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Race for Europe heats up as United wins at Chelsea

LONDON — Manchester United’s 2-0 win at Chelsea on Monday blew open the race for the Premier League’s fourth Champions League qualifying spot, in contrast to the one-horse race for the title which Liverpool seem sure to win.

Both coaches, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Frank Lampard, said getting into the Champions League was their focus with almost a third of the season left to play.

“We want to be in the Champions League next year and we’ve given ourselves a chance with this result,” Solskjaer told reporters after headed goals by Anthony Martial and Harry Maguire gave United their first league win in over a month.

Chelsea are still clinging to fourth position with 41 points but the Blues are only one point ahead of London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday after three straight wins under former Blues coach Jose Mourinho.

Sheffield United and Manchester United are close behind with 39 and 38 points respectively but they too must look over their shoulders at Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton on 36 points.

Lampard, whose side have now won twice in their last eight league games, lamented the familiar problem of failing to convert chances and said Chelsea had to turn around their shaky form.

“We’re fourth and it’s in our hands. The gap has closed but not many people expected us to be fourth at this stage of the season so the fight starts now,” he said.

Lampard and Solskjaer refused to be drawn on whether second-placed Manchester City’s two-year ban from European competition starting next season might help their clubs by rewarding whoever finishes fifth with Champions League qualification.

City were handed the ban and a 30 million euro ($32.51 million) fine by European soccer’s governing body UEFA last week after an investigation into alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules. The English champions plan to appeal.

Lampard was more willing to talk about an incident involving United defender Harry Maguire who he thought should have been sent off before scoring the second goal for lifting a boot into the groin of Chelsea’s Michy Batshuayi in the first half.

Solskjaer defended his captain, saying he was protecting himself when Batshuayi appeared about to fall on him.

“For me I didn’t think two seconds about it at all,” the Norwegian said. “It hurts definitely when you get hit there but I think he (Batshuayi) is going to be alright.” — Reuters

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League returns for its fifth season in the Philippines

THE Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League-Philippines is back for its fifth season.

The largest mobile e-sports league in Southeast Asia mounts its return in the Philippines following the success of its preceding season that saw Sunsparks’ momentous hoisting of the MPL-PH trophy. Their best-of-five grand final bout against Onic PH will be forever etched in the annals of the tournament’s history as it gave birth to the iconic Arrival play that spoiled the then rookie’s otherwise perfect league debut.

The grand finalists last season were also bestowed with the right to represent the Philippines in the inaugural M1 World Championship 2019, the international Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournament graced by 14 countries from around the world. The Malaysia-based competition featured a staggering $250,000 prize pool, the lion’s share of which was bagged by the eventual champions, Indonesia’s EVOS Legends.

Meanwhile, with the elimination of two championship titleholders — Cignal Ultra and ArkAngel — last MPL-PH season, partnered with the rather chaotic roster shuffle that saw familiar faces donning jerseys of teams they used to compete against, the journey towards being legendary this season is expected to be fiercer. Gone, may be, are the go-to favorites but the top-notch Mobile Legends: Bang Bang action surely remains.

The MPL-PH Season 5 kicked off earlier this month catering to all hopefuls nationwide in a two-day online qualifier. The teams who survived the single-elimination meet advanced to the main qualifiers, wherein two slots for the regular season were at stake.

PARTICIPATING TEAMS
For the fifth season, participating teams include Sunsparks, Onic PH, SGD Omega, Execration, Bren Sports, Geek Fam, Blacklist International (formerly EVOS PH) and STI (Former Ownage).

The regular season of the MPL-PH Season 5 will run on all weekends of Feb. 29 to April 5 this year. The first week of the tournament phase will run on two days, Feb. 29 to March 1, while the succeeding weeks will be from Friday to Sunday. Spectators are more than welcome to watch the regular season matches live at the Illumination Studio located at 2723 Sabio St., Corner Chino Roces Ave., Makati City.

Meanwhile, the topnotch MPL-PH Season 5 regular season action will also be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube starting on Feb. 29 at 6:00 p.m.

After the six-weekend regular season, the top eight participants will advance to the playoffs to determine which one of them will go home with the lion’s share of the $100,000 prize pool along with the coveted MPL-PH grand championship title. The culmination of the MPL-PH Season 5 will be held at the Le Pavillon Metropolitan Park in Pasay City.

For more information and announcements about Southeast Asia’s biggest mobile esports tournament, like and follow the official Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Facebook page.

COVID-19-hit

There is no denying that the ongoing outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has impacted the sporting world, particularly how the disease, which originated from Wuhan, China and has now affected different parts of the world, has forced stakeholders to adjust their calendars of events worldwide.

In the Philippines, a number of sporting events have been moved, or cancelled entirely altogether, on the advisory of health officials to prevent the further spread of the highly contagious disease.

While the move is completely understandable, still from my end it has affected me both as a fan and a sports journalist.

As a fan because there is hardly a sporting event to bask in and enjoy as a spectator, and as a sport journalist as there is not much to cover and write about.

One of the events hit by the COVID-19 is the 10th ASEAN Para Games which the country is hosting.

I certainly feel for the organizers of this event, particularly the Philippine Paralympic Committee (PPC) which has been hard at work to have a successful staging of the Games.

It was supposed to happen in January this year, following the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games in December, but was deferred to March after the Philippine Sports Commission, the body tasked to fund the event, said there was no money to stage the Games at that time.

Then came the COVID-19 which prompted the PSC to recommend to the PPC another postponement of the Para Games, which is now being eyed for a May or September staging.

Had the chance to see the PPC at work early on in the preparations for the Games, and it is really unfortunate to see the event get hit that way it has had.

The PPC is really trying to make sure that the staging will be as seamless as possible with all the para athletes competing taken care of, from accommodation to facilities to the equipment.

The Filipino athletes, too, are invested in it, looking forward to the March staging after its original schedule was deferred.

Para athlete Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta (powerlifting) shared that she and Team Philippines were saddened by the initial postponement and were really looking forward to the Games finally pushing through next month just as they have adjusted their training after “peaking” for the scheduled event in January.

Now another postponement.

Also hit by the COVID-19 is the volleyball tournament of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines for Season 82.

It is a tournament, which was supposed to start on Feb. 15, that has been generating a lot of buzz in the lead-up not only for the marquee women’s competition but also for the men’s side which the league is bent on giving more prominence this season, coming on the heels of the successful outing of the national men’s team in the SEA Games where it won a silver medal.

The league was also touting the competition to be an exciting one, with the field shored up and with enhancements designed to make the tournament engaging and efficient, including the use for the first time of the video challenge system.

Some fans were up and arms, particularly on social media, for the league’s postponement of the tournament to a still-to-be-determined date, and I would not blame them for feeling such initially considering that it all seems a go early last week until the UAAP reconsidered.

The league also postponed the men’s football tournament, which was set to begin on Feb. 16, softball tournament (Feb. 17), seniors baseball tournament (Feb. 19), athletics (Feb. 19–23), and judo (last week of February).

Following suit was the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which suspended indefinitely all seniors division games beginning Feb. 14, including the ongoing volleyball tournament.

Other collegiate leagues have also put activities on hold.

The Philippine Basketball Association has moved to makes changes to its calendar as well with the opening of Season 45 now happening on March 8 from March 1 while the PBA D-League will unravel on March 2 from Feb. 13.

The first home game of Gilas Pilipinas in the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup was postponed too.

Gilas was to meet Thailand in a Group A match on Feb. 20 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Philippines’s next game — an away assignment against Indonesia on Feb. 23 — would push through, however, on FIBA’s recommendation.

Shelved as of the moment, too, is the cycling event PRURide PH 2020, which was scheduled to take place from March 11–15 at Mimosa Drive, Clark, Pampanga.

At the rate things are going, save for some events, regular sports action locally would happen in March at the very least, meaning more time for us of waiting.

I am sure the cancellations and postponements were a tough one to call for stakeholders but something that needed to be done for the safety and welfare of more people.

We just have to ride this out for the meantime and hope and pray that things get settled at the soonest possible time.

Keep safe everyone.

 

Michael Angelo S. Murillo has been a columnist since 2003. He is a BusinessWorld reporter covering the Sports beat.

msmurillo@bworldonline.com

Anti-climactic ending

There were a lot of Could Bes and Maybes in the final quarter of the 2020 National Basketball Association All-Star Game. Because of the annual spectacle’s new format, just about the only thing cast in stone the other day was the absence of Overtime. The Elan Ending had the best of the best going for a specific score representing the aggregate number of points Team Giannis put up through the first three periods plus 24 (in honor of the late Kobe Bryant, whose name was likewise carried by the trophy about to be handed to the Most Valuable Player).

As complicated as the mechanics sounded, the implementation could not have been more ideal. Every single stalwart who saw action in the First to 157 section of the match gave his all. Certainly, there were sequences even the most ardent fans of the league would not have deemed possible in an exhibition: timeouts, challenged calls, ardent defense, charging fouls, selflessness. That Team LeBron had to overcome a nine-point deficit en route to victory served only to underscore the intensity with which the outcome was forged.

If there was any negative to the proceedings, it was that the denouement proved to be a downer. Considering the protagonists’ determination, having the contest decided by a free throw was anti-climactic at best. Then again, it was what it was; Kyle Lowry did foul Anthony Davis, who then sank the second of two charities to seal the deal. And, in retrospect, perhaps the workmanlike finish was fitting for the festivities — trumpeted as a celebration of the sport AND of Bryant’s legacy.

Everything fell into place, really. Kawhi Leonard, ostensibly the most like Bryant in resolve and purpose, claimed the MVP award. Davis, a native of the host city, decided the set-to. And every single one of the All-Stars understood the extent of their participation and acted accordingly. They wanted to have a good time while giving fans a good time. More importantly, they were bent on winning. The result was nothing short of outstanding.

 

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.

Peso weakens vs dollar

THE PESO declined against the dollar on fears over the virus. — BW FILE PHOTO

THE PESO weakened against the greenback on Tuesday as investors flocked towards safe-haven assets due to lingering concerns amid the ongoing outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The local unit finished trading at P50.645 per dollar, depreciating by 7.5 centavos from its Monday close of P50.57, according to data from the website of the Bankers’ Association of the Philippines.

The peso opened the session at P50.53 versus the dollar. Its weakest showing was at P50.65, while its intraday best was at P50.57 against the greenback.

Dollars traded slipped to $933.9 million from the $971.5 million seen on Monday.

UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc. Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion said there was risk-off sentiment in the market after Apple, Inc. voiced out worries regarding its first-quarter performance due to the virus’ spread.

“The market was cautious because of COVID-19 pathogens impact on global companies with with Apple saying that its quarterly sales would miss forecasts,” Mr. Asuncion said in a text message.

“Global corporate earnings and economic growth is now being weighed down by the actual impact of the virus outbreak,” he added.

“The peso continued to weaken from safe-haven demand on lingering coronavirus concerns and expectations of less dovish cues from [the US] Fed[eral Reserve] minutes this week,” a trader said in an e-mail.

Mr. Asuncion and the trader said the market will continue to watch developments in the COVID-19 outbreak and US data due for release on Wednesday.

For today, Mr. Asuncion sees the peso playing around the P50.50-P50.70 levels, while the trader expects the local unit to move within the P50.60-P50.80 band. — L.W.T. Noble

Local shares close flat amid lack of fresh leads

LOCAL SHARES closed flat on Tuesday as investors shied away from trading amid a lack of strong market catalysts.

The 30-member Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) dipped 3.96 points or 0.05% to end at 7,322.89 yesterday, while the broader all shares index climbed 2.28 points or 0.05% to 4,340.98.

“The market continues to calm down as more and more investors wait on the sidelines for something to happen,” AAA Southeast Equities, Inc. Research Head Christopher John Mangun said in an e-mail. “The general sentiment remains cautious as more companies report 2019 earnings.”

The tame trading yesterday translated to a value turnover of P5.33 billion with 503.90 million issues changing hands. This is lower than Monday’s value turnover of P7.84 billion with 782.60 million issues.

Philstocks Financial, Inc. Research Associate Claire T. Alviar pointed to last-minute profit-taking to have dragged the main index yesterday, on top of most Asian markets closing in red territory.

Among the losing markets in Asia yesterday were Japan’s Nikkei 225 and Topix indices, which lost 1.40% and 1.31%, respectively. China’s CSI 300 index also fell 0.49% and South Korea’s Kospi index dropped 1.48% at the end of Tuesday’s trading

Meanwhile, most Southeast Asian stock markets also fell on Tuesday, as global sentiment soured after Apple became the latest company to flag lower revenue due to the coronavirus outbreak that has slowed economic activity in the region.

Thai shares and Singapore stocks fell 0.7% and 0.6%, respectively, making the them the top losers in the region.

Both Singapore and Thai economy have suffered following the outbreak, with Thailand expecting the number of foreign visitors to fall by 5 million this year, while Singapore lowered its 2020 growth target on Monday.

Ms. Alviar added that the report on all-time high remittances and tourism in the Philippines in 2019 helped lift the market intraday, but worries on the coronavirus outweighed it at trading’s close.

Sectoral indices at the PSE were mixed. Gainers were services, which went up 18.82 points or 1.31% to 1,454.76; mining and oil, up 47.30 points or 0.67% to 7,077.38; and property, up 1.09 points or 0.02% to 3,927.97.

Losers were led by financials, which shed 17.31 points or 0.99% to 1,727.30; industrials, which lost 32.82 points or 0.36% to 8,958.48; and holding firms, slipping 0.88 point or 0.01% to 7,146.35.

Declining names stood at 101 at the end of Tuesday’s trading, edging out advancers which clocked in at 86. Some 45 names ended unchanged.

Foreign investors turned bullish, tallying a net buying of P187.66 million to reverse Monday’s net foreign selling worth P336.82 million.

“The PSEi may end the week with minor gains as bargain seekers pick up cheap shares,” AAA Southeast Equities’ Mr. Mangun said. — Denise A. Valdez with Reuters

5 BI officials relieved pending bribery probe

By Vann Marlo M. Villegas, Reporter

FIVE IMMIGRATION officials were relieved from their posts and re-assigned pending an investigation of an alleged bribery scheme involving Chinese workers in local offshore gaming companies.

The officials were taken out of their posts “due to command responsibility,” Immigration spokesperson Dana Krizia M. Sandoval said in a mobile-phone message on Tuesday.

“But the investigation does not revolve entirely around them,” she said. “We’re looking at the bigger picture, all that might be connected to this alleged scheme, whether internal or external.”

This comes after senators on Monday exposed the illegal scheme that allows Chinese nationals to enter the country for a fee.

Many of them end up working for offshore gaming companies here, Senator Risa N. Hontiveros-Baraquel said earlier.

During a Senate hearing, the lawmaker showed a video of incoming Chinese nationals being escorted to an office at the international airport in Manila.

She also showed screenshots of Viber messages among Immigration officers discussing the bribery scheme, as well as a worksheet containing the P10,000 paid by each of the tourists.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime H. Morente on Monday ordered a probe of the practice.

The bureau earlier asked the Justice department and National Bureau of Investigation to probe corrupt practices at the airports, including human trafficking and escort services.

“We are already short-staffed, but this is a sacrifice we have to do to ensure the smoothness of the investigation,” Ms. Sandoval said.

Immigration officials who attended Monday’s hearing denied knowledge of the scheme, prompting Ms. Baraquel to say that they were either complicit or negligent.

The Senate body was tackling the illegal entry of Chinese nationals who end up working in offshore gaming companies in the Philippines.

Some female workers had also been allegedly trafficked and forced to work as sex slaves.

Ms. Baraquel told reporters after the hearing it was unlikely that Immigration officials were ignorant of the illegal scheme.

She noted that if reforms had really been started, the bureau would have discovered the scheme a long time ago.

The lawmaker said the government must order a crackdown against unscrupulous Immigration officials involved in the anomaly.

The Senate committee will examine at its next hearing the cost and benefit of offshore gaming companies, whose operators and clients are mostly Chinese.

8 more Filipinos in cruise ship infected with virus

EIGHT more Filipinos tested positive for the new coronavirus strain inside a cruise ship docked in Yokohama, bringing the total infected Filipinos to 35, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

“The Filipinos who tested positive for COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) were immediately transferred to Japanese hospitals and are now undergoing treatment,” the agency said in a statement on Tuesday.

The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in mainland China reached at least 1,868 with 93 more deaths in Hubei and five more in other parts of the country, according to Al Jazeera News.

Chinese state television also reported that Liu Zhiming, director of Wuhan Wuchang Hospital, died yesterday, becoming one of the latest fatalities of the epidemic.

The government also reported an additional 1,886 new infections across the country, but mostly from Hubei, bringing the nationwide total to at least 72,436, it said.

The Japanese government was expected to announce on Tuesday the disembarkation procedures for the Diamond Princess cruise ship as the quarantine period ends on Feb. 19, DFA said.

The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo was coordinating with agencies of both governments and the cruise management for the repatriation of Filipinos aboard the ship.

Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Eduardo Martin R. Meñez said the repatriation details were still being discussed by a local inter-agency task force. Repatriation would be voluntary, he added.

Meanwhile, a Filipina has become the first domestic helper to contract the coronavirus in Hong Kong, and the Chinese-ruled city’s 61st case overall, health authorities said on Tuesday.

There are more than 180,000 Filipinos in Hong Kong, many working as helpers, according to the Philippine Labor department. The helper, who worked for one of the previous confirmed coronavirus cases, spent an hour out with more than 10 friends whom the health department was contacting, the head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, Chuang Shuk-kwan, said.

Also yesterday, Senator Ralph G. Recto supported the IATF’s decision to partially lift the travel ban on China’s special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macau.

“This will save the jobs of thousands of FIlipinos who were vacationing in their home country when their government imposed a travel ban,” he said in a statement.

“The lifting of the ban, in effect, rescues these stranded workers from unemployment and their families from penury.” — Charmaine A. Tadalan with Reuters

Former Senator Trillanes posts P10,000 bail

A FORMER senator critical of President Rodrigo R. Duterte has posted bail after a Quezon City court ordered his arrest for allegedly conspiring to commit sedition.

The court recalled his arrest warrant after former Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV paid a P10,000 bail upon arriving in the Philippines yesterday from overseas.

It ordered the ex-lawmaker and 10 other people to enter their pleas on March 17.

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

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

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. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Villar checks 2 Pangasinan scenic roads closed due to safety, garbage issues

PUBLIC WORKS and Highways Secretary Mark A. Villar made an onsite inspection on Tuesday of the two highways in Pangasinan — the Daang Kalikasan in Mangatarem and Daang Katutubo in Aguilar — that were temporarily closed starting Monday following accidents and the accumulation of garbage on the roadside. The closure took effect Monday after an emergency meeting attended by representatives from national agencies and local government units led by Lingayen Mayor Leopoldo N. Bataoil, who heads the Pangasinan Provincial Advisory Council. In a statement from the Lingayen information office, Mr. Bataoil said there is a need to “come-up with plans and action to address various safety and environmental concerns.” In a separate statement issued on Sunday, Pangasinan 2nd District Rep. Jumel Anthony I. Espino said he recommended the closure after another fatal accident that morning. Mr. Espino also cited the problem faced by the local government over garbage left by those passing through and visiting the scenic Daang Kalikasan. Both Mangatarem and Aguilar are under the 2nd District. “The temporary closure is intended to further improve the road and completely finish the project. We will also assess what needs to be done for the safety of everyone,” he wrote in Filipino.

Improved road to Siquijor tourism sites ready by end-Q1

SIQUIJOR’S Butterfly Sanctuary and Bandilaan Mountain View Park will soon be more accessible with the concrete road along Barangay Calunasan in the town of Maria. “Before the end of first quarter, locals and tourists will be able to utilize a new 2-lane paved road going to secluded tourist destinations in the province. This road is also incorporated with drainage and slope protection features as flood-control and safety measure,” Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Siquijor District Engineer Elvis G. Calunod said in a statement last week. Mr. Calunod also said that several other road improvement projects are lined up “to ensure local and international tourists experience this island province in Central Visayas that offers a handful of world-class destinations.” Siquijor can be reached by ferry services from Dumaguete City, the closest jump-off point, as well as Cebu and Tagbilaran. The province, called Isla de Fuego (Island of Fire) by the Spanish colonizers, celebrates several annual fiestas, including the Healing Festival during the Catholic Holy Week when traditional healers gather in Mt. Bandilaan to make herbal medicines and conduct therapeutic sessions. — MSJ

Zamboanga City transport route plan gets LTFRB approval

ZAMBOANGA CITY’s Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) has been approved by the national regulatory board and will now be included in the ongoing study for a comprehensive transport and traffic management masterplan. Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairman Martin B. Delgra III awarded on Monday the notice of compliance to the city’s LPTRP team, which was formed in 2018. “With the granted notice of compliance, the city government is to enact an ordinance adopting the said LPTRP indicating the routes, authorized modes and number of authorized units,” the LTFRB notice states. Local government units are mandated to draft an LPTRP under a 2017 directive from the Department of Transportation and the Department of Interior and Local Government. “Zamboanga City is one of the growing urban centers in Mindanao, and like other highly urbanized areas in the country, it is experiencing a significant increase in population and consequently traffic congestion due to the increase in the volume of road traffic users and limited road capacity,” Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said in a social media post during the LPTRP team’s creation. The route plan, drafted with support from the Western Mindanao State University’s College of Engineering-Extension Services, will be made part of the Comprehensive Transport and Traffic Management Plan (2019–2033) that is being prepared by the University of the Philippines-National Center for Transportation Studies (UP-NCTS). The UP-NCTS, commissioned by the city government, led a transport summit in January in preparation for the plan. — Mindanao Bureau

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