom of the story. At the same time, he noted that the union would have been all over him had he sanctioned them for violations of rules their superiors failed to cascade to them.

For all the justifications Manfred has brandished, however, there can be no going around the perception that his response was extremely wanting. The Astros committed a mortal sin; they undermined the integrity of the game. And yet they got to keep their 2017 title. Never mind the ramifications of their betrayal of the highest order on others; in a zero-sum setting, what they did benefited them AND handicapped everybody else. Having him defend the offshoot in a press conference over the weekend was bad enough. That he then characterized the Word Series trophy — named after his office, by the way — as “a piece of metal” was simply inexcusable.

In retrospect, “bizarre” doesn’t even come close to describing Manfred’s effective devaluation of the sport’s ultimate objective. Or the decision that had the league’s own broadcast network airing yet another rerun of Bull Durham instead of carrying his press conference live. Or the defiant mea culpa Astros owner Jim Crane issued. Or the misplaced anger that had shortstop Carlos Correa arguing, “if you don’t know the facts, then you’ve got to shut the f — up.” Or protagonists’ obsession with proving or disproving so-called instances of gross dishonesty. The otherwise ludicrous has become commonplace, and with increasing frequency still. And all because the league’s supposed caretakers have refused to take risks that the defrauders did.

It’s sad, really, because all and sundry want to move on. Spring training is about to start, and players and fans want the focus to be on the games and on performances. Unless and until questions on the fairness of the proceedings are settled, however, all those from the outside looking in will see is how the Astros got away, how the Red Sox are about to get away as well, and how everybody else is paying the price. The league wants nothing more than to move on, but burying the lede isn’t the solution. So what if the commissioner’s office would have lost on appeals? It should have dropped the hammer on the erring quarters, and thusly sent the right message. Instead, it’s doing a lot of backpedaling in defending the wrong one — one that won’t end soon, and one that won’t do anybody any good.

 

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.

Filipinos from virus-hit cruise ship to come home

THE country’s top diplomat has ordered the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo to facilitate the immediate return of about 500 Filipinos aboard a novel coronavirus-stricken cruise ship docked in Yokohama.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. ordered the repatriation after the passengers of Diamond Princess off Japan’s coast completed a two-week quarantine.

“It’s our duty to take care of our overseas Filipinos wherever they are,” he tweeted. “I want them home now.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs in a statement said one of the 41 Filipinos on the cruise ship who tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had been treated and was set to be discharged on Wednesday.

All of those who tested positive were crew members of the Carnival Corp.-operated cruise liner. They were confined in hospitals in Japan and were responding well to the treatment, it said.

“All Filipino crew and passengers who are cleared for disembarkation from the vessel will be assisted by the embassy and Princess Cruises, and will be repatriated back to the Philippines at the soonest possible time,” DFA said in a statement.

“Filipinos who are in hospital for treatment will be repatriated as soon as the hospitals grant them medical clearance,” it added.

The Filipinos must undergo another 14-day quarantine in the Philippines, Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said at a briefing.

The ship had been kept in quarantine since Feb. 3 after a passenger, who disembarked in Hong Kong, was found to have been infected with the virus that has killed more than 2,000 people and sickened about 74,000 more, mostly in China.

The Philippines earlier this month repatriated 30 Filipinos from Wuhan City in China, where the virus was first detected.

The repatriates were staying inside a sports complex in Tarlac for a two-week quarantine. — with CAT

NCMH officials sued for buying faulty CT scans

GOVERNMENT investigators filed graft charges against 20 officials and employees of the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) for buying defective CT scans worth P30.4 million.

Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation also sued the officials and three private citizens for violating the Procurement Act and for gross negligence and serious dishonesty.

The mental health center paid the supplier P24.5 million even if the equipment were inoperable, NBI said in a statement.

The procurement was split into four contracts worth a total of P30.4 million but the approved budget was only P26.8 million, it said.

The officials split the amounts “purposely to circumvent the requirements of the law and the necessity of competitive bidding,” NBI said.

It also said the officials accepted the delivery even if the suppliers failed to comply with the testing and commissioning provision of the contracts.

The center also allegedly failed to seek damages worth P4.8 million for the delayed delivery.

“What is more disadvantageous to the government is that the warranty provision lapsed while the entire CT scan project was neither functional nor operational,” NBI said.

The CT scan building was supposed to be built and bid out by phases but there was “no clear delineation of work for each phase and no detailed engineering activities” to justify the phases, NBI said, citing procurement documents.

In July last year, agents filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against officials and a contractor due to irregularities in the procurement and payment of the center’s pavilion worth P60.4 million. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

IBP says possible gag order won’t cover Congress hearings

A STATE attempt to silence a media company critical of President Rodrigo R. Duterte should not prevent Congress from hearing its application for a franchise extension, a lawyer’s group said on Wednesday.

A potential judicial “gag order” would only cover the parties in a lawsuit and should not “deprive Congress as a co-equal and independent branch of government of its constitutional power and authority to look into the ABS-CBN franchise,” Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) President Domingo Egon Q. Cayosa said in a statement.

The Office of the Solicitor General this week asked the Supreme Court to issue a gag order on ABS-CBN pending a lawsuit it filed seeking to revoke the broadcaster’s franchise that is expiring next month.

Solicitor General Jose C. Calida accused ABS-CBN of engaging in propaganda, citing reports and statements by showbiz personalities on its news website allegedly to influence the court.

While the government’s chief government lawyer can invoke the high court’s contempt powers, the tribunal should balance this power with press freedom, Mr. Cayosa said.

He also said the 1987 Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and the right of the people to information.

Mr. Calida earlier asked the court to revoke ABS-CBN’s franchise, accusing it of using an “elaborately crafted corporate veil” to allow foreign investors to take part in its ownership.

The media network has denied the allegations.

Meanwhile, Senator Ralph G. Recto said ABS-CBN’s alleged franchise violations were “not fatally defective” to deny its renewal.

“I’ve seen the complaints more or less and I think none of these complaints are fatally defective that it would warrant not to extend the franchise,” he said at a briefing.

He added that if the broadcaster had indeed violated the terms of its franchise, the National Telecommunications Commission should have stepped in already. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas and C.A. Tadalan

100-year old Marinduque celebrates culture and nature

MARINDUQUE IS celebrating its centennial founding anniversary this week with activities highlighting the island province’s nature destinations and cultural heritage beyond its iconic masks that are featured during the annual Moriones Festival. “(T)he province is putting its best foot forward with the wide array of festivities to showcase its rich cultural heritage, native crafts, language, natural attractions, and the warm character of its people,” Governor Presbitero J. Velasco, Jr. said in a statement from the local tourism office. The unveiling of the plaque for the Boac Cathedral as an Important Cultural Property — declared by the National Museum of the Philippines in December 2018 — kicked off the celebration on Monday. Other events lined up are: launch of the Centennial Monument and the Bantayog-Wika, an initiative of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, and the provincial government, in recognition of Marinduque’s vernacular as among the roots of the national language; an art workshop led by artist Fernando Sena, a native of Gasan town; agro-trade and tourism fair organized by the Marinduque Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Department of Trade and Industry; and the 4×4 Offroad Jeep Club Philippines National Jamboree opening and the Centennial Heritage Tour, which will both go around the province’s tourist spots.

Starhorse Shipping Lines operates several roll on-roll off ferry trips daily between the Lucena City port in Quezon and Marinduque.

Chinese national who spat at traffic enforcer arrested by BI

THE CHINESE national who spat at a Manila traffic enforcer, with the video of the incident going viral on social media, was arrested by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) on February 17. In a statement on Wednesday, Commissioner Jaime H. Morente identified the Chinese national as 50-year old Zhou Zhiyi, who is now facing violations of the immigration law apart from earlier charges. “I immediately dispatched a team of operatives from our Intelligence Division to effect his immediate arrest so he could also be charged for violating our immigration laws,” Mr. Morente said. Acting BI Intelligence Chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. also said the foreigner has been found to have an expired tourist visa and will be charged for overstaying. It was earlier reported that Mr. Zhou tried to evade traffic enforcers who flagged him for violating the number coding scheme. In his attempt to flee, his vehicle hit several cars and motorcycles. Authorities also found suspected illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia in his vehicle. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

MinDA partners with CMU, iFresh for agribusiness program

DAVAO CITY — The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) has teamed up with a Mindanao-based university and an agricultural trading firm for an agribusiness program focusing on poor and conflict-affected communities.

MinDA, in a statement, announced that it signed on Tuesday a memorandum of agreement with the Central Mindanao University (CMU) in Bukidnon and iFresh Corp. for the New Harmonizing Opportunities for People Empowerment (HOPE) Program.

Under New HOPE, MinDA aims to partner with various state universities and colleges for the development of training facilities on agribusiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy across Mindanao, while the private sector will assist in marketing and linking communities to local and international buyers.

The target beneficiaries are former rebel combatants, returning overseas Filipino workers, and victims of calamities such as the series of earthquakes last year.

“To sustain the peace and development gains of the Duterte administration, we have started these intervention programs to help transform war zones into economic development zones and deliver meaningful socio-economic interventions through access to livelihood opportunities,” said Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol, chair of MinDA.

The MinDA-CMU-iFresh partnership involves the establishment of a facility for free range chicken propagation and processing, according to CMU President Jesus Antonio G. Derije.

Mr. Derjie said they are also planning to develop the site for agri-tourism with complete biosecurity measures.

“We are looking at this facility as a ‘chicken haven’, which will showcase local varieties of chicken in Mindanao,” he said.

Mr. Piñol also said that a business group from Qatar has already expressed interest in buying free range chicken from Mindanao.

To complement the New HOPE Program, MiNDA will also be implementing the Livelihood in Villages for Economic Upliftment (LOVE-U) project wherein those who have completed the trainings will be given capital assistance to start their agribusiness ventures.

“This is simple and practical agriculture. We need to give people the opportunity to raise chicken not just for food, but as a way to make a living,” he said. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

Entry of provincial buses in Davao City center to be limited with HPBS

PROVINCIAL BUSES will be restricted from entering the Davao City central area once the six new terminals are constructed alongside the rollout of the High Priority Bus System (HPBS). “The plan is also to limit these provincial buses from entering the city. Ngayon kasi ang lahat ng (Currently, all) provincial buses pumapasok sa (go into the) Davao City Overland Transport Terminal,” Assistant City Administrator Tristan Dwight P. Domingo said in a briefing last week. There will be three major terminals located in Toril, Calinan, and Bunawan, which are near the border areas, while three other smaller depots will be built within the city center. The construction of the bus terminals will be funded from a P650-million city government allocation.

‘WALKABLE CITY’ SURVEY
Meanwhile, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has given the go signal for a survey relating to the establishment of a “Walkable Davao City.” In a statement on Monday, PSA said the survey, proposed by the National Economic and Development Authority Regional Office-11 (NEDA-11) and to be conducted by Certeza Infosys Corp., is intended “to gather data that will be used to evaluate the value of walking and walkability in terms of the quality of walking conditions, the degree of walking safety, and comfort and convenience of walking in Davao City.” It will cover three project sites — Ecoland/Matina, Lanang, and Poblacion — involving individual surveys, informant interviews, and focus group discussions. NEDA 11 will use the resulting walkability model in Davao City for the development of “walkable spaces” in other cities in the Davao Region. The survey results are expected to be released in April this year. — Maya M. Padillo

Preparing for waste management plan presentation 

ORMOC MAYOR Richard I. Gomez (standing) rehearses his presentation on the city government’s 10-year Solid Waste Management Plan on Wednesday in preparation for today’s actual run before officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Representatives of 40 local government units are presenting their respective waste management plans in a DENR-led activity to be held in the city. Ormoc opened its 1.8-hectare sanitary landfill in 2012, and the current government is considering a waste-to-energy project as a future alternative.

Nationwide round-up

PhilHealth officials face complaint over alleged inaction on anomalous OFW contributions

PHILSTAR

PHILIPPINE HEALTH Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) officials are facing a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman for alleged inaction over anomalous transactions reported to them. The case was filed by lawyer Harry L. Roque, Jr. and Ken P. Sarmiento, a former PhilHealth employee. The complainants said the failure of the agency’s officials to “act and provide resolution to the anomalous transactions made known to them” caused P16.58 million worth of “undue injury to the government, PhilHealth and OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers)-PhilHealth members.” The respondents include former regional vice-president Dennis S. Mas; former Officer-in-Charge (OIC) for the Office of the Chief Operating Officer Ruben John A. Basa; and OIC vice-presidents Narisa J. Sugay and Gilda Salvacion A. Diaz. They are accused of dereliction of duty, grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service. The complaint stems from 224 questionable PhilHealth official receipts (POR) that were discovered by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), the complainants said. PORs are used to inquire on the status of the OFW-member’s coverage. After the PORs failed the verification procedures, Mr. Sarmiento drafted 15 Affidavit Complaints and submitted these to the Anti-Fraud Division of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). “The Affidavit Complaints argued that the falsification of 224 PORs and possibly 868 other PORs were committed by a syndicate consisting of both currently-employed and then-employed Liaison Officers of Hiring Agencies. These Affidavit Complaints have remained pending without any legal disposition since their filing,” part of the complaint said. “From the foregoing, it is clear that the Respondents acted with gross inexcusable negligence when they failed to act and respond to the anomalous transactions,” the complainants said. — Genshen L. Espedido

House committee postpones constitutional amendments voting

THE HOUSE of Representatives committee on constitutional amendments has postponed the voting on the proposed amendments to the Constitution to give lawmakers more time for discussions. “So we cannot say yet when it will be voted on because of the strong discussions. Everybody wants to participate and we would like to have that full discussion,” Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez, committee chair, told reporters at the sideline of the hearing on Wednesday. Mr. Rodriguez said the panel will further study the proposals of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Federalism and Constitutional Reform (IATF) and will give “each and every member” a chance to comment. “As I see it we are still on page four, so we have about more than 20 pages… so we will keep this really full discussion of every proposal of the IATF,” he said. Among the proposals are regulations on campaign funds, restricting political dynasties, anti-turncoatism or switching political parties, election of senators by region, five-year terms for congressional representatives and local officials, and the lifting of limitations on foreign investment. The committee’s approved proposals will be included in the report to be submitted for plenary debate. Mr. Rodriguez said they aim to have another hearing next week. — Genshen L. Espedido

Nation at a Glance — (02/20/20)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Nation at a Glance — (02/20/20)

Local pork industry takes hit with the African swine fever

It isn’t only Covid-19 that is sending jitters throughout the international community. The global pork industry today is feeling the strain of a health scare in the form of the African swine fever (ASF). In Indonesia, officials confirmed the first outbreak of the ASF in December, spurring fears that it could reach Australia and lead to stricter biosecurity measures. At least 30,000 pigs have died in the province of North Sumatra where the pig population is 1.2 million.

In the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture (DA) confirmed cases of the fever in Kalinga and Benguet this month, saying laboratory examinations from five areas in the Cordillera – Tanudan, Bulanao, and Tabuk towns in Kalinga, and Beckel (La Trinidad) and Camp 1 (Tuba) in Benguet – have tested positive. Davao Occidental, meanwhile, is under a state of calamity, with up to 10,000 pigs affected by ASF in some of its municipalities.

Don Marcelino, one of the towns in Davao Occidental, has already implemented a total ban on the transport and sale of hogs, all pork products, and by-products since January 31, after approximately 1,000 pigs died due to the disease. “Eight barangays within Don Marcelino ang naka-cordoned off para di kakalat ang disease (were cordoned off so that the disease will not spread),” Agriculture Secretary William Dar said in a media briefing.

Local pork industry takes a hit

The Philippines is the world’s 10th-largest pork consumer. It is also the world’s 7th-biggest pork importer. It comes as no surprise then that the local swine industry is one of the country’s most lucrative trades, worth Php 200 billion or US $5 billion and contributing 18.28% to the country’s agricultural output in 2015 – second only to rice.

This is why disease outbreaks cause serious economic and production losses. (Environmentalist and Best Alternatives Campaign founder Gregg Yan pegs the losses at Php 1 billion or US $20 million per month.) Once an animal contracts ASF, it has little chance of surviving coupled with a huge chance of spreading the virus to other animals. Affected animals are thus usually destroyed to prevent undue suffering and to contain the spread of disease.

Not a public health threat

The African swine fever is a viral disease which affects domestic and wild pigs. It can be spread through live or dead hogs, plus anything which has come in contact with tainted meat: knives, wastewater, and even an undisinfected worker’s hands. In fact, Marivic F. Hubac, Head Executive Assistant and ASF spokesperson of the Province of Davao Occidental, says that “our close contact with ASF-infected pigs are said to be the wide cause of its widespread.” Symptoms of the highly-contagious disease include high fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. There is no approved vaccine to this illness that kills about 80 percent of the pigs it infects.

Countries with confirmed cases are subject to international trade restrictions aimed at reducing the risk of introduction of the disease through trade. Because ASF only impacts pigs and not humans, it is therefore not a public health threat, according to the US Department of Agriculture. It cannot be transmitted to humans through contact with pigs or pork.

Mitigation measures

The Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) and Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) are attempting to stamp out the virus through improved biosecurity, quarantine, area-wide bans, and preventive culling.

In Davao Occidental – where a majority of the hog raisers are backyard and outdoor farms – the Governor has banned swill feeding, or the practice of feeding leftover food to pigs. There is also an ongoing ASF awareness campaign as well as a total lockdown on the movement of pigs and the distribution and/or sale of pork and processed pork products within the province. Hubac shares that owners whose pigs were affected by the DA’s protocol guideline (or those within a kilometer radius from the infected area) were advised to surrender their hogs to the barangay center for culling and proper disposal.

The Agriculture Department is paying Php 5,000 per head of culled pig, regardless of age, and is providing Php 30,000 worth of loans to the affected hog raisers.

Supply and demand

Isa Q. Tan, editor of Asian Pork Magazine, says the incidence of ASF has made the dynamics of supply and demand in the local pork industry pretty strange. While infected areas are limiting the movement of pigs, non-infected areas are enacting a pork and pork products ban as a preventive measure. This has resulted in an undersupply in the latter and an oversupply in the former.

Tan says the Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon areas, which together make up the biggest market for pork, have already been very much affected by ASF. “The losses have been staggering. While right now there seems to be enough supply of pork, from what I’ve been hearing this will not be the case a few months from now. Many farms have either lost their animals due to the disease or have been depopulating because they fear they would get hit by it and are cutting their losses short.”

Containment through biosecurity

The pressing concern now is the management, control, and containment of the virus. Biosecurity, or the methods that are used to stop a disease or infection from spreading from one person, animal, or place to others, is the main tool against ASF. It is not, however, universally implemented in the Philippines, even among commercial producers.

“There are rumors that ASF has spread to other parts of Mindanao. The biggest fear would be how ASF might affect GenSan, the biggest pork-producing region in Mindanao, and whose production is predominantly ‘exported’ to other provinces, particularly Cebu. Key production areas like Northern Mindanao and Davao City could also be affected,” Tan adds.

The Bureau of Animal Industry urges hog raisers to immediately report disease incidents to their respective Municipal, City or Provincial Veterinary Office or call the DA Crisis Management Task Force at 09951329339 (Globe) at 09208543119 (Smart).