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DoJ may use drug dealer as witness in case vs senator

GOVERNMENT prosecutors will consider using a self-confessed drug dealer as a witness in the inciting to sedition charge against a former senator critical of President Rodrigo R. Duterte and 10 others.

“We will think about it,” Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Olivia I. Laroza-Torrevillas told reporters on Thursday.

She said Peter Joemel Advincula was the sole witness of the police when it filed a sedition complaint against Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV last year.

The Justice department last month indicted Mr. Trillanes along with 10 other people including Mr. Advincula for allegedly circulating a series of videos accusing President Rodrigo R. Duterte and his family of being in the illegal drug business.

Vice President Maria Leonor G. Robredo was cleared of the charges.

Mr. Advincula, who was featured in the videos, in May sought legal assistance in filing charges against members of the drug syndicate he formerly belonged to. He later surrendered to police over estafa charges, and tagged the Liberal Party as being behind the propaganda.

The Liberal Party has accused the government of political harassment and persecution, saying the complaint is based on lies.

Human Rights Watch earlier said authorities should drop the “preposterous complaint” against opposition politicians, religious leaders and human rights advocates. It said the case was a “transparent attempt to harass and silence critics” of Mr. Duterte’s bloody drug war.

Inciting to sedition carries a maximum penalty of four years in jail and a fine of P2,000.

Ms. Torrevillas said that they have to assess the evidence in considering Mr. Advincula as a witness.

The Justice department dismissed the sedition, inciting to sedition, cyberlibel, libel, estafa, and obstruction of justice complaint against all 31 respondents, including Mr. Trillanes, Ms. Robredo, detained Senator Leila M. De Lima, former Senator Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV, and other opposition candidates during the midterm elections.

Assistant State Prosecutor Michael John M. Humarang said there were no “corroborative evidence” that would point their participation other than the allegations of Mr. Advincula.

Mr. Trillanes said the case is another proof that the administration “continues to weaponize the law against the political opposition, critics, and the media.” — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Sagada eco-tourism activities suspended; other attractions still open

ECO-TOURISM activities in the mountain town of Sagada have been temporarily suspended due to the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The directive was made by Mayor James B. Pooten, Jr., through an executive order issued Feb. 13. The temporary closure covers sites and activities managed by the local government, including the different caves, Pongas and Bomodok Falls, Adventure Trail, Echo Valley, Mt. Ampacao, Marlboro-Blue Soil, and Langasayan. “There is an urgent need to protect the municipality of Sagada and its residents being a top destination for tourists in the North Philippines from the threat of the COVID-19 and similar strains by strictly implementing prevention and control measures,” the mayor said in his directive. The order will be in effect “until further notice.”

OPEN
The town’s tourism office said other attractions, particularly those that are privately-owned or managed, will remain open. These include the St. Mary’s Church, weaving and pottery shop, and Masferre’s Photographs, among others. The Sogung Hanging Coffins and Burial Cave along the road are also still accessible for viewing. The tourism office also asked residents and visitors to “remain vigilant against any signs or symptoms of the said virus” and to refer those manifesting symptoms to the NCOV-Fastlane at the Rural Health Unit.

On with the fun at the Baguio Flower Festival

Baguio City’s Panagbenga, its biggest annual festival, is pushing through, with the main activities now scheduled in the latter part of March. The big events were postponed due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) threat. The Department of Health regional office reported Thursday that the confirmatory tests from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine show the 14 people under investigation are all negative of COVID-19.

Bacolod City urged to hasten mobilization of barangay response teams as 1st line of defense vs COVID-19

AS THE national government imposes travel restrictions and line agencies undertake strict monitoring of entry points, local governments should focus on organizing their barangay health emergency response teams (BHERTs) to serve as the first line of defense against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) said. “Even though we guard the ports and passengers, LGUs (local government units) should focus on organizing their BHERTs,” he stressed. OPAV Assistant Secretary Anthony Gerard Y. Gonzales said in a press conference in Iloilo City on Wednesday. In Western Visayas, Mr. Gonzales said only Bacolod City needs to fast-track its mobilization of BHERTs. “I am just worried about Bacolod because out of 61 barangays, only 17 have been organized,” he said, citing data from the Department of Health (DoH) regional office. “Aside from organizing, they should capacitate the barangay response teams by providing tools like handheld thermal scanners,” he added. Under the government’s response plan, people showing symptoms of COVID-19 should be able to initially consult with the local health unit before being referred to other facilities. Overall, Mr. Gonzales said the region’s response measures are well in place. “I am happy. They are well prepared and doing their best to handle the situation,” he said. As of Feb. 13, DoH data shows there are 11 persons in Western Visayas under observation in medical facilities, while 22 have already been discharged. In Bacolod, City Health Officer Grace Tan, spokesperson of the local inter-agency task force against COVID-19, said there were no new suspected cases as of Thursday. In a live-streamed interview, Ms. Tan also said they have already coordinated with all hotel and accommodation facilities for the implementation of preventive measures such as requiring all guests to fill-up a health declaration card for easier monitoring and tracking. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

UNICEF calls for effective implementation of law protecting children in armed conflict

IN THIS April 2017 photo, 10-year old Tarik, a former member of the Abu Sayyaf Group known for kidnap-for-ransom activities and has ties with the extremist Islamic State, receives a bicycle during the launching of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (ARMM) Program Against Violent Extremism. The ARMM was replaced in 2018 by the Bangsamoro ARMM following the passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law. — BPI-ARMM

IN JANUARY 2019, the Philippines passed a law giving special protection to children in armed conflict situations, considered a landmark legislation for a country that continues to grapple with communist insurgency and violent extremism. “We urge the Government of the Philippines to ensure the effective implementation of the law so that children in situations of armed conflict realize the full spectrum of their rights,” Oyun Dendevnorov, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Philippine representative, said during a commemoration activity for the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers on February 12 in Davao City. The implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 11188, An Act Providing for the Special Protection of Children in Situations of Armed Conflict, was completed in May last year. The IRR’s provisions include specific measures that the government must “take to prevent the recruitment, re-recruitment, use, displacement of, or grave child rights violations against children involved in armed conflict.” The 2018 report of the UN Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in the Philippines show 69 grave violations affecting 109 children, 26 of which took place in 2017, mostly in the restive parts of Mindanao. “Children pay a deadly price during conflicts. Thirty years after the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, many children still get caught in the crossfire, their schools and homes attacked. We must remember that children are zones of peace and we must do all we can to protect them,” Mr. Dendevnorov said.

AGENTS OF PEACE
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) said while the government undertakes programs to put an end to armed conflicts, including social and economic interventions that address the roots of unrest and violence, the youth can also play a part as “agents of peace and development.” “The youth can do so much more with your vast potential to do great things. We encourage all of you to play a more active part in helping build a culture of peace and development,” Ariel Hernandez, co-chairperson of the Joint Normalization Committee for the Bangsamoro peace agreement, during the OURmindaNOW Summit 2020 held earlier this month. The gathering was attended by youth leaders coming from different parts of Mindanao. Mr. Hernandez reminded the young leaders to guard against the “spoilers of peace (who) remain by our doorstep and continue to promote the culture of fear, mistrust and violence among our people.” Mindanao Bureau

Davao City completes swine culling operations; Davao del Sur rolls out measures with new ASF cases

THE DAVAO City Veterinarian’s Office (CVO) has completed the culling of pigs in two villages with confirmed cases of the African Swine Fever (ASF), but the movement of pigs and pork products remains restricted to avoid another outbreak. “The two barangays will continue with decontamination and disinfection activities by individual hog raisers daily for 30 days… In case repopulation is considered, rearing will be allowed after 90 days provided that all infected materials were disposed properly and thorough disinfection has been properly conducted,” City Veterinarian Cerelyn B. Pinili told the media on Wednesday. “All entry and exit points will be manned by the barangay concerned to carry out disinfection of vehicles that pass through its area of responsibility,” she added. The CVO, together with the Department of Agriculture-Davao Region (DA-11), is also maintaining the surveillance of areas within the seven-kilometer radius of the two affected barangays. Under the DA-prescribed 1-7-10 quarantine procedure, hogs within a one-kilometer radius of the outbreak will be immediately culled and buried, and the area disinfected; the seven-kilometer radius will be placed under surveillance and subject to sampling and testing; and strict monitoring of entry and exit points within 10 kilometers. Ms. Pinili reiterated the local government’s appeal for cooperation among backyard hog farmers, and at the same time gave the public assurance that the meat sold in the city’s market are safe for consumption. “We continue to enjoin everyone to cooperate to contain the disease. The consuming public is assured that meat that passed through proper inspection procedures in slaughterhouses are safe to eat.”

DAVAO DEL SUR
Meanwhile, DA-11 and the Davao del Sur provincial government said quarantine measures were already rolled out even before the release of confirmatory results on suspected ASF cases in two villages in Sulop town. Sulop is host to a major trading post for livestock in Davao as well as parts of the neighboring region of SOCCSKSARGEN, which covers the provinces of South Cotabato, Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat, and General Santos City. DA-11, in a statement, said they are working closely with the local government units for the implementation of ASF-related contingency plans. The first ASF outbreak in Mindanao was confirmed two weeks ago in Don Marcelino, Davao Occidental.

BAN
The Iloilo City government, which already has a ban in place for products from Luzon and the Davao Region, is considering further expanding the coverage to the entire Mindanao area. City Veterinarian Tomas J. Forteza has made the recommendation in a letter to Mayor Jerry P. Treñas. “The rapid spread of ASF in Mindanao, from one town to another, is unprecedented and the possibility of ASF virus spreading to the whole island of Mindanao is imminent,” Mr. Forteza said in the letter. Maya M. Padillo and Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

Olern launches groundbreaking Virtual Business Summit

A new breed of training and consulting company with a mission to help Filipino companies become world-class using the latest technologies and training methodologies, Olern is helping an increasing number of entrepreneurs stay competitive in their industry by learning new best practices, improve their people skills and adopt new technologies.

By partnering with the different business consultants and experts to design online and offline practical and in-depth courses and programs for SMEs, Olern is coming up with more convenient and affordable ways to learn everything that it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.

In the last two years alone, Olern trained thousands and thousands of entrepreneurs through its online platform and face-to-face trainings.

This summer, Olern is taking its innovative approaches to the next level with its first-ever Olern Virtual Business Summit. Happening on March 3 and 4, 2020 from 9AM to 5PM, the momentous event will be a gathering of more than a dozen business leaders with the goal of sharing best practices to help Filipino companies become world-class.

Focusing on key business areas such as Innovation and Technology, Management Strategy, Strategic HR, and Sales & Marketing, the two-day FREE event features distinguished speakers such as Fortune 100 CEO and Olympic coach Jim Lafferty, Google Philippines market lead Samuel Jeanblanc, BQB CXInstitute Founder Claire Boscq-Scott, Philippine Franchise Guru Armando Bartolome, Association of Filipino Franchises Inc. (AFFI) Chairman Eric Caeg, sought after professional speaker Paulo Tibig, Executive Director of Ideaspace Diane Eustaquio,  Cycle House President Jeff Chua, Tarkie Founder Rio Ilao, MPlify Founder Migs dela Rosa, President of DM Kompass Suzan Bigay, Digital Marketing Consultant Rey Baguio, and world-certified Image Strategist, Executive Coach and Transformational Speaker Toni Miranda.

Expecting more than 1,000 attendees in this pioneering event, Olern understands that SMEs need more help in growing their businesses and becoming world-class companies. More often than not, however, the moving forces behind these rising enterprises cannot physically attend trainings or summits for reasons that include venue proximity, conflict in their busy schedules and pricey business summit fees.

The first Online Business Summit in the Philippines using the latest technologies aim to break those barriers. With the Olern Business Summit, interested entrepreneurs can attend the Summit wherever they are in the world, no need to travel or go through painstaking traffic. And best of all, it’s FREE. All one needs is a mobile phone or laptop and an internet connection and he or she is good to go!

To know more, visit https://www.olern.com/olernsummit

[B-SIDE Podcast] #NowhereToGoButUP

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How a hashtag became a

movement. BusinessWorld sports reporter and columnist Mike Murillo talks to Mandy Reyes of #NowhereToGoButUP. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.

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Nationwide round-up

Malacañang to look into Espenido’s alleged illegal drug link

MALACAÑANG will “validate the veracity” of reports that Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido, the controversial police officer who led a bloody operation against members of an influential family allegedly involved in the narcotics trade, is among the 357 police officers who are under investigation for illegal drugs. “If that is officially received by the Office of the President, then the President will investigate,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said in a phone interview with reporters on Wednesday. A Philippine Star source at the Philippine National Police (PNP) has confirmed that Mr. Espenido is among those under investigation. “He (Espenido) is included in that group,” said the PNP official who spoke on condition of anonymity. PNP Chief Archie Francisco F. Gamboa declined to comment on the matter when asked by reporters. Mr. Gamboa stressed that all those under investigation are still presumed innocent. Mr. Espenido was relieved from his post last week as deputy chief for operations and head of the drug enforcement units in Bacolod City. The relief order was issued by Maj. Gen. Cesar Hawthorne Bing, chief of the PNP directorial staff. Mr. Espenido is currently assigned to the Office of the Chief PNP at the police headquarters in Quezon City. Mr. Espenido did not reply when sought for comment. — Gillian M. Cortez and Emmanuel Tupas, PHILSTAR

1st-time jobseekers required to submit certified documents

A crowd of jobseekers during a government-organized job fair in Metro Manila in 2019. — DPWH

EMPLOYERS ARE directed to accept only certified true copies of required documents from first time jobseekers (FTJs), based on a new advisory by the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE). In DoLE Labor Advisory No. 07 series of 2020, the department said all employers from the private sector should only accept a true copy of the required government papers, which are issued for free to new jobseekers. “Private establishments are hereby enjoined to accept certified true copy from the issuing government authority of the pre-employment documents of the FTJ during the application process,” states the advisory dated February 11. DoLE, however, clarified that original pre-employment documents will only be kept once the FTJ is officially hired for the job. Republic Act 11261, or the First Time Jobseekers Act, provides that all government establishments concerned in the issuance of needed documents for job application will waive fees and charges for first-timers. — Gillian M. Cortez

Nation at a Glance — (02/13/20)

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 — (02/13/20)

IMF wants tax evasion covered by AMLA

THE Philippines should add tax evasion among the crimes covered by its law against money laundering, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“Tax evasion should be added to the list of predicate crimes,” the IMF said in its Feb. 6 report on the Philippines.

Customer due diligence for politically exposed persons and risk-based supervision of the gaming sector should also be intensified, it added.

Quirino Rep. Junie E. Cua said a technical working group of the House of Representatives Committee on Banks, which he heads, has been tweaking the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA).

“It is one of the priorities of the government to enable us to achieve grade A rating, so that’s very important,” he said in an interview on Tuesday.

Mr. Cua filed House Bill 6174 to include tax crimes and violation of the Strategic Trade Management Act as predicate offenses to money laundering.

The bill also wants to include real-estate agents as covered persons that will be monitored by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

The congressman said his committee would address IMF concerns about tax evasion, saying it is “one of the areas where we need to improve.”

Mr. Cua said there is a long list of crimes that fall under tax evasion, some serious and some not so serious.

“We’re looking into that as well. But we need to be very careful with these things because we do not want also abuses to be committed,” he said.

The lawmaker said his committee was “fast-tracking” the measure “without sacrificing thorough and exhaustive consultations with stakeholders.”

These changes are needed so the country could avoid being gray-listed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Mr. Cua said.

“This is about the international effort to curb the laundering of money resulting from terrorism, the funding or financing terrorism,” he added.

He also said they would look at the offshore gaming industry to ensure it does not become a dirty money haven.

“We don’t want it to become a venue for money laundering as well, and we want to be very cautious about these Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators,” he said.

The country’s law against money laundering was passed in September 2001 and was first amended in 2003 to address concerns about the high threshold level for covered transactions, the coverage of institutions and bank secrecy.

Lawmakers lowered the threshold for covered transactions to P500,000 from P4 million, empowered the central bank to examine deposits or investments with any banking institutions without a court order during a periodic or special examination, and allowed the law to be applied retroactively.

Congress again amended the law in 2012 by allowing the issuance of a freeze order and empowered the AMLC to conduct a bank inquiry within 24 hours after filing a court action.

The FATF upgraded the country to a “gray list” from a “dark gray” list as a result, just a notch away from being taken out of a watchlist of noncompliant nations.

The following year, lawmakers again changed the law by increasing the number of illegal activities related to money laundering to 34 from 14.

These included human trafficking, bribery, counterfeiting, fraud and other illegal exactions, forgery, malversation, various environmental crimes, and terrorism and its financing.

The law needs to be improved further so the Philippines won’t be included in the FATF list of areas with serious deficiencies in combating terrorist financing, the IMF said.

Meanwhile, Senator Francis N. Pangilinan filed a bill repealing a 65-year-old law that guarantees deposit secrecy.

His Senate Bill 634 or the proposed Deposits Disclosure Act will allow scrutiny of all deposits for possible tax evasion, money laundering and corruption, among other financial crimes.

This will cover all deposits, regardless of currency denomination, issued by banks and nonbank financial institutions.

“It is necessary and timely to lift all pertinent laws on the secrecy of bank deposits to ensure rightful declaration of taxes and efficient revenue collection,” Mr. Pangilinan said in the bill’s explanatory note.

“Through this measure, the government will be able to effectively combat domestic and global tax evasion, money laundering and other financial crimes, and corruption,” he added.

Once the bill becomes law, banks must disclose and report deposit account information. Violators will be fined at least P200,000 or jailed for at least three years or both. — Genshen L. Espedido and Charmaine A. Tadalan

PHL tourism to lose P23 billion a month due to COVID-19

THE tourism industry alone could lose P22.7 billion in revenues per month amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, with Philippines also seen to be among the most vulnerable countries that might suffer from disruptions in global supply chains after some factories in China halted operations.

This as the Department of Health (DoH) on Wednesday reported that the number of patients under investigation for the new coronavirus from China rose to 408.

“Applying ’yung (the) multiplier effect of tourism, we expect that per month, kasama na rin ’yung (including) domestic airline receipts, we think it’s (foregone revenue) in the order of about P22.7 billion per month,” National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Undersecretary, Rosemarie G. Edillon said in a hearing at the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Fatima T. Romulo-Puyat said their estimates showed the tourism sector could lose a total of P42.9 billion from February until April — P16.8 billion this month, another P14.11 billion for March and P11.98 billion for April — as citizens are expected to cancel scheduled flights and postpone events, among others, amid the virus scare.

For airlines, Roberto Lim, executive director and vice-chairman of the Air Carriers Association of the Philippines, Inc. (ACAP) said they are expecting to lose around P3 billion from ticket refunds in the next two months following the China travel ban.

NEDA’s Ms. Edillon added that if the outbreak persists up to six months, affected industries, including tourism-related businesses, could also lay off some workers.

Earlier, NEDA estimates showed a prolonged outbreak could reduce the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 0.3% if the virus lingers until June, while the impact could further rise to 0.7% if it persists until December. The projections were made considering inbound Chinese tourists will be cut by 100% and foreign tourists coming in will be reduced by 10% from the baseline during the given period.

CHINA’S SLOWDOWN TO AFFECT ASIA
The COVID-19 outbreak’s effect on China’s growth could also spill over to the region, including the Philippines, and will affect the aviation industry, tourism sector, services, and global supply chains.

ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) said in a report on Wednesday that the outbreak could slow China’s growth by 0.5 percentage point this year, and with widespread spillovers to the region, ASEAN+3’s growth could also be reduced by 0.2 percentage point.

Based on AMRO’s estimates culled from its Global Vector Autoregression (GVAR) model, a one-percentage-point decline in China’s economic activity would hit Thailand the most, along with Singapore and Hong Kong, while the Philippine economy will likely suffer a 0.27 percentage point reduction, same as Malaysia, Japan and South Korea.

“The main spillover channels to the region would be through a sharp drop in Chinese outbound travel and tourism, a drop in regional travel and tourism reflecting fear of contracting the disease, a decline in China’s imports through the supply chain as manufacturing production is disrupted and as domestic demand is affected, and the spread of the disease to regional economies,” AMRO explained in its analytical note published Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Oxford Economics said the Philippines is one of the countries most vulnerable to global trade disruptions, which could happen as the outbreak has forced some factories in China to temporarily halt their operations.

“The rapid spread of coronavirus will weaken China’s GDP (gross domestic product) growth sharply in the short term, causing disruption for the rest of the world,” Oxford Economics said in a Feb. 10 report. “Weaker Chinese imports and tourism and disruption to global supply chains will take a toll on the rest of the world, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.”

According to Oxford Economics data, 30.8% of the country’s core intermediate goods that its imports come from China and Hong Kong, making the Philippines the third-biggest export market of China and Hong Kong combined.

“After Vietnam, the South Korean and the Philippines economies look vulnerable to coronavirus, based on this metric. The share of intermediate goods imports from China is in excess of 20% in all the other Asian economies on the list, bar Singapore.”

Philippine authorities earlier said the country could find other sources for the raw materials and goods it currently imports from China if supply will be disrupted.

However for Oxford Economics, “even if substitutes for Chinese suppliers exist, their capacity to increase production and meet global demand may be limited in the short term and could increase production costs across the supply chain.”

For the Economic Research Unit (ERU) of the UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc., the “Philippine economy’s significant trade exposure to China puts the anticipated export recovery this 2020 in a quandary ahead of China’s anticipated economic slowdown due to the still unknown eventual impact of the coronavirus outbreak.”

If the virus spreads further and stays longer, UnionBank’s ERU said it may also threaten the country’s remittance inflows, which is a major component driver of growth, particularly flows coming from China, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore.

DISRUPTIONS WILL AFFECT BANKS
In a report on Wednesday, Moody’s Investors Service also warned that the fallout from the virus’ spread could also hurt the asset quality and profitability of Asia-Pacific (APAC) banks.

Considering disruptions in supply chains, Moody’s said banks in the Asia-Pacific region could suffer from potential loan defaults if the borrowers, specifically the companies involved in these sectors, will face prolonged suspensions in their operations.

“APAC banks provide working capital and investment financing for companies in supply chains. The main source of asset risk for banks in this area is financing for subcontractor or suppliers, rather than loans to major manufacturing companies. For example, if production is suspended for a prolonged period, subcontractors of major manufacturers can be at risk of default. Industries that can take a hit include technology and auto manufacturing,” the credit rater said.

Meanwhile, a more immediate impact will be felt by banks as private consumption is seen to decline amid the virus scare, “resulting in declines in earnings at corporates in industries that are reliant on consumer spending, such as general trade and commerce, mall operators and real estate firms.”

“This would lead to higher problem loans at the banks,” it said.

Moody’s added that while the market has already recovered from virus-related sell-offs, prices of financial assets could decline if the outbreak continues.

“While short-term volatility can be good for bank earnings from financial markets, sustained market declines will be credit-negative for the banks due to mark-to-market losses on financial investments and falls in revenue from financial markets,” the debt watcher said. — Beatrice M. Laforga and Genshen L. Espedido