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A better, historic Philippine leg for FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour set in Boracay island

FOR the second straight year the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour will make a stop in the Philippines, which is made all the more significant and historic as it will take place on the island of Boracay.

Happening from May 23 to 26 at the White House Beach Resort, Boracay Station 1, the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Boracay Open 2019 is set to feature 48 teams from different countries in the world which will try to emerge as victors in this leg, hosted once again by Beach Volleyball Republic (BVR), of the touring competition.

BVR said 28 teams will be competing in the men’s division while 20 pairs will dispute supremacy in the women’s division of the tournament, which was held at the Sands at SM by the Bay in Pasay City last year.

The Philippine contingent for this year is composed of three pairs for the men’s division and five for the women’s division.

Leading the battle in the men’s division for the Philippines is the Cebuano pair of Jade Becaldo and Mike Abria. They will be joined by the likes of teammates Ranran Abdilla and Jesse Lopez and the pair of James Buytrago and Anthony Arbasto, who hails from National University (NU) and University of Santo Tomas (UST) respectively.

Competing in the women’s division, meanwhile, are the Negrense pair of Dij Rodriguez and BVR founder Bea Tan; UST’s Genesa Eslapor and Belove Barbon; Iloilo’s DM Demontano and Jackie Estoquia; the Iloilo and Negros connection of Fiola Ceballos and Patty Orendain; and the team of Bernadeth Pons and UAAP Beach Volleyball queen, Sisi Rondina.

At the tournament, winning teams will earn points and get a shot at joining the prestigious FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Finals.

Armed with its experience of hosting the event last year, BVR said participants and spectators can expect a better staging of the World Tour, which will also have a beach cleanup drive at Boracay along with a Sandroots Beach Volleyball workshop with the players teaching aspiring youth about the sport.

“It’s a big step for us because we are reaching out to all these various stakeholders and we at BVR are very thankful with the support we have been getting,” said Charo Soriano, tournament director and BVR co-founder, at the press conference for the event on Sunday at the Club Lounge of the Makati City Club.

“And we are happy for Boracay because it is one of the best beaches in the world and it is going through rehabilitation. We are also promoting what they have been doing there, partnering with different concerned agencies, making this staging of the event more historic,” she added.

Hosting the event for the second straight year, BVR said it is something it hopes to continue doing for years to come, seeing it as in line with the group’s thrust of promoting and furthering the development of beach volleyball in the country and a platform for local athletes to raise their game and showcase what they can do,

“We’re looking at this FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour as a long-term project. We want to annually be able to hold this big tournament here which is not only an opportunity for our beach volleyball aficionados but for the international community to take notice of the Philippines’ potential as a beach volleyball hub,” said Ms. Tan, whose group has been pushing for beach volleyball growth through BVR since 2016.

The FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Boracay Open 2019 will be shown on ABS-CBN S+A and iWant Sports.

For news and updates on the tournament, follow @BeachVolleyballRepublic on Facebook and Instagram, and @bvr_ph on Twitter. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Raptors clinch pivotal two OT win over Bucks

TORONTO — Kawhi Leonard scored 36 points — including two important field goals late in the second overtime — and grabbed nine rebounds as the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Milwaukee Bucks 118-112 in double-overtime Sunday night in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

The Bucks lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 with Game 4 slated to Tuesday in Toronto.

Pascal Siakam added 25 points and 11 rebounds for Toronto and Marc Gasol had 16 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and five blocked shots.

Toronto’s Kyle Lowry had 11 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Norman Powell had 19 points off the bench before fouling out late in the fourth.

Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo was held to 12 points but grabbed 23 rebounds before fouling out with 4:24 remaining in the second overtime.

George Hill had 24 points for Milwaukee. Malcolm Brogdon had 20 points, Brook Lopez added 16, Eric Bledsoe tallied 11, and Nikola Mirotic 10.

The Raptors led by as many as 11 points but had only a two-point advantage entering the fourth quarter.

Toronto moved out an eight-point lead when Leonard made a 3-pointer with 9:05 to play, but Hill’s hook shot tied the game at 88 with 4:11 to play.

Leonard’s 16-footer put Toronto into a 93-91 lead, which grew to three when Siakam made one of two free throws with 1:41 remaining and five when Leonard made two free throws with 1:13 left.

Brogdon’s reverse layup had the Bucks back to within two with 38.7 seconds to go.

After a Bucks’ miss, Siakam missed two free throws with 7.1 seconds left. Khris Middleton’s layup tied the game with 2.2 seconds left, forcing overtime.

Siakam’s layup put Toronto ahead by two in the first overtime and Leonard’s jumper made the lead four. Brogdon hit a five-footer with 43.2 seconds to play and Hill tied the game with two free throws with 14.5 seconds left in the first overtime. Leonard missed a shot, forcing the second overtime.

Leonard’s dunk after a steal had Toronto leading by three in the second overtime. Two free throws by Lopez trimmed the lead to one.

Leonard’s steal and dunk again had the Raptors ahead by three with 1:52 left in the second overtime. The Raptors led by four on Leonard’s hook with 32.4 seconds to go.

The Raptors led 30-21 after the first quarter.

The Raptors led by 11 points after Lowry hit a 3-pointer with 4:13 remaining in the half.

The Bucks cut the lead to four on a 3-pointer by Bledsoe but Serge Ibaka nailed a 3-pointer in the final second for a 58-51 Raptors halftime lead.

Brogdon’s 3-pointer pulled Milwaukee to within three points with 6:44 left in the third quarter.

Siakam’s 3-pointer from the corner put the Raptors up by nine. The Bucks, however, beat the Raptors to two rebounds before Hill put in a floating jumper to close the third-quarter scoring. Toronto led 77-75. — Reuters

Girls go to war

UAAP Season 81
2018-2019 UAAP Chess Team Tournament (Girls)
1st Floor, QPAV Building, UST, España St., Manila
Sept. 19-Oct. 28, 2018

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY (NU) 37 points, 20 match points.

bd01 (board 1) WFM (Woman Fide Master) Allanney Jia Doroy 9/10, bd02 Jesca Docena 8.5/10, bd03 Vic Glysen Derotas 10/10, bd04 Princess Nicole Ballete 3/3, bd05 Natasja Jasmine Balabbo 6.5/7. Team Captain: WFM MDoroy, Team Coach: Jose Aquino Jr, Mark Anthony Bernales, Team Managers: Samson Go, Manny Go.

UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (UST), 24.5 points, 12 match points.

bd01 Francois Marie Magpily 7.5/10, bd02 Iris May dela Cruz 0/1, bd03 Eula Djemarie dela Cruz 5.5/10, bd04 Marjeri Janapin 4.5/10, bd05 Precious Day Yecla 7/9. Team Captain: Francois Marie Magpily, Team Coach: Peter Lim.

ADAMSON UNIVERSITY (AdU), 24.5 points, 12 match points.

bd01 Sofia Carmela de Guzman 1/1, bd02 Jallen Herzchelle Agra 0/3, bd03 Robelle de Jesus 7.5/10, bd04 Jarel Renz Lacambra 5.5/10, bd05 Rheam de Guzman 5.5/9, bd06 Precious Eve Ferrer 5/7. Team Captain: Robelle de Jesus, Team Coach: Christopher Rodriguez.

FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY (FEU), 24 pts, 12 match points.

bd01 Ruth Joy Vinuya 4/8, bd02 Natori Biazza Diaz 8/10, bd03 Ma. Ann Joy Baclayon 1.5/4, bd04 Rizalyn Jasmine Tejada 0/2, bd05 Ledj Janalyn Barcenas 5.5/8, bd06 Divine Grace Luna 5/8. Team Captain: Rizalyn Jasmine Tejada, Team Coaches: GM Jayson Gonzales, Vicente Venice, Team Manager: Atty. Ruel Canobas, Asst. Team Manager: WFM Shania Mae Mendoza.

ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY (ADMU) 6 pts, 4 match points

bd01 Ammeliah de Guzman 2/10, bd02 Alieli Winky Choi 0/10, bd03 Shariz Ngo 2/10, bd04 Mary Grace Catapang 2/10. Team Captain: Shariz Ngo, Team Coach: Ildefonso Datu.

DELA SALLE-ZOBEL (DLS-Z), 4 points, 0 match points.

bd01 Marianna Isabella Pecio 0/6, bd02 Esther Joy Vallee 0/10, bd03 Glesit Marie Tatoy 4/10, bd04 Anne Jelyne Perez 0/9, bd05 Beatrize Ysabelle Escalona 0/5. Team Coach: WIM Mikee Charlene Suede.

Individual Medal Awardees

Most Valuable Player: WFM Allanney Jia Doroy NU

Rookie of the Year: Precious Day Yecla UST

Board 1:
Gold — WFM Allanney Jia Doroy 9/10; Silver — Francois Marie Magpily UST 7.5/10; Bronze — Ruth Joy Vinuya FEU 4/8

Board 2:
Gold — Jesca Docena NU 8.5/10; Silver — Natori Blazza Diaz FEU 8/10; Bronze — Aleli Winky Choi ADMU 0/10; Bronze Esther Joy Valle DLS-Z 0/10

Board 3:
Gold — Vic Glyson Derotas NU 10/10; Silver — Robelle de Jesus AdU 7.5/10; Bronze — Eula Djemarie dela Cruz UST 5.5/10

Board 4:
Gold — Jarel Renz Lacambra AdU 5.5/10p; Silver — Marjeri Janapin UST 4.5/10; Bronze — Mary Grace Catapang ADMU 2/10

Board 5:
Gold — Natasja Jasmine Balabbo NU 6.5/7; Silver — Precious Day Yecla UST 7/9p; Bronze — Ledj Janalyn Barcenas 5.5/8

Board 6:
Gold — Precious Eve Ferrer AdU 5/7; Silver — Divine Grace Luna FEU 5/8; Bronze — no qualifier

In a further recognition of the rise of women’s chess in the Philippines, the UAAP this year introduced a new division in chess competitions, with a girls’ division added to the current Men’s (College), Women’s (College) and Boys (High School) contests.

The National University (NU) Lady Bullpups completely dominated the event by winning all ten of its matches, in seven of which it scored a 4-0 whitewash. They also won the individual gold medals on boards 1 (Doroy), board 2 (Jesca Docena), board 3 (Derotas) and board 5 (Balabbo), as well as the Most Valuable Player award (Doroy).

The only one who could compete with Allenney Jia Doroy on top board was UST’s Francois Marie Magpily, originally from General Pio Del Pilar National High School. Magpily, I believe she was the 2017 overall champion (meaning no distinction is made between boys and girls – I wonder if any other girl has ever accomplished such a feat?) of the NCR leg of the Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship, Junior Division.

[UST] Magpily, Francois Marie E. — [NU] WFM Doroy, Allanney Jia G. [B07]
2018-19 UAAP Chess (H. S. GIRLS) 1st Flr., QPAV Bldg., UST, España (5.2), 06.10.2018

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.Be3 Nf6 5.f3 c6 6.Qd2 Nbd7 7.0–0–0 Qa5 8.Kb1 b5 9.Bd3 Nb6 10.e5 Nfd5 11.Nxd5 Qxd2 12.Nc7+ Kd7 13.Bxd2 Kxc7 14.f4 Be6 15.Nf3 a5 16.Rhe1 h6 17.exd6+ Kxd6

[17…exd6 18.Bxg6]

18.h3 Nc4 19.Bc1 a4 20.Re2 Bd5 21.Ne5 Nxe5 22.dxe5+ Kc7

Allenney Jia saw that this allows Bxb5, but could not bring herself to play 22…Ke6 23.g4 where her king might be trapped in the center of the board.

23.Bxb5 Bxa2+ 24.Kxa2 cxb5 25.Rd5 Kc6 26.Red2 f6?

Definitely a mistake, as White now drives a wedge into the opponent’s position. Better is 26…Rhc8 followed by …e7–e6.

27.Rd7 Rhe8 28.e6 f5 29.R2d5

Magpily just needs one tempo to play Be3 and it is all over.

29…a3 30.b3 Kb6 31.Be3+ Ka6

POSITION AFTER 31…KA6

32.Kxa3

White misses the forced mate 32.Rc5 (threatens Rc6+ then Bc2+) 32…Red8 (32…Rac8 33.Rc6+ Rxc6 34.Ra7#) 33.Rc6+ Ka5 34.Bb6+ Kb4 35.Bc5+ Ka5 36.Rxd8 Rxd8 37.b4+ Ka4 38.Ra6#. Anyway, no matter, she is still winning anyway.

32…Bf6 33.Rc7 Rec8 34.Rxc8 Rxc8 35.Rd7 Ra8 36.Kb4 g5 37.g3 gxf4 38.gxf4 Bh4 39.c3 Bf6 40.Bf2 h5 41.Rc7 h4 42.c4 bxc4 43.Kxc4 Ka5 44.Bc5 Ra6 45.Rd7 Bb2 46.Rxe7 1–0

WFM Allanney Jia Doroy is of course the powerhouse in Philippine girls’ competitions. This pride of Nazareth School of National University was the 2017 Asian Schools Champion Under-17 in both standard and rapid chess divisions. She also won the silver medal in the blitz category.

It would be terribly unfair to her if I just showed you the above game, for Doroy won all her other games, including the following revanche from round 9.

WFM DOROY, Allanney Jia G — MAGPILY, Francois Marie E [A36]
2018–19 UAAP Chess (H. S. GIRLS) 1st Flr., QPAV Bldg., UST, España (9.1), 27.10.2018

1.c4 c5 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.e3 e5 6.Nge2 Nge7 7.0–0 d6 8.Rb1 Rb8 9.a3 b6 10.b4 Bb7 11.d3 Qd7 12.Nd5 Nd8 13.d4 Nxd5 14.cxd5 exd4 15.exd4 cxb4 16.axb4 0–0 17.Nc3 f5 18.b5 Qc7 19.Ne2 Qc4 20.Ba3 Nf7 21.Nf4 Rfc8 22.Rb4 Qa2?

This incautious move lands Black into a lot of trouble to extricate her queen. Better is 22…Qc2

23.Ra4 Qc2 24.Rxa7 Qc4 25.Qb1! Bxd4

[25…Bxd4 26.Rc1 Bc3 27.Rc2 followed by Qc1 wins a piece]

26.Rc1

The queen has nowhere to go.

26…Bxf2+ 27.Kxf2 Qd4+ 28.Kf1 g5 29.Rxc8+ Rxc8 30.Ne2 Qe3 31.Rxb7 Qxa3 32.Qxf5 Rf8 33.Bf3 Qa1+ 34.Kg2 Qe5 35.Qxe5 Nxe5 36.Be4 h5 37.Nd4 g4 38.Nf5 Ra8 39.Ne7+ Kh8 40.Ng6+ Kg8 41.Nxe5 1–0

The NU team this year was a virtual all-star squad. Aside from Doroy they also have Jesca Docena, originally from Wesleyan College and another prodigy from the chess-playing Docena Family.

[NU] DOCENA, Jesca R — [UST] DELA CRUZ, Iris May A [B31]
2018-19 UAAP Chess (H. S. GIRLS) 1st Flr., QPAV Bldg., UST, España (5.2), 06.10.2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.0–0 Bg7 5.c3 d5 6.Qa4 Qd6 7.exd5 Qxd5 8.d4 Bd7 9.dxc5 Qxc5 10.Be3 Qd6 11.Na3 e6 12.Rad1 Qc7 13.Nc4 Nge7 14.Bf4 Qd8 15.Nd6+ Kf8 16.Nxb7 Qc8 17.Nc5 Be8 18.Ba6 Ne5 19.Bxc8 Nxf3+ 20.gxf3 Bxa4 21.Rd8+ Be8 22.Nd7+ Kg8 23.Rxe8+ Bf8 24.Rxf8+ Kg7 25.Be5+ Kh6 26.Rxh8 Rxc8 27.Rxc8 Nxc8 28.c4 Kg5 29.c5 h5 30.c6 Kf5 31.c7 g5 32.Rc1 g4 33.fxg4+ hxg4 34.Rc5 Kg6 35.Bf6 Kh7 36.Nf8+ Kh6 37.Rg5 Nd6 38.Rg8 Nf5 39.Rh8# 1–0

NU’s 3rd board, Vic Glysen Derotas, scored a clean sweep of all her matches — 10 out of 10. Ms. Derotas was formerly with the University of San Carlos Basic Education Department before moving to National University.

She was the Girls Kiddies Champion in the 2012 Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship.

[NU] DEROTAS, Vic Glysen G — [UST] JANAPIN, Marjeri G [A25]
2018-19 UAAP Chess (H. S. GIRLS) 1st Flr., QPAV Bldg, UST, España (9.1), 27.10.2018

1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Bg2 d6 4.Nc3 f5 5.b3 Nf6 6.Bb2 Bd7 7.e3 Qe7 8.Nge2 g5 9.a3 0–0–0 10.Qc2 Qf7 11.0–0–0 Ng4 12.Rdf1 f4 13.Bd5 Be6 14.gxf4 gxf4 15.exf4 Nd4 16.Nxd4 exd4 17.Nb5 c5 18.Bxe6+ Qxe6 19.f3 Nf6 20.Nxa7+ Kb8 21.Nb5 Bh6 22.Re1 Qd7 23.b4 Rhe8 24.Qa4 Qc6 25.Qa7+ Kc8 26.bxc5 dxc5 27.Re5 Rxe5 28.fxe5 Ne8 29.a4 Kd7 30.Re1 Ke6 31.Qa5 b6 32.Qa7 Rd7 33.Qb8 Re7 34.Bxd4 Kf7 35.Be3 Bxe3 36.Rxe3 Qe6 37.Re4 Rd7 38.Nd6+ Nxd6 39.exd6 Qxd6 40.Qe8+ Kf6 41.Qh8+ Kg6 42.Re2 Qd4 43.Qe8+ Kf6 44.Qe6+ Kg7 45.Rg2+ Kf8 46.Rg8# 1–0

We expect to see the NU Lady Bullpups dominate the Girls’ competition for a few more years.

 

Bobby Ang is a founding member of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and its first Executive Director. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he taught accounting in the University of Santo Tomas for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.

bobby@cpamd.net

Superb golf

No matter what can and will be said of Brooks Koepka’s sputtering finish to his round yesterday, there’s no doubt about one thing: He wound up on top of the PGA Championship all the same. His retention of the Wanamaker Trophy was deemed even by his critics as a foregone conclusion, so far ahead was he of his closest competitors. Indeed, the seven strokes the rest of the field spotted him entering the final 18 was the most in major tournament history, and it was but logical to crown him early in light of his de facto status as the best of the best in the best.

To be sure, Koepka did coast to his widely anticipated podium finish — until, that is, he found himself in a losing battle with nature over his last eight holes. He tapped in for birdie on the 502-yard, par-four 10th off a superb gap-wedge approach, but then missed the fairway and had to hole a six-foot putt to save bogey on the 11th. Three holes and three more bogeys later, he saw his six-stroke lead dwindle to one vis-a-vis Dustin Johnson, who was in the pairing ahead and just so happened to make birdie on the challenging 15th. The pressure was on, with pundits speculating on the possibility of a monumental collapse.

The currents of air didn’t affect Koepka alone, however. They bothered Johnson, too. Surveying his position 194 yards from the pin on the 16th, he “hit a shot I wanted to right at the flag. I don’t know how it flew 200 yards into the wind like that.” Indeed, his five iron sailed long and led to bogey. And it was the same story for another bogey on the 207-yard, par-three 17th, effectively ending his rally. Would he have been able to play differently had he been in the last pairing instead? Perhaps. At the very least, the stress would have been felt both ways and up close.

In any case, the second-guessing is precisely why Koepka deserves to be lauded for his accomplishment. He earned the cushion he was able to lean back on in his short time of famine yesterday with superb golf through the first three and a half rounds. And in winning by two shots and thereby getting to keep the PGA Championship hardware, he becomes the only player in golf history to successfully defend two stops on the Grand Slam rota at any one year. He has claimed four of the last eight major titles at stake, a run of dominance not seen since all-time-great Tiger Woods took the sport by storm at the turn of the millennium.

Not coincidentally, Koepka has become the odds-on favorite to emerge victorious at the United States Open next month. He may well have been in any case; in his last five appearances on the US Golf Association’s extremely penal setups, he went 18th, 13th, first, and first. And the fact that he’s already being compared to Woods speaks volumes of his capacity to deliver on his promise.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

Peso rebounds on profit taking

THE PESO recovered a tad against the dollar on Monday as banks pocketed profits amid uncertainties on the trade relations between the United States and China.

The local unit closed Monday’s session at P52.59 versus the greenback, four centavos stronger than last Friday’s finish of P52.63.

The peso opened the session slightly stronger at P52.60 against the dollar. It went to as high as P52.57 intraday, while its worst showing stood at P52.71 per US currency.

Trading volume thinned to $1.084 billion from $1.188 billion that switched hands the previous session.

A foreign exchange trader said in a phone interview that the peso strengthened versus the greenback particularly in the morning session due to heavy dollar selling.

“We saw dollar’s strength overnight, still due to uncertainties on US-China trade talks. However, we saw heavy dollar selling in the morning session as banks were taking profits on their long positions,” the trader said yesterday.

The trader added that the peso reached its intraday low in the afternoon before closing the session near its best showing on the back of more profit-taking as well as conversion of remittances accumulated over the weekend.

US President Donald Trump said his tariffs on Chinese goods are causing companies to move production out of China to Vietnam and other countries in Asia, and added that any agreement with China cannot be a “50-50” deal.

In an interview with Fox News Channel recorded last week and aired on Sunday night, Trump said that the United States and China “had a very strong deal, we had a good deal, and they changed it. And I said that’s OK, we’re going to tariff their products.”

No further trade talks between top Chinese and US trade negotiators have been scheduled since the last round ended on May 10 — the same day Mr. Trump raised the tariff rate on $200 billion worth of Chinese products from 10%. Mr. Trump took the step after China soured the negotiations by seeking major changes to a deal that US officials said had been largely agreed.

“The peso appreciated on the close due to profit-taking despite broad weakness intraday after US President Trump commented of being ‘very happy’ with the current trade war with China,” another trader said in an e-mail.

For today, the first trader expects the peso to move between P52.50 and P52.80 versus the dollar while the other gave a P52.50-P52.70 range. — K.A.N. Vidal with Reuters

PSEi climbs on market optimism on RRR cut, Q2

By Arra B. Francia, Senior Reporter

LOCAL EQUITIES climbed on Monday as investors turned optimistic on the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) cut as well as a potentially better second quarter due to election spending.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) jumped 1% or 76.32 points to close at 7,660.14 yesterday, extending the previous session’s gains amid sluggish trading for most of the day. The broader all- shares index likewise rose 0.72% or 34.13 points to 4,747.40.

“Local investors are bullish that the lowering of the RRR by the BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas), along with a potential boost in the second quarter driven by election spending, would support our market moving forward,” AAA Southeast Equities, Inc. President William Matthew M. Cabangon said in a text message.

The BSP announced a 200-basis point (bp) phased cut in big banks’ RRR last Friday, with the first 100-bp reduction to take effect on May 31. This gives banks leeway to lend more money while also increasing liquidity in the market.

“This would explain our market’s outperformance among Asian peers despite the lingering trade war concerns,” Mr. Cabangon said.

The PSEi bucked the weakness across Wall Street indices last Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.38% or 98.68 points to 25,764, while the S&P 500 index shed 0.58% or 16.79 points to 2,859.53. The Nasdaq Composite index also fell 1.04% or 81.76 points to 7,816.29.

Mr. Cabangon noted that local investors were able to cushion the market’s foreign outflows which persisted for the 11th straight session at P879.56 million, although lower than Friday’s P1.39 billion.

“With locals now absorbing the foreign selling and propelling the market higher, it is possible that we have found a bottom for the market in the near term,” he explained.

Mining and oil was the lone counter that ended in negative territory, closing 0.33% or 24.21 points lower to 7,232.45.

The rest went up, led by holding firms which gained 1.29% or 91.40 points to 7,161.30. Services advanced 0.93% or 15.31 points to 1,651.90; property firmed up 0.88% or 36.41 points to 4,175.30; financials went up 0.86% or 14.67 points to 1,715.40; while industrials added 0.08% or 9.66 points to 11,068.08.

Some 1.01 billion issues switched hands valued at P4.88 billion, significantly lower than the previous session’s P8.21-billion turnover.

Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan attributed the lower turnover to the US-China trade war.

“Philippine shares traded positively but with minimal value turnover after a series of moves from the US and China kept investors at bay,” Mr. Limlingan said.

Advancers outpaced decliners, 100 to 84, while 43 names were unchanged.

MoU with Kuwait under review after OFW’s murder

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter

MALACAÑANG on Monday said the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Philippines and Kuwait on the protection of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) should be reviewed following the recent killing of a Filipina domestic helper in the Persian Gulf state.

Asked to comment on the call of labor group Migrante for the government to review the MoU, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo told reporters on Monday, “I think we should. Because according to (Labor) Secretary (Silvestre H.) Bello, there has been a breach in the agreement signed by the two countries.”

“Of course, the President is concerned but he is waiting for the result of the investigation,” Mr. Panelo also said, referring to a report being prepared by Mr. Bello.

Mr. Panelo said Mr. Bello has instructed the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Kuwait to identify and investigate the agency that arranged the employment of the victim identified as Constancia Lago Dayag of Angadanan, Isabela.

“The Secretary of Labor has already issued an official statement. He is putting the government in Kuwait to task for the murder of our countryman,” Mr. Panelo said.

The Philippines and Kuwait signed last year an MoU aimed at protecting Filipino workers in the Persian Gulf state.

The government of Kuwait agreed to grant repatriation of Filipino workers who need help.

Mr. Duterte demanded that the agreement should include “mandatory provisions” on allowing Filipino household workers to sleep at least seven hours a day, ensuring that they eat nutritious food, protection from sexual harassment, and on prohibiting the confiscation of passports, among others.

In a statement on Sunday, Migrante-Philippines said: “Si Constancia, 47 taong gulang, ay idineploy ng gobyernong ito bilang domestic worker sa kaniyang among Kuwaiti noong Enero, 2016. Noong Mayo 14, patay na nang dalhin siya sa Al Sabah Hospital sa Kuwait….” (Constancia, 47 years old, was deployed by this government as a domestic worker to his Kuwaiti employer in January 2016. On May 14, she had died on being taken to Al Sabah Hospital in Kuwait).

“Pinatutunayan din ng pangyayaring ito na walang silbi ang Memorandum of Understanding sa pagitan ng Kuwait at Pilipinas. Wala itong pinagtibay kundi ang regularidad ng eksportasyon ng mura at siil na kababaihang manggagawa sa Kuwait,” the group added. (This incident proves that the MoU between the Philippines and Kuwait is useless. It does not strengthen anything but the regular exportation of cheap and exploited women workers to Kuwait).

Proclamations set today

By Gillian M. Cortez, Reporter

WITH ONLY over a million votes left to canvass as of this reporting, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) scheduled today the proclamation of winners in the senatorial and party-list elections.

Comelec Spokesperson James B. Jimenez said the proclamation will most likely follow after the certificates of canvass (CoCs) from the province of Isabela are tallied by the National Board of Canvassers (NBoC). Winners in the party-list race will be proclaimed in the morning and winners in the senatorial race, in the afternoon.

“With 1,050,681 votes from Isabela province expected tonight, I think it’s a pretty sure bet that we’re going to have a proclamation tomorrow,” Comelec Spokesperson James B. Jimenez told reporters in a press conference on Monday.

The municipality of Jones, Isabela, held a special election on Monday, following reports that armed men had burned vote-counting machines (VCMs) there. Additional VCMs had been sent to Jones, Mr. Jimenez said.

Besides the more than 1 million votes in Jones, also to be canvassed as of this reporting are 633,357 overseas votes from Japan, Saudi Arabia, the Nigerian capital of Abuja and the United States capital of Washington, D.C.

The top 12 in the senatorial race, as of NBoC’s partial, official results on May 19, are as follows: 1. Cynthia A. Villar — 24,757,642; 2. Grace Poe-Llamanzares — 21,563,558; 3. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” T. Go — 20,223,738; 4. Pilar Juliana “Pia” S. Cayetano — 19,390,096; 5. Ronald “Bato” M. Dela Rosa — 18,639,583; 6. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara — 17,786,740; 7. Manuel “Lito” Lapid – 16,587,742; 8. Maria Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos — 15,362,702; 9. Francis N. Tolentino — 15,196,397; 10. Aquilino Martin “Koko” D. Pimentel III — 14,395,597; 11. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. — 14,279,625; and 12. Maria Lourdes “Nancy” S. Binay — 14,065,071.

When asked if President Rodrigo R. Duterte will attend the afternoon proclamation, Mr. Jimenez said, “Because he did come to (Mr. Go’s) filing of CoC (certificate of candidacy), that is something we are preparing for as well….We are not just preparing (for) arrivals, security-wise but we are also preparing a space for him and his entourage for the floor tomorrow.”

COMELEC CAN EXPLAIN GLITCH
Also on Monday, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) affirmed the “bottleneck” in the transfer of election results that the Commission on Elections is in the “best position” to explain, the election watchdog said.

PPCRV Chairperson Myla C. Villanueva said they looked into the “File Transfer Manager” which transmitted the data from the transparency server to the tally boards in media institutions and the PPCRV. “We did observe that there was there bottleneck. We did observe, in our local way of saying things, nabubulunan (things got muddled),” she told reporters.

“It started but it did not complete. That obviously is the cause of the problem,” she said. “(I) think we have to ask the Comelec (Commission on Elections) to continue to explain to our public why it happened because they own the server….They are in the best position to open up all the details at that given point.” The initial results were first sent to PPCRV and media at around 6:00 p.m. on May 13 but did not change until 1:00 a.m. — with Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Analysts: Death penalty revival to bear on 2022 election chances

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter

THE revival of capital punishment being pushed in the Duterte administration will have some bearing on the 2022 elections, analysts sought for comment said.

In a press conference last Thursday, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said passing the death penalty bill, which is pending in the Senate, is a “possibility” in the 18th Congress given that there are more pro-death penalty senatorial candidates in the midterm elections who are poised to win.

Sought for comment, University of Santo Tomas political science professor Marlon M. Villarin said in a phone message on Saturday: “In less than three years, the 2022 presidential election is coming, and to push this kind of infamous legislation is a kiss of death for those who are planning to run both for reelection and higher positions. The revival of (the) death penalty may sound promising but I think those ambitious members of Congress will practically choose the proactive and more socially sound approach.”

Also sought for comment, Ateneo Policy Center senior research fellow Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco said via e-mail on Sunday: “I expect many lawmakers will just sit on such bills rather than risk the ire of the public. After all, in their minds, all they need to do is simply survive the next three years because 2022, being a presidential election year, will be a new political battle altogether.”

For his part, sociology professor Louie C. Montemar of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines said via chat on Saturday: “If the new Congress prioritizes this in its agenda, we may see the lines drawn in the recent elections between the Duterte Administration in one side and the Catholic Church and human rights advocates in another redrawn and even more solidly.”

He also said that it would be “a more difficult fight for human rights group notwithstanding potential support from the international community.”

‘RIGHT NUMBER’
Mr. Villarin noted that President Rodrigo R. Duterte has the “right number” to push for the restoration of the death penalty, but the country is not “socially and legally” ready for it.

“Our institutions manifest unreadiness for its revival. Socially, what we need is a proactive or preventive approach that will address criminality like accessible social services, livelihood opportunities, responsible parenting, active citizen engagement in community peace and order,” he added.

He said the country’s justice system has to be “reexamined” first, noting that there has been “corruption in the judiciary which made (the) death penalty law…anti poor.”

Mr. Villarin said further that “there is no reliable data that the death penalty law in our country deters crime more effectively than imprisonment.”

For Mr. Montemar, the new Congress can “easily” push the death penalty agenda given the “support from the public” and President’s “high popularity.”

“Let us be reminded that Pulse Asia’s Ulat ng Bayan Survey held from March 15 to 20, 2017, showed that Filipinos’ support for the reimposition of the death penalty on heinous crimes may have dropped by 14 percentage points — from 81% in July 2016 to 67% in March 2017. But still, there is still a clear public majority that can prop up such an agenda,” he said.

For his part, Mr. Yusingco said it is “still hard” to know the general public’s view of the death penalty as the high trust rating of Mr. Duterte “is not a proper gauge of the current public sentiment about this matter.”

“I believe the best way to determine what Filipinos think about bringing back the death penalty is to ask them directly. This can be done by calling for a special session of the Barangay Assembly to facilitate debate on this issue at the community level,” he added.

Mr. Yusingco said further a nationwide tally of all the results would be an “accurate demonstration of the peoples’ will” on the issue.

“As of the moment, there is no acceptable barometer of public sentiment on this issue except the Barangay Assembly process. Surveys will simply be not enough given the gravity of the question. Moreover, it is imperative that Filipinos undergo a deliberation process prior to making a stand on this issue. If the administration decides to pursue the reimposition of the death penalty without the clear mandate of the people, they will encounter strong opposition in Congress. It is very possible that civil society, led by religious groups, will literally storm the halls of the Senate and the House of Representatives to protest bills reinstating the death penalty.”

HUMAN RIGHTS
Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Commissioner Karen S. Gomez-Dumpit said in a phone message on Sunday that the agency “is ready to engage Congress in a frank and factual conversation” on the matter.

“We are ready to present the ineffectiveness of the death penalty and offer viable programs that result in crime prevention and lowering crime incidence. These include police visibility or increasing police to population ratios and community vigilance. We fully support these initiatives that do not diminish our principles to uphold the right to life,” Ms. Gomez-Dumpit added.

She also said that the CHR has to “ensure that our legal obligations as a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Second Optional Protocol aiming at the Abolition of the Death Penalty are respected and fulfilled. As a state party to these human rights treaties, we have perpetually committed not to impose nor reintroduce capital punishment.”

“The Commission does not want crime to go unpunished. However, the apprehension, prosecution, conviction and punishment of those who have committed wrong doings must be in accordance with human rights standards and principles,” she said further.

House approves ROTC bill

By Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

THE House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading a bill reviving the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) for senior high school students.

House Bill 8961 is a consolidated version based on the bill authored and filed by Batangas 2nd District Rep. Raneo E. Abu.

The chamber approved the bill with 167 affirmative votes, four negative votes, and zero abstention.

In the proposed Reserve Officers Training Corps Act, students in grades 11 and 12, in both public and private schools, are required to undergo the said training.

The ROTC program includes lesson in patriotism, basic military training, and civic training.

Students who fail to undergo ROTC shall not be qualified for graduation.

Exempted, however, are students who are physically and psychologically unfit, as well as varsity players.

The proposed law also states that students who have undergone basic ROTC class are to be considered first-level civil-service eligible. Those who have undergone the optional advanced class shall be deemed second-level civil-service eligible.

Graduates of the basic ROTC class are also eligible for lateral entry and enlistment to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Coast Guard, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and Bureau of Fire Protection.

Kabataan Party-list Rep. Sarah I. Elego, one of four lawmakers who voted against the bill, said in a statement: “These policies, if enacted, would only legitimize the systemic attacks the state has undertaken against those critical of its administration. Numerous campaigns led by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police were launched to create false hysteria within universities by resorting to the red-tagging of nationalist and progressive groups falsely accused as recruiters and members of the New Peoples’ Army.”

Tugade ready to take on emergency powers to solve traffic if given by incoming Congress

By Denise A. Valdez, Reporter

TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY Arthur P. Tugade yesterday said he and his department are ready to accept emergency powers to solve the traffic congestion in the capital if members of the incoming 18th Congress will push for such a measure.

If passed, Mr. Tugade said he will “pursue (it) in a manner that will not distract me from the primary projects (of the Department of Transportation).”

He added, “We leave it to them. As far as we are concerned, we think we have submitted all the documents,” referring to previously submitted documents to the Senate when the proposal was being evaluated.

Mr. Tugade’s comments came after Senator-elect Francis N. Tolentino, a former chair of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, said in a radio interview over the weekend that he will revive the proposal to grant emergency powers to solve the worsening traffic in the metro.

Asked for clarification on Monday, Mr. Tolentino said in a phone call that he doesn’t want to comment further until he speaks with Mr. Tugade himself.

“Mag-uusap pa kami ni Sec. Tugade, hayaan mo munang mag-usap kami. After the proclamation (Mr. Tugade and I will talk, let us finish talking first. We’ll talk after the proclamation (of the new senators),” he told BusinessWorld.

Mr. Tolentino was endorsed by the President in his Senate bid.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte and the DoTr have long sought for emergency powers to resolve congestion in urban areas of the country, starting with the proposed “Traffic and Congestion Crisis Act of 2016.”

It was supposed to grant emergency powers to the President for up to three years with a list of P1.2-trillion worth of land, air and sea projects that were expected to help in solving traffic problems.

The proposal was not passed in the Senate as Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares, who chairs the committee on public services, argued that granting emergency powers “would not be an instant solution, especially if it is not implemented well.”

Last November, the House of Representatives approved on second reading House Bill No. 6425, or the “Traffic Crisis Act of 2017. Makiisa. Makisama. Magkaisa.”

It will designate the DoTr secretary as “Traffic Chief” for the period of the law and have “full power and authority… to streamline the management of traffic and transportation and to control road use in the identified metropolitan areas.”

Mr. Tugade said if the proposed measure was approved early on, progress would have been seen in the state of the country’s road traffic by now.

“Kailangan lang naman namin two to three years eh. Dapat kung binigay nila ‘yun, umusad na ‘yan. Wala, iniisip nila corrupt lahat ng tao eh. Iniisip nila kagaya nila kami (We only need two to three years. If they gave it, the traffic could have moved forward. But no, they think everyone is corrupt. They think we are like them),” he said.

“Bahala na sila du’n. Ang feeling namin na-submit na namin lahat ng papeles (We leave it to them. The DoTr has submitted all necessary documents),” he added.

The 18th Congress will convene in July.

Duterte was ‘upbeat’ over the weekend, says spokesperson

PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte was “upbeat” during the weekend based on the “sound of his voice,” his spokesperson said on Monday amid speculations over his health condition. In a press briefing at the Palace on Monday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said Mr. Duterte did not take the rumors that he was hospitalized over the weekend as a “serious matter.” When asked about the condition of the President, who has not appeared in public since the May 13 elections, he said, “Ang Presidente ‘pag ‘di n’yo nakikita, nagtratrabaho ‘yun (When you don’t see the President, he’s working). Ang ‘di n’ya paglabas sa publiko, ay ‘di connected sa (His non-appearance in public is not connected with his) health.” Whether Mr. Duterte was indeed hospitalized, he reiterated that the President “neither denied nor confirmed it.” “You can draw your own conclusions,” he added. — Arjay L. Balinbin

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