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Tampa Bay Rays’ d’Arnaud hits three home runs to beat Yanks

NEW YORK — Tampa Bay leadoff man Travis d’Arnaud hit three homers, including a go-ahead three-run shot with two outs in the ninth inning off Aroldis Chapman, and the Rays stunned the host New York Yankees 5-4 Monday night in the opener of a four-game series.

After hitting solo homers in the first and third off James Paxton, d’Arnaud was down to his last strike against Chapman (2-2). On the eighth pitch of his final at-bat, with a full count, d’Arnaud lifted a slider into the second row of the right field seats.

The Rays won their third straight head-to-head meeting with the Yankees — all by one run.

Edwin Encarnacion homered twice for his 36th career multi-homer game, and he gave New York a 4-2 lead with a two-out homer off eventual winning pitcher Andrew Kittredge (1-0) in the eighth.

CARDINALS 7, PIRATES 0
Miles Mikolas scattered eight hits in St. Louis’ first complete-game shutout of the season, a defeat of visiting Pittsburgh in the opener of a three-game series.

The Cardinals, who have won three straight, have thrown four shutouts this year, three of them started by Mikolas. The Pirates have lost four in a row.

Mikolas (6-9) walked none and struck out three. He needed just 100 pitches to go the distance, including 22 pitches to retire the final six batters in order.

DODGERS 16, PHILLIES 2
Cody Bellinger hit two home runs, Max Muncy and Alex Verdugo each homered, and Los Angeles routed host Philadelphia.

Bellinger finished with four hits, including his 32nd and 33rd home runs of the season. Verdugo had three hits for the Dodgers, who ripped 19 hits and won their third game in a row.

Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw (8-2) threw 61 pitches through the first three innings and then settled down to toss six solid innings. Kershaw gave up four hits and one run while striking out seven on 101 pitches, 68 for strikes.

BRAVES 4, BREWERS 2
Freddie Freeman delivered a three-run homer for the second straight game, and Atlanta hung on to win at Milwaukee.

Freeman drove his 25th homer over the center field fence in the fourth inning to break up a scoreless game and send the Braves on their way to their fifth straight win. Atlanta won for the eighth time in its past nine games. Freeman is 2-for-15 since the All-Star Game, both hits three-run home runs.

The Braves improved to 3-1 against the Brewers and to a National League-best 30-18 on the road. Atlanta starter Max Fried (10-4) pitched five shutout innings before leaving the game with a blister on his left index finger.

REDS 6, CUBS 3
Eugenio Suarez, Yasiel Puig and Curt Casali homered, and Cincinnati pulled away to defeat host Chicago.

Luis Castillo (9-3) struck out 10 batters over six innings in his first start since appearing in the All-Star Game. Cincinnati won for only the second time in the past six games. Kyle Schwarber went 2-for-5 with a solo home run to lead Chicago at the plate. Jason Heyward finished 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Cubs, whose three-game winning streak ended.

RED SOX 10, BLUE JAYS 8
Michael Chavis crushed a first-inning grand slam, and Andrew Benintendi had two hits and three RBIs as host Boston held off Toronto.

Xander Bogaerts had three hits, and Mookie Betts, Rafael Devers and Brock Holt added two apiece as the Red Sox snapped a two-game skid in the opener of a four-game series. Rick Porcello (7-7) earned the win, allowing four runs on eight hits and no walks while striking out two over six innings.

Billy McKinney hit a two-run home run for the Blue Jays, who lost for the sixth time in their past eight games.

GIANTS 19, ROCKIES 2 (GAME 1)
Brandon Crawford hit two home runs and drove in a career-high eight runs as San Francisco continued its hot hitting in a romp over Colorado in the opener of a doubleheader at Denver.

The Giants jumped on Rockies starter German Marquez (8-5) for 11 runs and 11 hits in 2 2/3 innings en route to the fifth double-digit run explosion in their past 11 games. San Francisco totaled 94 runs in those 11 games. — Reuters

Stags book 2nd victory in a row; Knights win

THE San Sebastian Stags remained unscathed in Season 95 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, racing to their second straight win with a rout of the Mapua Cardinals, 92-68, on Tuesday at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan City.

Using a strong opening half, the Stags buried the Cardinals in a hole too deep from which the latter could not recover from, handing the win to San Sebastian that improved it to 2-0 early in the season for joint tournament leadership.

In the opening game, the Letran Knights (2-1) notched their second straight win, beating the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers, 55-43.

It was all San Sebastian over Mapua, taking the opening frame, 16-11, and bloating things up, 46-23, at the half.

The Stags continued to pile it over their opponents on the lead of veterans RK Ilagan and Alvin Capobres in the third canto.

They did not allow the Cardinals much leverage to have a comeback, keeping their 23-point cushion, 68-45, heading into the final frame.

With the match firmly under its control, San Sebastian spent the early goings of the period checking the Cardinals.

The count was at 82-53 midway into the payoff quarter, and the Stags on top, and San Sebastian cruised to the win from there.

Ilagan top-scored for San Sebastian with 20 points to go along with eight assists.

Allyn Bulanadi added 16 points and Alex Desoyo 14.

Noah Lugo, meanwhile, led Mapua (0-2) with 13 points.

Meanwhile in the first game, Letran booked back-to-back wins after opening its season campaign with a loss.

The Knights used an explosive second quarter to create distance from the Bombers on their way to the victory.

Bonbon Batiller paced Letran with 14 points.

For JRU (0-3) it was RY Dela Rosa who showed the way with 15 markers. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Warriors ready new basketball stadium, fueled by tech dollars

SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors are weeks from opening a sleek $1.5 billion sports and entertainment complex in San Francisco thanks largely to a years-long tech boom that made it financially feasible, the team’s president said on Monday.

The Warriors, led by ace shooter Stephen Curry, have appeared in the past five straight NBA finals and won three of them. For over 40 years, their home was an aging arena across San Francisco Bay in far less glitzy Oakland.

San Francisco has been transformed in recent years by thousands of tech workers streaming into the city. That boom has also pushed housing costs to unprecedented levels, creating angst among many longtime Bay Area residents that they will not be able to afford to stay.

For some, the Warriors’ move has come to symbolize those changing economics.

Team president Rick Welts said the new Chase Center facility would not have been possible without hundreds of thousands of square feet in office space as part of the development. Ride-share giant Uber is the major tenant.

The Warriors did not receive any public financing for the project, which the team calls unprecedented in modern sports.

Welts led reporters on a tour of the bright, airy facility on Monday, where the yellow hardwood basketball court was just installed. Construction workers put finishing touches on luxury amenities including courtside lounges with their own private wine cellar.

Welts said 70% of Oakland season ticket holders have renewed their seats. He did not yet know how many security guards and concession staff from Oakland will ultimately be able to keep their jobs.

The Warriors obtained the land for Chase Center from Salesforce, whose chief executive Marc Benioff had originally planned to use the site for a new corporate campus but found it too small.

Last year, Benioff backed a successful San Francisco ballot measure to increase funds for homeless services by raising taxes on business. The proposal bitterly split the city’s corporate community.

Welts said the Warriors declined to take a position on the initiative, adding that the team’s major charitable focus was on improving education and life outcomes for kids. The team plans to repurpose its former facilities in Oakland to that end.

“We’re going to teach more kids to play basketball there than I’m guessing any other team in the NBA,” he said. — Reuters

Thurman fight has significance of its own for Pacquiao — analyst

IN MORE THAN two decades of a Hall-of-Fame career, Filipino boxing superstar Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao has seen and done it all. But his upcoming fight against American Keith “One Time” Thurman carries significance of its own, hence the need to look at it with a keen eye, this according to one local fight analyst.

To take the Las Vegas ring anew on July 21, Manila time, 40-year-old Pacquiao (61-7-2) looks to add Mr. Thurman (29-0-1) to his impressive list of conquered and seize the World Boxing Association welterweight title, in itself a solid achievement considering where he is now in his career, said fight analyst Nissi Icasiano.

“If at 40 years old, Pacquiao can engineer a convincing win over Thurman, a world champion who is bigger, stronger and 10 years his junior, it will become arguably the most significant win of his career,” said Mr. Nissi Icasiano when asked by BusinessWorld for his thoughts on the Pacquiao-Thurman fight happening at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Nevada.

“I’m not implying Thurman is a better fighter than Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto or any of the other Hall-of-Famers Pacquiao has defeated in his illustrious career. What I am saying is that under these circumstances with the age and size disadvantages, Pacquiao won’t have a more impressive victory on his resume,” the analyst added.

Both Messrs. Pacquiao and Thurman are currently on a roll heading into the clash, making the scheduled 12-round title fight, Mr. Icasiano said, a logical and exciting collision, but making the American a very dangerous opponent as well for the Filipino legend, who is also a sitting senator of the republic.

“Thurman has always been a thoughtful and elegant pugilist who is eager to show his technical expertise in the ring. I describe his style as a boxer-puncher. He has the ability to box while possessing a one-punch knockout power,” Mr. Icasiano said of WBA champion Thurman.

“Thurman will look to use his size and strength as an advantage. In particular, he’ll look to keep Pacquiao at distance with his jab and dictate where the action takes place in the ring,” the analyst added.

That being said, Mr. Icasiano said Mr. Pacquiao must be in his utmost best and play his cards correctly, lest he find himself at the raw end of the deal.

“In his last loss to Jeff Horn [in 2017], Pacquiao dropped a decision because Horn used his size to become the aggressor in the fight.,” the analyst said.

“Meanwhile, Pacquiao has made a career out of breaking down fighters who are often bigger, stronger and younger than he is. Since 2013, Pacquiao won fights convincingly by throwing significantly higher percentages of power punches, and he’ll look to take a similar approach against Thurman. He’ll be forward-moving and will try to slip inside, where height and reach don’t have a significant impact. Pacquiao should avoid being reckless against Thurman,” Mr. Icasiano added. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Warriors GM saw no way to retain Kevin Durant

LOS ANGELES — Golden State general manager Bob Myers was hopeful his team would retain Kevin Durant since it could offer a five-year, $221 million contact but said Monday that there wasn’t anything the Warriors could have done to keep the superstar with the team.

“He felt like it was something inside of him and his heart that he wanted to try something different,” Myers told reporters at the team’s practice facility. “There was nothing wrong about it. I’m at peace about it. I hope our fans can be, too. He’s one of the best athletes we’ve ever seen come through our city and certainly this organization.”

Durant accepted a four-year, $164 million free agent deal from the Brooklyn Nets. He could end up missing the entire first season of his new contract as he recovers from a ruptured Achilles sustained during the NBA Finals in June.

The Warriors and Nets engineered a sign-and-trade deal involving Durant, and Golden State ended up with All-Star guard D’Angelo Russell, who agreed to a four-year, $117 million contract. Myers refuted speculation that the Warriors are willing to ship Russell for multiple assets to help in their reloading process.

BEN SIMMONS
Point guard Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to a five-year, $170 million maximum contract extension, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported.

Agent Rich Paul confirmed the deal, Charania said. Simmons, who turns 23 on Friday, made his first All-Star team in the 2018-19 season and averaged 16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.4 steals in 79 starts.

The 6-foot-10 Australian was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and won NBA Rookie of the Year honors in 2017-18.

CUBAN FINED
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was fined $50,000 by the NBA for leaking information from a recent Broad of Governors meeting to a reporter, ESPN reported.

Cuban was disciplined because league rules prohibit discussing Board of Governors information with reporters or other outsiders. The league office released a memo to inform teams of the fine but didn’t announce it publicly, according to ESPN.

“I appreciate the irony of your reporting on a fine that someone should, but won’t, get fined for leaking to you,” Mr. Cuban told ESPN. He reportedly admitted to leaking information about the league’s decision to allow coaches the ability to challenge referees’ calls.

The Milwaukee Bucks locked up veteran shooting guard Wesley Matthews with a two-year, $5.26 million contract, The Athletic reported.

The deal includes a player option for the 2020-21 season, according to the report. Matthews, 32, played for the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers last season and averaged a combined 12.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 69 games (68 starts).

Matthews played with the Utah Jazz (2009-10) and Portland Trail Blazers (2010-15) before spending three-plus seasons with Dallas. He has made at least 150 3-pointers in eight of the past nine seasons, including a career-high 201 with the Trail Blazers in 2013-14.

The Cleveland Cavaliers waived veteran JR Smith in order to stay below the NBA’s luxury-tax threshold. — Reuters

Expanded pool

The preparations of Gilas Pilipinas for the FIBA Basketball World Cup in China beginning late next month took further form on Monday night with the naming of the player pool from which the team representing the Philippines will be drawn from.

National team coach Yeng Guiao and the rest of the Gilas think tank decided to expand the pool to include players that could potential help in our campaign in the prestigious basketball spectacle happening from Aug. 31 to Sept. 15.

Heading the 19-man pool is naturalized player Andray Blatche, joined by Gilas staples June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Marcio Lassiter, Mark Barroca, Kiefer Ravena, Paul Lee, Roger Pogoy, Matthew Wright, Raymond Almazan, Troy Rosario, Gabe Norwood, Poy Erram and Beau Belga.

Seniors team newbies and Philippine Basketball Association rookies Robert Bolick and CJ Perez are also part of the pool and so do naturalized players Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle.

Also added to the list of players submitted to the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, and correspondingly approved by the federation, was Filipino-American National Basketball Association star Jordan Clarkson.

From the pool of 19, the players later will be narrowed to 12 who will see action in the World Cup.

Looking at the pool, one thing stands out for this space is how it is not necessarily “All Star-laden,” representative of Guiao as a coach and the way to go, really, in international competitions.

Sure, Fajardo, Lee, Aguilar, Ravena and Rosario, among others, are there, but them being stars in the PBA is not the sole reason they are part of the pool but more of what they can bring to the table to help the Philippines’ cause in the World Cup.

An All-Star team like in the past is no longer an assurance that we will do well in international hoops wars, and going anew for serviceability over star value in this case is a tack in the right direction.

I like the composition of the players as we have shot and playmakers, shooters, defensive and athletic players to choose and craft our attack from.

It’s not the biggest of teams relative to what we are set to face in the World Cup but we have some ceiling and heft to compete.

Reports have it that Blatche arrived at the weekend in game shape and determined to make another solid run in the quadrennial tournament; which is well and good as competitions past had shown, how far he goes so does the team. A healthier kuya (big brother) Andray is surely a boon to the Philippine team.

It remains to be seen if Clarkson, Standhardinger and Pringle as naturalized players will get to play for the Philippines in the World Cup but their inclusion in the pool is still significant.

“C-Stand” and “Stan The Man” being in the practices at the very least could help the team prepare better with their experience playing in international competitions, and their input will be valuable.

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ Clarkson is hoped to play as a local player for Gilas under an appeal made by the SBP to FIBA.

With him in the pool we could have another potentially solid local player, whose possible partnership with former NBA campaigner Blatche could do wonders for our campaign.

In the World Cup the top basketball teams are set to descend and most surely it will be a tough road for Gilas.

But it is reassuring that the team is at least making sure that we have a fighting chance by forming a competitive team and exhausting the best possible ways to go about it.

All the best to Coach Yeng and the rest of the team. Laban Pilipinas!

 

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

msmurillo@bworldonline.com

Sterling game

Simona Halep was the decided underdog heading into the Wimbledon women’s singles final. For one thing, her skill set felt suited for any surface other than grass; she boasted of a baseline-centric game that relied on her athleticism and determination to keep balls in play, and until such time when an opportunity to attack presented itself. In contrast, the ultra-fast courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club placed a premium on booming serves and powerful groundstrokes — characteristics that her opponent for the Venus Rosewater Dish just so happened to possess in spades.

For Halep, the fact that Serena Williams was on the other side of the net served to highlight the seemingly Sisyphean nature of her task. Not for nothing was her career record against the seven-time Wimbledon champion an anemic one and nine. And it didn’t help that her 2019 slate was a frustrating mix of sterling showings and poor performances. Nonetheless, she was focused and confident of her position, which, if nothing else, eased the pressure on her to win. Precisely because most quarters figured she was destined for a bridesmaid finish, she found herself ready to accept any outcome for as long as she managed to do her best.

As things turned out, Halep’s best was precisely what the capacity crowd at Centre Court witnessed. As opposed to Williams’ typically slow start, her sharpest was evident from the outset. She stayed on her toes all throughout, moving decisively and anticipating the howitzers that came her way with such precision as to set up effective counterpunches. And when the dust cleared, she didn’t just earn the right to hoist the hardware; the manner in which she dispatched a supposedly superior stalwart was seen to cement her claim to a spot in the Hall of Fame.

Indeed, so complete was Halep that she surrendered only two games in each set, and committed a paltry three unforced errors all told. And so one-sided was the match in her favor that it lasted four minutes short of an hour. At the awarding ceremony, Williams couldn’t help but acknowledge her outstanding effort. “She literally played out of her mind,” noted the runner-up for the second straight year. “It was a little bit deer in the headlights for me.” To be sure, a number of factors led to the outcome, and most out of her control. Nonetheless, there can be no discounting those she did, giving her the impetus to play the best match of her life.

 

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 strengthens to P50:$1 level ahead of key US economic data

THE PESO continued to strengthen against the dollar on Tuesday to hit a new high on the back of profit taking ahead of the release of some US economic data.

The local currency ended yesterday’s session at P50.90 versus the greenback, 10 centavos higher than its P51-per-dollar finish last Monday.

This was the peso’s best showing in nearly one-and-a-half years or since it closed at P50.84 against the dollar on Jan. 26, 2018.

The peso opened the session at its worst showing of P51 per dollar, while its intraday high stood at P50.88 against the US currency.

Dollars traded surged to $1.045 billion from the $744.96 million that switched hands the previous session.

“The local currency continued in its strengthening as participants took profits ahead of likely weaker US retail sales report,” a trader said in an e-mail on Tuesday.

According to a poll conducted by Reuters, retail sales in the US likely edged up by 0.1% in June. If realized, this would be slower than the 0.5% growth in May, as households bought more automobiles and other goods.

Apart from retail sales data, another trader said market participants are also awaiting June US industrial production data.

“The dollar-peso breached the support level at P51, although it was capped at P50.88 since market players most likely took profit ahead of the upcoming data,” the second trader said.

The trader added that the peso continued to strengthen yesterday as the market was still pricing in a weaker dollar due to expectation of a cut from the US Federal Reserve.

Last week, Fed chair Jerome Powell hinted on a possible cut in interest rates, saying it will “act as appropriate” to sustain expansion given the headwinds that are weighing on the economy.

“I think the dollar moving lower is overdone, so there’s some profit taking going on already,” the second trader said.

For today, the first trader expects the peso to trade between P50.75 and P50.95 against the greenback, while the other gave a P50.80-P51.10 range.

Meanwhile, other emerging Asian currencies largely held to the sidelines on Tuesday as investors were reluctant to make any big bets ahead of US retail sales and a host of speeches from Federal Reserve officials later in the global day.

Market focus is firmly on a widely-expected US Federal Reserve rate cut later this month, with traders keenly assessing data from the world’s largest economy to gauge the extent to which the Fed might be willing to ease monetary policy.

“A very cautious start for risk assets this morning with trader positioning gingerly knowing that the rest of the week is potholed by Fed speakers and critical US data releases,” Stephen Innes, managing partner at Vanguard Markets Pte Ltd said in a note.

Mr. Powell and Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman will be among those making speeches later in the day.

The Fed will also release its key Beige Book on US economic conditions on Wednesday, which investors will study for insight on how trade tensions are affecting the business outlook.

Most Asian currencies had advanced in the previous session after monthly Chinese data showed signs that Beijing’s stepped-up stimulus efforts might be helping to stabilize the world’s second largest economy. — Karl Angelo N. Vidal with Reuters

Local stocks slump on last-minute profit taking

STOCKS failed to sustain their momentum on Tuesday on last-minute profit taking due to developments in the US-China trade war.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) lost 1.21% or 101.72 points to finish at 8,263.57 yesterday. The all-shares index also gave up 0.61% or 30.97 points to close at 5,012.99.

“The local market succumbed to last-minute profit taking on Sino-US trade sanction news headlining the market. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer expect to speak by phone with Chinese officials this week about continuing negotiations,” Luis A. Limlingan, head of sales of Regina Capital Development Corp., said in a mobile message.

Mr. Mnuchin on Monday said he expects to have another telephone call with Chinese officials this week as part of resumed discussions about a trade agreement.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last month agreed to another truce in the year-long trade spat between the world’s two largest economies.

“Separately, China may sanction firms like General Dynamics, Honeywell and Raytheon if the US sells weapons to Taiwan. The People’s Daily newspaper said their non-defense businesses in China may be boycotted in an article circulated on WeChat,” Mr. Limlingan said.

China’s government and Chinese companies will cut business ties with US firms selling arms to Taiwan, China’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday, declining to give details of the sanctions in a move likely to worsen already poor ties with Washington.

Last week, the Pentagon said the US State department had approved the sale of the weapons requested by Taiwan, including 108 General Dynamics Corp. M1A2T Abrams tanks and 250 Stinger missiles, which are manufactured by Raytheon.

The latest deal involves $2.2 billion worth of tanks, missiles and related equipment for Taiwan.

On Wall Street, The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 27.13 points or 0.1% to 27,359.16; the S&P 500 gained 0.53 point or 0.02% to 3,014.30; and the Nasdaq Composite added 14.04 points or 0.17% to 8,258.19.

Back home, most sectors ended lower led by services, which went down 1.9% or 32.69 points to 1,680.33. Property lost 1.65% or 74.38 points to end at 4,432.91; industrials declined by 1.21% or 145.92 points to 11,861.92; and holding firms gave up 0.86% or 68.97 points to 7,947.78.

On the other hand, mining and oil gained 3.69% or 277.90 points to close at 7,794.27, while financials added 0.26% or 4.83 points to 1,854.05.

Value turnover climbed to P10.49 billion yesterday as 1.21 billion shares changed hands, higher than Monday’s P8.51 billion.

Advancers outnumbered decliners, 121 to 85, while 48 names ended flat.

Net foreign buying also rose to P1.18 billion on Tuesday from the previous session’s P1.04 billion. — V.M.P. Galang with Reuters

Duterte may cut ties with Iceland over UN probe

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte is seriously considering cutting diplomatic ties with Iceland after it won United Nations support to have the Philippines investigated for its deadly war on drugs, his spokesman said yesterday.

“The two of us can only speculate that maybe some activists are feeding Iceland with the wrong information,” presidential spokesman Salvador S. Panelo told reporters in Manila.

The UN Human Rights Council on July 11 ordered its human rights office to present a comprehensive report as it expressed concerns about human rights violations in the Philippines. The body adopted a resolution that Iceland proposed and 17 other nations supported.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. begs to disagree, saying the nation will keep ties with Iceland, nor will it withdraw from the UN council.

“The UNHRC vote is a small and harmless matter and we’re staying in UNHRC as a pedagogical duty to teach Europeans moral manners,” he said in a social media post on Tuesday.

“We’re NOT severing diplomatic relations with any country. If we did, where’s the conversation? How do you insult those who insulted us if you cut them off?”

Mr. Locsin at the weekend hinted at the possibility of withdrawing from the UN body, just as the United States did in June 2018.

The UN council had urged the government to cooperate with UN offices by allowing visits by its officials and by “refraining from all acts of intimidation or retaliation.”

The Philippines, where police have admitted killing more than 6,000 drug suspects, has rejected the decision and will remain unrelenting in its campaign against illegal drugs, Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea said in a statement on Monday.

Mr. Panelo said trade relations with Iceland would continue because these will benefit both countries.

Philippine exports to Iceland of mostly resins, gems and metals, and electronic equipment more than tripled last year to $749,302 from a year earlier, according to data posted on the United Nations Comtrade website. Imports of mostly machinery, fish and dairy products from the Nordic country more than doubled to $916,246 during the same period.

Iceland ranked 132nd among the Philippines’ 221 trading partners in 2018, according to the Trade department. It ranked 121st as an import supplier and 127th as an exporter.

“We have very few Filipinos workers in Iceland and it’s not one of our major trading partners,” Dennis C. Coronacion, who heads the University of Santo Tomas Political Science Department, said in a text message.

But severing ties with Iceland could tarnish Philippine image globally and a bad perception could turn away foreign investors, he said.

“Our image as a country that upholds the rule of law, protects human rights and fosters international cooperation is going to suffer,” Mr. Coronacion said.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The two countries have been steady maritime partners as well as in the areas of mining, renewable energy, medical services, fisheries and geothermal energy, according to the Philippine Embassy website.

Filipinos make up the biggest group of Asian immigrants in the Nordic country.

NCMH officials face graft at Ombudsman

THE NATIONAL Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed a corruption complaint at the Office of the Ombudsman against 13 officials of the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) and a private individual after it found irregularities in the bidding for a P60 million building project, it said in a statement.

Government agents accused NCMH officials of colluding to rig the bidding to favor a local construction company.

They said NCMH still awarded the contract to the builder despite a flaw in its tax clearance.

The NBI accused the officials of misusing public funds by allowing the private company to receive payment of P60 million even if it lacked supporting documents.

The Health department in a separate statement said it supports the complaint based on the findings of the NBI.

“The project has been mired by procurement irregularities and remains unfinished despite the certificate of completion issued to the contractor,” it said. — VMV

Government agents arrest 8 suspects for alleged kidnapping

THE NATIONAL Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has arrested eight Chinese nationals and a Filipino in Las Piñas City for alleged kidnapping, it said in a statement yesterday.

The case stems from a complaint filed by the wife of the victim, whom the suspects abducted in Okada Manila. The men then asked him to call his friends and relatives so they can raise a P2 million ransom, government agents said.

A relative of the victim in China managed to send P500,000 to the suspects, who refused to release him unless the amount was paid in full.

The NBI said the victim had a chance to use a mobile phone and was able to send his exact location to his wife.

Government agents rescued the victim and seven others in a residential house in Manuela 4-A Subdivision in Las Piñas City, according to the statement. The NBI seized several firearms during the raid.

The suspects were subjected to inquest proceedings at the Office of the City Prosecutor in Las Piñas for kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges. They also face illegal gun possession charges. — VMV

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