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Regional Updates (11/03/20)

Storm Siony landfall in Batanes possible by Friday

TROPICAL STORM Siony intensified on Tuesday morning with its center located 565 kilometers (km) east of Basco, Batanes, but was moving slowly and is forecasted to be “almost stationary” in the next 24 hours, according to weather bureau PAGASA. Siony, with international name Atsani, could make landfall in the Batanes-Babuyan Islands area on Friday, but PAGASA said “there remains a high degree of uncertainty in the forecast track” due to the storm’s quasi-stationary state. It was packing winds of 85 km/hour and gustiness of up to 105 km/h. Combined rains from Siony and the northeasterly winds were expected to affect the provinces of Batanes, Apayao, Cagayan, and Isabela. The tropical storm, the 19th to enter the country this year, is forecasted to be out of the Philippine area by Saturday morning.

AboitizPower’s TVI turns over P10.2 million to Toledo City beneficiaries

ABOITIZPOWER unit Therma Visayas, Inc. (TVI) has turned over P10.2 million to Toledo City in line with a Department of Energy regulation requiring power firms to provide financial benefits to host communities. TVI operates the 340 megawatt Toledo Baseload Power Plant in the city’s Barangay Bato. Of the total fund, P5.9 million went to Toledo City and the rest to the community of Barangay Bato. AboitizPower, in a statement on Tuesday, said the funds were used to support the city’s programs in its fight against the coronavirus and for relief goods for over 3,200 families in Barangay Bato. Under Energy Regulation 1-94, power generation companies are mandated to give one centavo per kilowatt-hour of total electricity sales to host communities. — Angelica Y. Yang

7 Abu Sayyaf members killed in Sulu Sea encounter

SEVEN MEMBERS of the Abu Sayyaf, a kidnap-for-ranson group that has ties to the extremist Islamic State, were killed in an early Tuesday morning encounter at the Sulu Sea, the military reported. The Philippine Army, in a statement, said troops of the Joint Task Force Sulu intercepted a speed boat carrying the group at 2:15 a.m. in the open waters near Sulare Island in Sulu. One of those killed was identified as Madsmar Sawadjaan, brother of terror bomber Mundi Sawadjaan, and another was Mannul Sawadjaan, known as the replacement of Abu Sayyaf senior leader Hajan Sawadjaan who was recently killed. The five other casualties have yet to be identified. Commander Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, Jr., head of the military’s Western Mindanao Command, said the group was planning to conduct kidnapping activities in mainland Mindanao. “Exchanges of fires transpired which lasted for 25 minutes and resulted in the sinking of the boat utilized by more or less seven (Abu Sayyaf) members,” Mr. Vinluan said in a separate statement. There was no reported casualty among government troops.

Typhoon Rolly crop damage tally raised to P2B

AGRICULTURAL DAMAGE caused by Typhoon Rolly (international name: Goni) is now estimated at P2 billion, up from the previous tally of P1.75 billion, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

In a virtual briefing Tuesday, DA Field Operations Service Director Roy M. Abaya said that the typhoon caused the loss of some 116,962 metric tons (MT) of produce, while 30,094 farmers and fisherfolk were affected. Damage was reported across 26,896 hectares of farmland.

The storm affected producers of rice, corn, high-value crops, livestock, and fish, as well as various agricultural facilities.

Damage to the rice crop was estimated at P1.11 billion. Some 62,444 MT were lost across 20,013 hectares, while 19,280 farmers were affected.

Losses to high-value crops amounted to P791 million on volume of 50,581 MT. The storm affected 5,266 hectares of agricultural land and 9,673 farmers.

Damage to corn was valued at P68.92 million, aquaculture P17.76 million, capture fisheries P4.53 million, and livestock P269,520. Damage to agricultural facilities was tallied at P10.58 million.

At the briefing, Mr. Abaya said the total damage from the Typhoon Quinta, the storm preceding Rolly, amounted to P2.56 billion, with some 145,577 MT of lost produce. The typhoon affected 47,864 across 88,252 hectares.

This brought the combined damage estimates from the two typhoons to P4.56 billion, which is set to climb as further reports come in.

Lost production due to the two typhoons amounted to 262,539 MT across 115,148 hectares of farmland, with farmers and fisherfolk reporting damage at 77,958.

Mr. Abaya said the combined typhoon damage to the rice crop, currently at 170,000 MT, accounts for less than 1% of the annual target rice output of around 20 million MT.

“This is small. The country’s ending stocks of rice at the end of the year, ranging from 102 to 110 days’ (consumption) is more than enough. The impact is very minimal,” Mr. Abaya said.

According to the DA, affected farmers and fisherfolk can avail of assistance packages such as the P400-million quick response fund, the P300-million loan fund of the survival and recovery program of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council, and indemnification from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Typhoon Rolly damage to power co-ops initially estimated at P30.5 million

ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES (ECs) sustained damage estimated initially at P30.5 million during the transit of Typhoon Rolly (international name: Goni), according to the National Electrification Administration (NEA) in a power situation report Tuesday.

The typhoon, which was officially classified as a supertyphoon, retained much of its strength as it arrived in the Bicol Region before later weakening after crossing the Sierra Madre mountain range.

As such, NEA data obtained by BusinessWorld showed that the highest levels of damage were reported by three electric cooperatives in Camarines Sur as of 7 a.m. on Tuesday.

The Camarines Sur III Electric Cooperative, Inc. valued its damage at P17.6 million. The Camarines Sur II Electric Cooperatives, Inc. incurred the second highest loss at P7.3 million, and the Camarines Sur I Electric Cooperatives, Inc., reported the third highest damage at P2.9 million.

There is still no electricity in Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Albay and Sorsogon, the NEA’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management office reported  Tuesday.

In these provinces, except for Catanduanes, eight ECs reported that power transmission was unavailable as of Tuesday morning. The ECs were the various branches of CASURECO, Camarines Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc., Albay Electric Cooperative, Inc., and Sorsogon I and II Electric Cooperatives.

In the Mimaropa Region, which consists of Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan, the Marinduque Electric Cooperative, Inc. and Romblon Electric Cooperative, Inc. have reported power interruptions in parts of their coverage areas.

Power restoration efforts are still ongoing at the Bicol-Region power distributor Masbate Electric Cooperative, Inc. In the Calabarzon Region (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), restoration is proceeding in the coverage areas of Quezon I Electric Cooperative, Inc., First Laguna Electric Cooperative, Inc., and Batangas I and II Electric Cooperatives.

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, through the Energy Department, said in a separate statement Tuesday that eight 230 Kilovolt (kV) transmission lines and five 69 kV lines in Southern Luzon were currently down. Meanwhile, the 350 kV Naga-Ormoc high-voltage direct current line is “still isolated.” — Angelica Y. Yang

DoF seeking accelerated devolution of gov’t functions to BARMM

GOVERNMENT agencies need to accelerate the devolution of projects and programs to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) according to the Department of Finance (DoF), which is taking a lead role in relations between the government and the newly-formed autonomous government.

In a statement, the DoF said Tuesday that the Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB) has determined to meet and act on devolution concerns faster in order to decide which projects will be funded by the national government by the time the transfer of some p2rojects to the BARMM is completed.

The IGRB is co-chaired by Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III and BARMM Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal.

The IGRB meets at intervals of 90. The first meeting was in Davao City in December, while the latest meeting was on Oct. 9.

Mr. Dominguez said he asked BARMM officials to identify as soon as possible any issue concerning the implementation of Republic Act No. 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

To implement the law, the Department of the Interior and Local Government was quoted as saying that it will put up regional offices of the Bureaus of Jail Management and Penology and of Fire Protection in the BARMM.

The National Police Commission also said it will establish a regional office in BARMM.

The IGRB also discussed the establishment of a Philippine Coast Guard district in the region, in coordination with the BARMM Ministry of Transportation and Communication.

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines also committed to work with BARMM’s Bureau of Cultural Heritage in transferring the management of historical and cultural sites in the region.

Energy development issues were discussed separately by the Intergovernmental Energy Board on Sept. 3. The two sides tackled joint exploration, development and the utilization of fossil fuels and uranium.

The Bangsamoro Organic Law was passed in 2018. — Beatrice M. Laforga

Corn farmers’ income fell 15.5% in 2019 on higher costs, weak farmgate prices

AVERAGE INCOME reported by corn farmers, as measured in an indicator called net returns, fell 15.5% to P16,598 per hectare in 2019, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

In a report, the PSA said the average cost of corn production rose 2.5% to P24,740 per hectare in 2019.

Corn farmers earned P0.67 for every peso invested in corn production, against P0.81 in 2018.

The PSA said the average farmgate price of corn fell 7.8% to P13.04 in 2019, while the yield per hectare rose 2.4% to 3,170 kilograms per hectare.

The cost of corn production per kilogram in 2019 was flat at P7.80.

Cagayan Valley was the highest-cost region for corn production at P51,575 per hectare, followed by Western Visayas at P29,964.

Zamboanga Peninsula was the lowest-cost producer at P16,204 per hectare.

The top region for net returns was MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) at P34,075 per hectare, followed by Northern Mindanao at P23,966 per hectare.

Mimaropa corn farmers also recorded the highest average return for every peso of investment in corn production at P1.77. It was the lowest-cost producer on a per-kilogram basis at P5.27.

The PSA said the production cost for white corn rose 2.6% to P16,189 per hectare.

The net return for white corn farmers fell 27.2% to P8,162 per hectare.

The average per-kilogram production cost of white corn rose 1.5% to P8.61 while the yield per hectare increased 1.1% to 1,880 kilograms.

The farmgate price of white corn in 2019 fell 10.8% to P12.95 per kilogram.

Cagayan Valley posted the highest average production cost for white corn at P32,998 per hectare, followed by MIMAROPA at P23,503.

Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) reported the lowest average production costs of P8,693 per hectare and the highest net returns of P14,534.

Davao Region farmers posted net losses of P5,810 per hectare, followed by Central Visayas with losses of P4,139 per hectare.

Calabarzon reported the highest average farmgate price for white corn at P13.77 per kilogram while Caraga had the lowest at P12.21.

Meanwhile, the average production cost of yellow corn in 2019 rose 2.5% to P44,213 per hectare.

Net returns for yellow corn fell 30.8% to P10,340 per hectare while the production cost per kilogram rose 1.7% to P10.59.

Average yield per hectare rose 0.7% to 4,174 kilograms while the farmgate price fell 6.7% to P13.07 per kilogram.

Central Luzon was the highest-cost region at P57,339 per hectare, while MIMAROPA was the lowest-cost production area at P18,030.

The top net returns for yellow corn were recorded in Mimaropa at P42,645 per hectare, followed by Ilocos Region at P34,141 per hectare.

Mimaropa posted the highest farmgate price of yellow corn at P14.89 per kilogram. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

In final pre-election push, Biden and Trump gird for possible court battle

KENOSHA, Wis./PITTSBURGH, Pa. — President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden made a last-ditch push for votes in battleground states on Monday as their campaigns prepared for post-election disputes that could prolong a divisive presidential election.

Mr. Trump, who is trailing in national opinion polls, has continued to lob unfounded attacks on mail-in ballots, suggesting he would deploy lawyers if states are still counting votes after Election Day on Tuesday.

Mr. Trump told reporters on Monday evening that Pennsylvania’s plans to count mail ballots that arrive up to three days after Election Day would lead to widespread cheating, although he did not explain how.

He urged the US Supreme Court to reconsider its decision that left the extension in place. The court has left that possibility open.

“Bad things will happen and bad things lead to other type things,” he told reporters in Wisconsin, another battleground state.

On Twitter, Mr. Trump said the court decision would “induce violence in the streets.” The social media platform flagged his message, adding a disclaimer to the tweet that its content “might be misleading.”

Twitter said earlier it would attach a warning label to any tweets that claim an election win before election officials or national news outlets do so.

It is not unusual in the United States for states to take several days or even weeks to count their votes, and a record surge in mail ballots as a result of the coronavirus pandemic could draw out the process further this year.

“Under no scenario will Donald Trump be declared a victor on election night,” Biden campaign manager Jennifer O’Malley Dillon told reporters.

Mr. Biden himself predicted a quick victory, but also sought to downplay the drama.

“I’m hoping for a straightforward, peaceful election, a lot of people showing up,” he told reporters in Pittsburgh.

The election has prompted an unprecedented wave of litigation over whether to adjust voting rules in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both sides have amassed armies of lawyers who are prepared to take on post-election battles.

On Monday, a federal judge in Texas rejected a Republican bid to throw out about 127,000 votes already cast at drive-through voting sites in the Democratic-leaning Houston area.

Mr. Trump, 74, is seeking to avoid becoming the first incumbent president to lose re-election since fellow Republican George H.W. Bush in 1992. Despite Biden’s national polling lead, the race in swing states is seen as close enough that Trump could still piece together the 270 votes needed to prevail in the state-by-state Electoral College system that determines the winner.

Mr. Trump has spent the final days of the campaign predicting victory and deriding Mr. Biden for backing restrictions that aim to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

“A vote for Biden is a vote for lockdown, misery and layoffs,” he told the crowd in Scranton.

‘A LITTLE WORRIED’
Many Democrats said they were nervous about the results after expecting Mr. Trump to lose handily in 2016. “I’ll be honest, I’m a little worried,” said Patti Cadoso, 41, a medical school administrator who attended a Miami rally hosted by former Democratic President Barack Obama.

Mr. Obama, whom Mr. Biden served as vice president for eight years, said Trump’s push to stop counting votes on election night was undemocratic. “That’s what a two-bit dictator does,” he told a rally in Miami. “If you believe in democracy, you want every vote counted.”

After visits to North Carolina and Pennsylvania, Mr. Trump headed to Wisconsin and Michigan — four states he won narrowly in 2016 but that polls show could swing to Biden this year.

As he has done for months, the president spoke to large crowds, where many attendees eschewed masks and social distancing despite the resurgent COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Biden, 77, who has made Mr. Trump’s handling of the pandemic the central theme of his campaign, has restricted the size of his rallies to avoid speading the virus.

The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll in Florida, a perennial swing state, showed Mr. Biden with a 50%-46% lead, a week after the two were in a statistical tie.

Early voting has surged to levels never before seen in US elections. A record-setting 98.7 million early votes have been cast either in person or by mail, according to the US Elections Project.

The number is equal to 71.6% of the entire voter turnout for the 2016 election and represents about 40% of all Americans who are legally eligible to vote.

That unprecedented level of early voting includes 63 million mail-in ballots that could take days or weeks to be counted in some states, meaning a winner might not be declared in the hours after polls close on Tuesday night.

Some states, including critical Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, do not start processing mail-in votes until Election Day, slowing the process.

Mr. Trump has repeatedly said without evidence that mail-in votes are prone to fraud, although election experts say that is extremely rare in US elections. Mail voting is a long-standing feature of American elections, and about one in four ballots was cast that way in 2016.

Democrats have promoted mail-in voting as a safe way to cast a ballot, while Mr. Trump and Republicans are counting on a big Election Day in-person turnout.

In a sign of how volatile the election could be, storefronts were boarded up in cities including Washington, New York and Raleigh, North Carolina.

The FBI was investigating an incident in Texas when a pro-Trump convoy of vehicles surrounded a tour bus carrying Biden campaign staff.

Mr. Trump will wrap up his campaign in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the same place he concluded his 2016 presidential run, while Mr. Biden will spend Election Day in Scranton, his childhood home, and Philadelphia. — Reuters

At least one ‘Islamist terrorist’ behind Vienna attack, says minister

VIENNA — Attacks across central Vienna, in which gunmen killed three people and injured several others, were carried out by at least one “Islamist terrorist,” Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said on Tuesday.

In an early morning televised news conference, Nehammer repeated calls for the public to stay at home, saying one attacker, who was wearing an explosives belt that turned out to be fake, was an Islamic State sympathizer.

That assailant was shot to death by police, who are still hunting for other attackers. “We experienced an attack yesterday evening from at least one Islamist terrorist,” Nehammer said, adding that the attack was an attempt to weaken or divide Austria’s democratic society.

Gunmen attacked six locations in central Vienna on Monday evening, starting outside the main synagogue. Witnesses described the men firing into crowds in bars with automatic rifles, as many people took advantage of the last evening before a nationwide curfew was introduced because of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Police confirmed on Tuesday that three civilians were killed in the attacks – two men and one woman — with 15 others wounded, including a police officer.

Police sealed off much of the historic centre of Vienna overnight, urging the public to shelter in place. Many sought refuge in bars and hotels, while public transport throughout the old town was shut down and police scoured the city.

Austria’s capital had so far been spared the kind of deadly militant attacks that have struck Paris, London, Berlin and Brussels, among others, in recent years.

Oskar Deutsch, the head of Vienna’s Jewish community, which has offices adjoining the synagogue on a narrow cobbled street dotted with bars, said on Twitter that it was not clear whether the temple or offices were targeted but that they were closed at the time.

Videos circulated on social media of a gunman running down a cobblestone street shooting and shouting. One showed a man gunning down a person outside what appeared to be a bar on the street housing the synagogue.

Condolences poured in from around the world, with top officials from the European Union, France, Norway, Greece and the United States expressing their shock at the attacks.

US President Donald Trump said in a tweet that “our prayers are with the people of Vienna after yet another vile act of terrorism in Europe.”

“These evil attacks against innocent people must stop. The US stands with Austria, France, and all of Europe in the fight against terrorists, including radical Islamic terrorists.”

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden condemned what he called a “horrific terrorist attack,” adding, “We must all stand united against hate and violence.” — Reuters

SMB labors to fourth straight win

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

THE defending champions San Miguel Beermen (SMB) notched their fourth straight win in the PBA Philippine Cup on Tuesday but not after being made to sweat by the Blackwater Elite, 90-88, in overtime in the opening game of a quadruple-header at the Angeles University Foundation gym in Pampanga.

Back on the floor following a league-induced four-day break to tournament proceedings for fine-tuning of coronavirus protocols, the Beermen found the going tough against the Elite throughout the match but found a way in the end to pull off the win.

Mo Tautuaa showed the way for the Beermen, finishing with 26 points and 14 rebounds to help his team sustain its winning streak that now has them sporting a 5-2 record.

Blackwater, which returned to the court after 11 days as one of its players tested positive for the coronavirus (later ruled as “false positive”) and had the team needing to be isolated and observed, started strong on the lead of Don Trollano and Frank Golla.

It took the opening quarter, 27-20.

In the second quarter, the Beermen had better footing on both ends of the court to fight their way back and tie the knot at 41-all at halftime.

The nip-and-tuck pace of the contest continued in the third frame. Blackwater was ahead, 54-53, with 3:26 left in the quarter before San Miguel went on a 13-5 run to build a 66-59 cushion heading into the final frame.

The Beermen maintained control early in the fourth canto but eventually saw the Elite catch up with them at 77-all at the 5:54 mark.

San Miguel held a three-point lead, 84-81, with 2:28 left in regulation following a basket from Mr. Tautuaa.

Ed Daquioag, however, tied the score for the Elite at 84-all with a triple with 1:20 remaining; a count that would stay, forcing the extra period.

In overtime, the Elite raced to an 88-84 lead in the first three minutes.

But Chris Ross would score five straight points to tow the Beermen to the lead anew, 89-88, with 1:14 to go.

Blackwater had a lot of chances to win the game after but could not complete them, allowing San Miguel to hold on for the win.

Marcio Lassiter finished with 12 points in the Beermen’s win with Alex Cabagnot adding with 11 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

For Blackwater (2-4), which has now lost three straight, it was Mr. Daquioag who top-scored with 20 points, followed by Mike Tolomia with 17.

The San Miguel-Blackwater match opened a busy day for the PBA on Tuesday where a quadruple-header was scheduled.

It was the first of a series of quadruple-header offerings set by the league to make up for the lost play dates since Oct. 30, when it decided to postpone all matches as it fine-tuned its coronavirus protocols in collaboration with the government, and for the PBA to stay on track of finishing the elimination round by Nov. 11.

Quadruple-headers are also slated on Nov. 4, 6, 8, and 11 while triple-headers are set for Nov. 5 and 9.

Azkals Development Team barges into PFL win column

THE Azkals Development Team (ADT) barged into the win column of the Philippines Football League (PFL) after beating Mendiola FC 1991, 2-0, in the opening game on Tuesday at the Philippine Football Federation National Training Center in Carmona, Cavite.

Went winless in its first two matches in the ongoing tournament of the PFL, ADT made sure third time was the charm with a collective steady performance point to point, punctuated by back-to-back goals in the second half by Jarvey Gayoso and Matthew Custodio, to get the better of Mendiola.

The contest got off to a competitive start with both teams having their chances at a goal, but they could not consummate them.

ADT though would find some traction as the opening half progressed, controlling more the possession (67% to 33%) and putting pressure on the defense of Mendiola.

The young squad of national team coach Scott Cooper had its opportunities to score a goal late in the first half and go up on its opponent, but Marvin Angeles first had his spot kick off a penalty blocked by Mendiola goalkeeper Kenry Balobo then his second jab at the goal off a rebound hit the post, leaving the score at 0-0 at the break.

In the second half, the team continued to jostle and angle for control only for ADT to beat Mendiola to the punch for the first goal of the match.

Mr. Gayoso broke through for ADT in the 73rd minute off a header to give his team the 1-0 upper hand. A minute later he had another chance at a goal but his curl went off the mark.

Mendiola tried to get the point back but only found itself buried deeper when Mr. Custodio padded ADT’s lead, 2-0, after tapping in a free ball in the 81st minute.

Had control of the match from there on, ADT spent the rest of the match fending off any fight back attempt from Mendiola en route to closing out the proceedings.

“We’re happy with the win. We aim to develop players, but part of it is developing them to win games. So let’s see in our next games,” said Mr. Cooper post-match.

With the win, ADT improved to 1-0-2 with three points while Mendiola (0-0-2) slumped to its second straight defeat. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

POC candidate Aranas touts platform built around transparency, unity

Seeing the Philippine Olympic Committee elections later this month coming at a “critical point” in the body’s existence, presidential candidate Jesus “Clint” Aranas reiterated the need for members to be judicious in their decision on who to elect just as he touted their ticket’s platform built around transparency and unity, among others.

Set to challenge incumbent president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino in the POC electiosn set for Nov. 27, Mr. Aranas, president of World Archery Philippines, shared that this year’s polls is tricky especially since battle lines have been intensely drawn and the contending parties do not see eye-to-eye on certain issues.

“We are at a critical turning point. We see the POC as a house divided. What do we really want? What do you need? What do we want to achieve?” he told the online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday.

Given such, he went on to say that what they are offering as a group by way of transparency and unity would go a long way in strengthening the local Olympic body.

“For those who have known me, I’m a very simple person. I have nothing to hide. And we should be unified. Otherwise, it will never work,” he said.

“That’s why I was put here at the forefront. Somebody has to carry the fight,” Mr. Aranas added.

Part of their platform as well is “truly” representing stakeholders, vowing to work with national sports associations (NSAs), particularly in making them self-sufficient through the support of possible corporate sponsors.

Joining Mr. Aranas in their ticket are Steve Hontiveros who is running as chairman, Philip Juico as first vice president, Ada Milby as second vice president, Julian Camacho as treasurer, Monico Puentevella as auditor, and Robert Bachmann, Charlie Ho and Robert Mananquil as board members.

For the POC election, there are 54 voting members, including the 51 heads of the different NSAs, a couple of members from the Athletes’ Commission, and International Olympic Committee (IOC) representative to the Philippines Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski.

Mr. Aranas, however, warned the number could change due to disqualifications of certain NSAs having issues with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

He refused to identify which NSAs these are. – Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Dealing with red-tagging paranoia

When I was in college, I heard an Englishwoman say at a university symposium that if you are not left-leaning when you are 20 years old, you have no heart. But, she added, if you are still left-leaning after the age of 25, then you have no head. Of course, at the time the United Kingdom was one of the leading colonial and industrial powers, and health, education and basic human rights must have been assured its citizens by the State. From time to time, to this day, the left-leaning labor party defeats the right wing Conservative or Tory party in running the UK government. Today, many Northern European countries can be classified as socialist (“left-leaning”) systems, guaranteeing free education and health services. Not surprisingly, these nations (Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden) tend to come out as among the happiest on earth, according to global surveys on the happiness index. Bhutan has advocated the concept of Gross National Happiness as a measure of national well-being, beyond the traditional GNP (Gross National Product) advocated by capitalism.

We are a developing country where almost a third of families experience involuntary hunger. An insignificant minority (no more than 10%) are classified as high or middle income; and the vast majority hardly manage to eat three meals a day. Our country has one of the most extreme, if not the most extreme gaps between the rich and the poor, according to global studies based on what the economists call the Gini-coefficient. Since the Marcos dictatorship, government corruption has reached billion-peso magnitudes, and few politicians can be trusted with the people’s money. The justice system, if you can call it that, is controlled by the moneyed few. A few families control the majority of the nation’s wealth. Obviously, something is very wrong with the system.

Lito “Promdi” Osmena once told me that when he was governor of Cebu, the leftist KMU labor union staged a massive strike; consequently, salaries were increased by the companies in the industrial parks. This led to broadened purchasing power in Cebu which triggered an economic boom. Surely, we can learn some lessons from this.

It is therefore surprising and sad that today, only a small minority represent the “left-leaning” Opposition. Surveys indicate that the largely uninformed and poorly educated majority are “satisfied” with the way the government is running things. Not surprisingly, many university graduates and students tend to be vocal or assertive in advocating social justice, and opposing government policies. The existence of an active opposition should be accepted, nay, encouraged as part of a democratic electoral system. It is only fair, since the privileged minority who control government and economic power are complacent about the way things are.

Our 1987 Constitution guarantees freedom of the press and of speech. Its framers, who happen to be among the best educated Filipinos, can be said to be in some sense “left-leaning” since they tended to favor protection of human rights and socio-economic egalitarianism. In a country like ours, obviously, unbridled capitalism and government corruption has not delivered a truly democratic system that assures equitable access to opportunities. Fortunately, many of the so-called oligarchies do have philanthropic programs to help address some of the inequities; but it clearly has not been enough.

Government has failed to effectively address them.

So, why do military generals like Antonio Parlade openly accuse advocates of egalitarianism and freedom of the press and of speech of being criminals? I happen to be a Gabriela voter myself because I consider them constructive in fighting for women’s rights. Initially, I also voted for Bayan candidates. And yes, I happen to be a liberal democrat, but a left-leaning one. But unless I am actually committing a crime, I am certainly entitled to expressing my “left-leaning” beliefs. This is why I valued my enlightening debates with my old friend the late Horacio “Boy” Morales when he would hide in my house during the Marcos era Martial Law. At the time, Boy Morales was chairman of the outright leftist — not just left-leaning — National Democratic Front. I think we agreed on objectives, but differed only on approaches.

Right after the EDSA Revolution, President Cory Aquino released both radical leftist Jose Maria Sison and moderate leftist Boy Morales from detention. In 1992, then President Fidel V. Ramos, former head of the military Philippine Constabulary (now the civilian police) repealed the Marcos-era Anti-Subversion Law. Being a Communist is no longer considered a crime. You would have to actually be proven in court of violating some law in order to be convicted of committing a crime. Do our soldiers know this? Does General Parlade know this?

Obviously, our uniformed armed forces need to be reoriented on the difference between expressing ideologies and committing crimes. They are supposed to be crime fighters, not ideology police. They need to understand the context in which the ideologies are developed and advocated; that there are certainly understandable and justifiable reasons for them. Government and civil society have to compete with these ideologies in order to prevent them from becoming criminal and destructive.

The radical left have two alternatives for expressing their opposition: the armed struggle and the parliamentary struggle. The armed struggle (the active National People’s Army or “war freaks”) is what the military are supposed to be fighting. The “Parliamentary struggle” waged by some Party-list members in Congress includes Gabriela, Bayan, Akbayan and the like. These are the Peaceniks who assert their rights as elected legislators to advocate policies that promote and protect human rights and socio-economic egalitarianism. Of course they consider university students and other activists ripe for recruiting into their peaceful “struggles” in our horrendously unjust society. Thank God for them because it seems to me, they have helped prevent our traditional politicians from being even more destructive of our society. The citizenry should support some of these Party-list legislators because if they are effective, there can be less and less reason for the “armed struggle.” Instead of condemning and threatening, for example, Gabriela and Bayan, we should support their advocacies, which tend to be pro-people and pro-women. How can those be crimes? Bravo Neri Colmenares, Etta Rosales of Akbayan and other left-leaning Peaceniks. These heroic activists have suffered torture and jail time for their advocacies. May your tribe increase! May you be more successful in your advocacies! Bravo as well to Liza Soberano, Catriona Gray, Angel Locsin and her sister, who are activists because they love our country!

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año and his ilk, including his superiors in government, need to think about the situation in more breadth and depth, and not be so trigger happy in their pathetic ignorance. Otherwise the recently signed Anti-Terror Law can be abused and used against human rights. I hope the Peaceniks in Congress will remain alert. Otherwise, with the broadened implications of the IRRs, tragedies like what happened in the case of jailed activist Reina May Nasino and her late infant baby River will happen again and again.

Nevertheless, it is not all hopeless. A lawyer’s group has filed an appeal to stop the implementation of the Anti-Terrorism Law of 2020. There are still some enlightened thinkers in government who have not forgotten that we are, after all, supposed to be a Constitutional democracy. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra and Senate Minority leader Frank Drilon have both expressed their opposition to Secretary Año’s proposal to reinstate the harsh Marcos-era Anti-Subversion Law of 1981 which had been repealed. Guevarra has stressed that mere membership in the Communist Party does not constitute a crime. Being leftist is far from being a terrorist, he says. “As long as activism remains in the realm of ideology,” Guevarra is reported to have added, “There is nothing to be alarmed about.” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has tapped General Parlade’s wrist for criticizing activists before he finds proof of a crime being committed. Is this all he can do?

I say, tell that to the marines, including your boss who guides and inspires the uniformed armed forces. 

 

Teresa S. Abesamis is a former professor at the Asian Institute of Management and Fellow of the Development Academy of the Philippines.

tsabesamis0114@yahoo.com

The Trump Administration and the management of the Philippine-US alliance

At the onset of his term, President Donald Trump caused uneasiness among America’s allies both in Western Europe and Asia. This was due to his explicit skepticism of the importance of America’s alliances, and his sharp rhetoric of America First policy. Fortunately, the Trump Administration’s subsequent focus on the US-China strategic competition and its implementation of its Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy counteracted its initial efforts to unravel the foundation of the US alliance system in Asia. This was evident in how it managed the Philippine-US alliance in the face of President Rodrigo Duterte’s diplomatic gambit to distance his country away from its only ally and to gravitate towards Russia and China.

Angered by the former Obama Administration’s public criticism of allegations of extra-judicial killings because of his war on drugs in early September 2016, President Duterte announced without warning that US Special Operations Forces in Mindanao must leave the country. In late October 2016, President Duterte announced his startling plan to separate from the US by unilaterally abrogating the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), the 1997 Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), and the 2015 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

In early December 2016, President Trump called President Duterte to assure him that he was fine with the latter’s war on drugs since the Philippines is a sovereign nation. In early May 2017, he called his Philippine counterpart again to express Washington’s commitment to the alliance and his interest in developing a warm and working relationship with him.

The seizure of Marawi City by Islamic militants in late May provided Washington the opportunity to prove its point. The Joint United States Military Assistance Group turned over several M4 carbines, M134D Gatling-style machine guns, M203 grenade launchers, and rubber raiding boats to the Philippine Marines. The Pentagon also announced that US Special Forces were providing Philippine forces with security assistance and training in the areas of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. In July 2017, the Pentagon transferred 10 new reconnaissance planes worth $30 million to the AFP under the Obama Administration’s $425-million Maritime Security Initiative that includes intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment.

Stabilizing the Philippine-US alliance became Washington’s urgent strategic priority. In July 2017, the Pentagon launched a new counter-terrorism operation by elevating the US mission in the Philippines called “Pacific Eagle — Philippines” into an Overseas Contingency Operation or OCO. The Trump Administration’s decision to upgrade its ongoing CT operation in Mindanao was in response to a Philippine government’s request for more American support in fighting extremist groups in the Philippines in particular and in Southeast Asia in general.

Meeting on the side of the 2017 ASEAN summit in Manila, President Trump and President Duterte reaffirmed their commitment to MDT and the implementation of the 2014 EDCA. In November 2017, President Duterte announced that he was on friendly terms with Washington as he allowed the AFP to engage the US military in more vigorous joint military exercises that included joint counter-terrorism training, amphibious and live-fire exercises.

In late 2016, the Philippine-US alliance teetered on the brink of collapse after President Duterte’s announcement of crossing the Rubicon, relative to his charting of an independent course for Philippine foreign policy that would entail aligning his country with its new-found friends — Russia and China. However, President Duterte’s proverbial crossing of the Rubicon was prevented by the AFP’s efforts to convince their commander-in-chief to shift the alliance’s focus away from the China challenge in the South China Sea to counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency. More importantly, it was caused by the Trump administration’s policy of bringing Duterte back alongside, rather than pushing him into China’s waiting arms.

A possible change of administration in the light of the Nov. 3 presidential election might cause a major shift from this policy. In this scenario, the Biden Administration might openly raise the allegations of human right violations because of the war on drugs. This will definitely trigger another crisis in the alliance, and even a total breakdown in Philippine-US security relations and push President Duterte to cross his proverbial Rubicon.

To maintain the alliance’s cohesion in the face of the US-China strategic confrontation, the Biden Administration should examine its predecessor’s policy of ensuring that President Duterte is back alongside the US, instead of pushing him into China’s embrace. This does not mean ignoring allegations of human rights violations in the Philippines. A new US administration should engage its Philippine counter-parts in frank but closed-door exchanges on how the two countries can align their anti-drug operations humanely and under the rule of law. This will require Washington to support both countries’ common goals of managing drug addiction and trafficking, addressing Islamic terrorism, effecting accountable and democratic governance, and pursuing the goals of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific region.

 

Dr. Renato De Castro is a Trustee and Convenor of the National Security and East Asian Affairs Program of the Stratbase ADR Institute.

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