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Bordeos reclaims individual Ronda lead; Lomotos tops Stage Four

LUCENA — Mark Julius Bordeos of Bicycology-Army reclaimed the individual lead even as Standard Insurance-Navy dominated Stage Four with a 1-2-3 finish to regain the team lead in the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 10th anniversary race that started in Daet, Camarines Norte, and ended here.

Ronald Lomotos, 25, topped the gruelling 206-km stage ahead of fellow Navymen Junrey Navarra and El Joshua Carino to complete a 1-2-3 finish for Standard, all clocking four hours, 56 minutes and 28 seconds.

Mr. Bordeos came in with an 18-man second group that clocked 4:57:31 to bump off Jerry Aquino, Jr. of Scratch it from the lead and repossess the LBC red jersey he wore in the first two stages.

After four stages, the 24-year-old Bordeos has total time of 14:41:17, or just six seconds ahead of George Oconer of Standard and Rustom Lim of 7Eleven Cliqq-Air21 by Roadbike Philippines, who have identical clocking of 14:41:23.

Mr. Aquino, who snatched the lead following a dramatic Stage Three triumph in Naga the day before, slipped to fifth with 14:42:07 behind No. 4 Marcelo Felipe of 7Eleven with 14:41:39.

“Nice to have the jersey back,” said Mr. Bordeos, who zoomed to the top by ruling Stage One in Sorsogon on Sunday.

For Mr. Lomotos, it was a redemption of sorts for him after he was disqualified two years ago for drafting.

He received an extra P20,000 prize for his effort from host Lucena Mayor Roderick Alcala.

“After it, it was all downhill for me. I hope this win helps me to get back the confidence I lost,” said Mr. Lomotos, a native of Zambales whose best finish here was sixth overall three editions ago.

Standard also knocked erstwhile leader 7Eleven out of the helm thanks to its strong showing in the stage in this race presented by LBC and supported by the Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation.

The Navymen have an aggregate clocking of 51:00:54, almost three minutes ahead of the Ric Rodriguez-mentored 7Eleven riders with 51:03:43.

Mr. Bordeos’ Bicycology squad was at No. 3 with 51:04:12.

“It’s our time to shine,” said Mr. Carino, the Le Tour champion who seized the King of the Mountain lead from Celeste Cycles’ Roel Quitoy.

It was a big letdown for 7Eleven as it did not only lose the team lead, it was left with only two riders in the top 10 instead of five in the last two stages as Aidan James Mendoza, Mark Galedo and Mervin Corpuz slipped to 20th and below.

Taking their places were Go for Gold’s Daniel Ven Carino, Jonel Carcueva and Ismael Grospe, Jr., who leapfrogged to sixth to eight in 14:42:21, 14:42:21 and 14:42:41, respectively.

The race, which is backed by Versa, 8A Performance, Print2Go, Petron, Green Planet, Bike Xtreme, Standard Insurance, Spyder, CCN, Lightwater, Prolite, Guerciotti, Black Mamba, Boy Kanin, Vitamin Boost, NLEX-SCTEX, Maynilad, 3Q Sports Event Management Inc., LBC Foundation and PhilCycling, resumes today with a 128.5-km Lucena-Antipolo Stage Five.

Zamboanga and Abelardo out to seize opportunities at ONE: King of the Jungle

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

SINGAPORE — The now-closed door event “ONE: King of the Jungle” happens tomorrow at the Singapore Indoor Stadium with two Filipino fighters out to seize opportunities available to them.

Women’s atomweight fighter Denice “The Menace Fairtex” Zamboanga and Kiwi-Filipino bantamweight warrior Mike “Tyson” Fairtex Abelardo are part of the reconfigured ONE Championship event, which is closed off to fans and media upon the advisory of the city-state’s Ministry of Health to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that is now affecting different parts of the world.

Ms. Zamboanga (3-0) is to face off with Japanese veteran Mei “V.V.” Yamaguchi while Mr. Belardo takes on “Pretty Boy” Troy Worthen of the United States as they angle to make their way up the in the promotion.

Twenty-three-year-old Ms. Zamboanga said she is using the Yamaguchi fight as a springboard to get a shot at the ONE world women’s atomweight title currently held by long-time Singaporean champion Angela “The Unstoppable” Lee.

Ms. Zamboanga has gotten her mixed martial arts career to a strong start, including making a winning debut in ONE in her last fight in December, beating Malaysian Hayatun Jihin Radzuan by unanimous decision in Kuala Lumpur.

“I believe that this match (Yamaguchi) fight could be a stepping stone to get me closer to a world title shot. If I lose, it would be against a huge contender, and if I win, the rewards could be enormous. I have everything to gain and nothing to lose, and I’m not planning to lose in any way,” Ms. Zamboanga was quoted as saying by the official ONE Championship website in the lead-up to King of the Jungle.

“If I can beat Mei, I will call out Angela Lee,” added the Filipino fighter, who took the Yamaguchi fight with less than a month’s notice.

Despite the short notice, she expressed her readiness and vowed to give her best against Ms. Yamaguchi who she respects as a fighter, more so since the Japanese has fought the likes of champion Ms. Lee and other top fighters in their division.

TYSON
Meanwhile, Mr. Aberlado (19-6), known for his punching power, hence the “Tyson” moniker, tries to keep his winning momentum in ONE Championship after swinging back to victory in his last fight.

New Zealand-born Ms. Abelardo, whose parents are both Filipinos, beat Chinese Jumayi Ayideng in October after absorbing his first defeat in ONE previously.

Mr. Abelardo said the Ayideng fight, where he put pressure on his opponent throughout the contest, is something he is taking cue from against American Troy Worthen.

“That will definitely be the plan — to keep the pressure on Troy and see if he will break. Maybe he’s been in that kind of position before, maybe not, and whether or not he can last will be the determining factor in the fight,” Mr. Abelardo was quoted as saying by ONE Championship.

Twenty-eighty-year-old Mr. Abelardo stakes his 4-1 record in the promotion against Mr. Worthen (6-0), who is undefeated in two fights in ONE.

“I’ve faced all kinds of fighters throughout my career, whether they’re high-level strikers, wrestlers, grapplers, BJJ black belts, southpaws, everything. I’ve seen it and I will be ready for it all with my game plan. I’m a higher level than he has faced before,” said Mr. Abelardo, who is banking on his experience as he takes on Mr. Worthen.

King of the Jungle, which will still be shown live on ONE’s TV and digital platforms, is bannered by the atomweight kickboxing world championship fight between two-sport ONE world champion Stamp Fairtex of Thailand and Janet “J.T.” Todd of the United States.

Co-main event is the strawweight muay thai world championship clash of Thai champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao against Australian Rocky Ogden.

Honorio “The Rock” Banario of Team Lakay will also be part of the event as he goes up against Shannon Wiratchai of Thailand in a featherweight battle.

The League of Legends Pacific Championship Series starts on Feb. 29

THE inaugural season of the Pacific Championship Series (PCS), featuring 10 teams across Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong, heralds a new era of competitive League of Legends in the region, and the action starts this weekend.

Available in English, Mandarin and Thai languages, the PCS livestream kicks off from 5 pm GMT +8 on Saturday, Feb. 29, with matches running every Saturday and Sunday till April 4.

The league season format is as follows:

The PCS features an increased number of games across a series of best-of-ones, and a new double-elimination playoff format, with top teams from the former League of Legends Master Series and Southeast Asia. The PCS league is co-organized by Riot Games and FunPlus Esports, while Garena is the publisher of League of Legends in Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Riot Games was founded in 2006 to develop, publish, and support the most player-focused games in the world. In 2009, Riot released its debut title, League of Legends, to worldwide acclaim. League has gone on to be the most-played PC game in the world and a key driver of the explosive growth of esports.

As League enters its second decade, Riot continues to evolve the game while delivering new experiences to players with Legends of Runeterra, League of Legends: Wild Rift, Teamfight Tactics, and multiple work-in-progress titles, while exploring the world of Runeterra through multimedia projects across music, comic books, and more.

In just a short span of time, Liyab has become synonymous with Filipino esports. Fans may be familiar with their aggressively punishing playstyle and top talent like DoeDoii — whom many tout as the best jungler in the Philippines. Despite having undergone several changes recently (including a change from their former name of Mineski), Liyab has kept their Filipino heart and spirit intact, valuing mentality and attitude above raw skills, and keeping their eye on the prize.

NOFA tops Davao South RFA, 1-0, at PFF U15 semis

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL FA (NOFA) topped Davao South RFA, 1-0, in their semifinal action at the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) U15 Boys National Championship on Wednesday at the National Training Center in Carmona, Cavite.

A highly anticipated match, the contest got everything in 90 minutes, but it was the lone Visayan squad which advanced to Friday’s final, courtesy of a lone strike by midfielder Mark Gabriel Cantos 20 minutes before full time.

Cantos made sure to connect with the opportunity given to him to send Ronald Treyes’ side into the title game, where they face either National Capital Region or Mount Apo RFA in the second semifinal later in the afternoon.

Tempers flared late in the match after a scuffle between NOFA’s Leoven Gatungan and Davao’s Gian Sartirani with the former earning a red card for his involvement, thus missing Friday’s final match.

“The boys did their best in the match,” said Treyes. “Our preparation may have been short, but because of their diligence, perseverance, and sacrifices, their performance paid off that led to the victory.”

The Group 2 winner had several chances but the equalizer came elusive as Davao was relegated to the third-place playoff.

Japan’s Abe urges 2-week curbs on sports events as coronavirus looms over Tokyo Olympics

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday called for sports and cultural events to be scrapped or curtailed for two weeks as the country battles to stem coronavirus contagion amid mounting concerns the 2020 Tokyo Olympics could be canceled.

Mr. Abe’s call came after a Tokyo baseball team said it would play games in an empty stadium this weekend, while two businesses in central Tokyo reported confirmed cases of infection a day after the government urged companies to recommend staff consider working from home.

“Taking into account that the next one to two weeks are extremely important in stopping the spread of infection, the government considers there to be a large risk of transmission at sports, cultural events and large gatherings of people,” Mr. Abe said in parliament.

Japan has at least 164 cases of infections from the flu-like coronavirus, apart from 691 reported from a cruise ship docked south of Tokyo. The government has shifted strategy in fighting the contagion, seeking to slow its expansion and minimize the number of deaths — now five — rather than stopping it completely, now seen as impossible.

Earlier on Wednesday the minister in charge of the Olympics sought to quell fears the Olympics could be canceled.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Dick Pound said earlier the Games would more likely be canceled than postponed or moved should the virus threat enforce any change in schedule, the Associated Press reported, with a decision necessary by May. — Reuters

Teener Bernie Regalario leads youth invasion at 2020 Predator-Volturi 9-Ball Cup tournament in Makati

YOUNG cue artist Bernie Regalario will lead the youth invasion in the Predator-Volturi 9-Ball Cup 2020 tournament on Saturday at the AMF-Puyat Makati Cinema Square, Makati City.

Regalario will be joining fellow Wilde Blu Junior teammates Rey Calanao, Elija B. De Mesa, Bastien Cyril Olanda, Francis Lompero, Kayla Herrera, Sophia Rosales and Dexter M. Barnido.

It is supported by sportsman/businessman Niño Lopez, of Wilde Blu Chalk in the Philippines and Indonesia as well Volturi Custom Cases in close cooperation with cue maker Angel Bautista.

“I hope to do well in this event,” said the 15-years-old Regalario, the reigning J&P 9-Ball Cup champion.

Organized by Makati Pool Players Association (MAPPA), the 9-ball tournament presented by Predator and Volturi, sponsored by The AnitoKid, Puyat Sports, Wilde Blu, Dubshop, Sunville Trading, Peri, Aria Pool Things, Stanson, MLA Trading, Fury and bilyarista.com offers P250,000 in cash and prizes at stakes.

The emerging champion in the tourney will get P40,000 plus Predator Roadline pool cue with 314-3 shaft plus Volturi Classic Brogue Cue Case plus Championship trophy while the runner-up will receive P20,000, the third and fourth placers will settle for P15,000 and P10,000, respectively. Fifth to eighth placers will bring claim P6,000 each while the ninth to 16th placers will receive P3,000 each.

Tournament registration fee at P1,300 (inclusive of uniform, food stub for first day, and raffle ticket), plus P500 MAPPA membership fee for calendar year 2020. — Marlon Bernardino

A disaster for Vidit

2nd Prague Masters
Prague, Czech Republic
Feb. 11-22, 2020

Final Standings

1-5. Vidit Santosh Gujrathi IND 2721, Alireza Firouzja FIDE 2726, Jan-Krzysztof Duda POL 2755, David Anton Guijarro ESP 2697, Samuel Shankland USA 2683, 5.0/9

6-7. Nikita Vitiugov RUS 2731, Penteala Harikrishna IND 2713, 4.5/9

8-9. Markus Ragger AUT 2670, David Navara CZE 2717, 4.0/9

10. Nils Grandelius SWE 2659, 3.0/9

Tie-Break for first Place

Alireza Firouzja defeated Vidit Santosh Gujrathi 2-0

Average Rating 2707 Category 19

Time Control: 90 minutes for first 40 moves followed by 30 minutes play-to-finish with a 30-second increment starting from move one.

Indian GM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (born Oct. 24, 1994) is currently the second highest-rated player from India behind, of course, Viswanathan Anand. He has won a lot of regional and youth tournaments, but his first strong closed tournament win was at the Biel International Chess Festival. This was a category 16 (Average ELO of 2641) 8-man tournament against Abdusattorov, Shankland, Leko, Georgiadis, Cori, Bogner and Maghsoodloo.

The 2020 Prague Masters was a different animal completely. With an average ELO of 2707 it can be truly classified as a super GM tournament. Vidit showed good form and preparation by starting out with three wins and two draws (4/5). He is known as a player with very good positional sense but the sudden assault he whipped up in the following game against a player known for power play himself is really impressive.

Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi (2721) — Shankland,Samuel L (2683) [E52]
Prague Masters Prague (1.4), 12.02.2020

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0–0 5.Bd2 b6 6.Nf3 Bb7 7.Bd3 d5

Black had to rush his knight to the defense of his kingside with 15…Nbd7! Shankland probably had no inkling that the attack was already coming.

16.Qb1

16.e4! right away is even better, but let us not get into that. Vidit has already seen a straightforward way to an advantage and goes for it.

16…Bc8 <D>

POSITION AFTER 16…BC8

Now it starts.

17.e4! dxe4 18.Nxe4 Nxe4 19.Bxe4

Attacking both h7 and c6.

19…h6 20.Rfd1! Ra7 21.Ne5 Rc7 22.h3 Qh4 23.Re1 Rce7 24.Bh7+! Kf8

[24…Kh8 25.Nxf7+ Rxf7 26.Rxe8+ Rf8 27.Rxf8+ Bxf8 28.Qe4 is an easy win for White]

25.Re4!

Shankland now realizes that his queen is lost after 25…Qh5 26.Bg6!! (wow!) fxg6 27.g4 Qxh3 28.Re3 so he thrashes around trying to get more material for it.

25…Qf6 26.Rf4!

[26.Bg6? no longer works because of 26…Bxe5! and the tables have turned]

26…Bxe5

Alas! Shankland has outsmarted himself. It turns out that 26…Qe6 27.Ng6+ loses the queen for even less than if he had played 25…Qh5.

27.Rxf6 Bxf6 28.Bf4! Bg5 29.Bd6 g6 30.Bxg6! fxg6 31.Qxg6 Nd7

[31…Bxc1 32.Qf6+ Kg8 33.Bxe7 followed by Qg6+]

32.Rc3 1–0

Yes, Vidit was really showing some powerful chess. He became undone though in the penultimate round.

Vidit,Santosh Gujrathi (2721) — Navara, David (2717) [E12]
Prague Masters Prague (8.5), 20.02.2020

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Bb7 5.Bf4 d5 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Bg3 Nd7 8.e4! N5f6 9.e5 Nh5 10.Nc3 Be7 11.Bc4 a6!?

Navara could have castled here but with this move he is provoking 12.d5 which he thinks is unsound.

12.d5!

After the game Navara admitted that he had underestimated this move and that all his counterplay was a tempo short.

12…exd5 13.Bxd5 Nxg3

[13…Bxd5 14.Qxd5 looks dangerous for Black: 14…0–0 15.e6 Ndf6 16.exf7+ Rxf7 17.Qa2]

14.hxg3 c6?! 15.Bxf7+!

Vidit spent 20 minutes on this move. No doubt he was also debating with himself whether he should take this risk, given that he was a point ahead of the field in this penultimate round and a draw would almost assure himself of tournament victory. The sacrifice is completely sound though so he made the right choice.

15…Kxf7 16.e6+ Kxe6 17.Qe2+

Vidit spent another 20 minutes on this move.

17…Kf7

Navara initially planned to bring his king to c7, but when the position came up on the board realized that 17…Kd6 18.Rd1+ Kc7 19.Ne5! wins back the piece with the attack still in full blast. Take note that 19…Bd6 is met by 20.Rxd6 Kxd6 21.Nf7+ winning the black queen.

18.0–0–0 Bf6 19.Ne4 Qe7 20.Nd6+!?

Vidit decides to win back his sacrificed material right away. This is something I am always talking about — why do people sacrifice material and then follow-up by playing as if they lost the material? He should have continued the attack with 20.Qc4+! Kf8 (20…Qe6? 21.Rxd7+ Kg6 22.Qxe6 mate will follow) 21.Rhe1 Ne5 22.Nxe5 Bxe5 23.Nd6 with an easy win.

20…Kf8 21.Qxe7+ Bxe7 22.Nxb7 Nf6 23.Ne5

Material is equal but White is still very much ahead.

23…Nd5 24.Kb1

[24.Nxc6 Rc8]

24…Rc8 25.Rhe1

[25.Ng6+? Kf7 26.Nxh8+ Rxh8 the white knight on b7 is lost]

25…Bxa3?! 26.Nxc6!

[26.bxa3 Nc3+ 27.Kc2 Nxd1 28.Kxd1 Rc7 29.Nd8 White is clearly better]

26…Bb4 27.Nxb4 Nxb4 28.Rd7 h5 29.Nd6 Ra8 30.Ree7 Rh7 31.Ne4

White’s position is overwhelming, but to his credit David Navara really digs in and finds resource after resource.

31…Rh6

[31…Re8 32.Rxe8+ Kxe8 33.Nf6+ gxf6 34.Rxh7]

32.Rxg7 Rd8!

There is a trap here. If the White d7–rook moves to, say, b7, then he is mated by …Rd1#. It does not help that Vidit was down to his last two minutes here.

33.b3?

He should have gotten his rooks into position first with 33.Rdf7+ Ke8 34.Re7+ Kf8 and now 35.b3.

33…Rxd7 34.Rxd7 a5

White is still better with a pawn plus, but his g-pawns are doubled, so the win is already problematic.

35.f3 Rc6 36.Rd2 Kf7 37.Kb2 Ke6 38.Nc3 Rd6 39.Re2+ Kf5 40.Ne4 Rd1 41.Nc3 Rd3 42.Nb1 Nd5 43.Kc2 Nb4+ 44.Kb2 Nd5

A tacit draw offer, which is refused. This is a danger sign. The position was already equal but we see that Vidit is unable to accept that there is no more win in sight and keeps forcing the position. His mindset is that the game is either a win or a draw and did not consider he might even lose it now.

45.Na3 45.Ne3 46.Nc4 Nxc4+ 47.bxc4 a4 48.Kc2 Rb3 49.Rd2 Rb4 50.Kc3 Rb3+ 51.Kc2 Rb4 52.Kc3 Rb3+

Again a tacit offer of a draw.

53.Kd4 a3 54.Ra2 Ke6 55.c5?

A blunder from trying too hard to win.

55…b5! 56.g4?

Another blunder. Simply 56.f4 holds.

56…hxg4 57.fxg4 b4 58.g5 Rb2 59.Ra1 a2 60.g6 b3

Black’s pawns are faster.

61.c6

[61.g7 Kf7 62.c6 Rc2]

61…Rc2 62.Rf1 b2 63.g7 Rxg2 64.c7 Kd7 0–1

Navara’s comment at the end of the game: “I was extremely lucky in this game, but it happens sometimes in chess when you don’t give up and try to search for your chances.”

This was a real disaster for Vidit. He also lost the last round game and was forced to play a tiebreak with Firouzja for 1st place and he lost both games as well. Four straight losses! We will continue the story on Tuesday.

 

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 (UST) for 25 years and is currently Chief Audit Executive of the Equicom Group of Companies.

bobby@cpamd.net

Going small

The Rockets most definitely took a risk when they went all in on small ball at the trade deadline. True, they had advanced analytics to back up their contention that going for speed as opposed to size would lead to increased productivity. With All-Stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook requiring room to maneuver, they figured dealing starting center Clint Capela and, in the process, acquiring versatile Robert Covington would further prop up an already-potent offense. At the same time, however, there was reason to question the capacity of their new roster composition to take the measure of opponents on the other end of the floor.

No doubt, the Rockets’ resolve to go against the grain was strengthened by their performance without Capela through the first half of the 2019-20 season; for all his contributions, they went 10-1 in games he had to sit out because of an ailment or injury. It was likewise propped up by the potential of Covington to be a defensive anchor despite a relative lack of height. And, indeed, they have so far been proven right. Since going small at the turn of the month, they have gone a heady eight and two; they were blown off the court by the Suns on the second night of a back-to-back set, and then beaten by the Jazz on a last-second heartbreaker that was tightly guarded and had a mathematically minuscule chance of gong in.

To be sure, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has long been optimistic. In seeing just about every possible lineup permutation through two and a half years at the helm of the franchise, he has stayed upbeat regarding the title chances of the red and white. Of late, though, his positive demeanor appears more grounded in reality. Both Harden and Westbrook have thrived under the new setup, which maximizes head coach Mike D’Antoni’s pace-and-space predilections. Meanwhile, Covington has burned rubber exactly as advertised: a decided boon on either side of the court.

Whether or not the Rockets get to improve their standing in the West heading into the playoffs remains to be seen. What isn’t, though, is their utter belief that they’re near or at their best since Harden joined them in 2012, and that they can take on all comers, including the vaunted Clippers and Lakers, en route to claiming the hardware. Fact? Folly? The answer will depend on how they go the rest of the way, and determine where they aim to be thereafter.

 

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.

Travelers from virus-stricken Korean region banned

By Gillian M. Cortez, Reporter

THE Philippines on Wednesday barred travelers from South Korea’s coronavirus-stricken North Gyeongsang province as it tries to contain the outbreak.

The government will also prevent Filipinos from traveling to South Korea, where more than 1,000 people have been infected with the novel coronavirus strain, presidential spokesman Salvador S. Panelo told reporters. The ban also Jeju Island.

Filipino workers, students and permanent residents of South Korea are exempted from the travel ban provided they sign a declaration that they are aware of the risks of going there.

“The safety and security of Filipinos here and outside the Philippines remain our primary concern,” Mr. Panelo said.

“Our countrymen’s welfare is foremost in our minds as concerned officials discuss updates and recommendations on the management of coronavirus,” he added.

Mr. Panelo said Manila would assess the risks within 48 hours to determine if the travel ban needs to be expanded to other parts of South Korea.

South Korea reported 169 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing the total tally to more than 1,000.

The nation added more than 700 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in less than a week since a cluster of infections emerged from a religious sect in the southern city of Daegu. The number is expected to rise as the government widens its tests.

“In the meantime, strict protocols with respect to travelers entering the country from these areas in South Korea will continue to be observed,” Mr. Panelo said.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Sunday raised the country’s coronavirus alert level to the highest after a sudden spike in infections.

The Korean government has extended nationwide school holidays by a week and plans to enforce tighter two-week monitoring of arrivals from China.

The outbreak also forced South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics to suspend operations at its smartphone plant in Gumi, 200 kilometers southeast of Seoul, after one of its employees was infected at the weekend.

There have been three confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, all of whom were Chinese nationals from Wuhan City, where the virus was first detected.

Also yesterday, Senator Imee Marcos said a direct flight from Daegu landed in Cebu in central Philippines before 11 p.m. on Tuesday.

Direct flights from Busan airport, only 85 kilometers southeast of Daegu airport, have also been landing in Manila, Cebu, Clark and Kalibo, she said in a statement.

Tickets were still being sold online by Air Asia, Air Busan, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Pan Pacific Airlines, Philippine Airlines and T’way Air, she added.

The senator noted that while the Philippine government had been focused on the return and quarantine of Filipinos from a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship in Yokohama, it seems to have ignored the influx of tourists from South Korea.

“The World Health Organization had warned about the susceptibility of developing countries with poor healthcare systems,” Ms. Marcos said. “Quick action is our best defense.”

The lawmaker, who heads the Senate economic affairs committee, said the government might have to temporarily forego profits from the country’s largest tourist market “and make the hard choice of imposing a quarantine on flight passengers from Korea.”

More than 20 countries have either banned or imposed strict quarantine measures on travelers from South Korea, Ms. Marcos said, citing a report from the Korean Herald.

About two million South Koreans visited the Philippines in 2019, flying from Seoul, Busan, Cheongju, Daegu, Gimpo, Jeju and Muan.

110 Pinays barred from leaving via Zamboanga port

IMMIGRATION officials barred more than 100 undocumented Filipinos from leaving the country through the Zamboanga International Seaport, it said in a statement on Wednesday.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime H. Morente said they had intercepted 110 undocumented female passengers in three separate incidents.

First intercepted on Feb. 10 were 37 people who tried to go to Sandakan, Malaysia.

The passengers had given conflicting statements, while some presented altered passports and supporting documents, Usman Sabdani, head of the port’s Travel Control and Enforcement Unit, said.

The bureau on Feb. 17 also stopped 17 Filipinas from leaving the port for Qatar and Dubai, where they were supposed to work as housemaids without employment permits, it said.

Meanwhile, the agency on Feb. 24 stopped 56 Filipinas from leaving the Zamboanga port for Malaysia. The passengers were headed from there to Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon and Kuwait, it said.

Mr. Morente said workers attempting to go to Middle Eastern countries had been trying to use Malaysia as a jump-off point.

The Filipinas, who came from different parts of the country, had been recruited through Facebook, the bureau said, citing interviews with the passengers.

Mr. Morente said charges will be filed against the illegal recruiters, who had been trying to use other exit points to avoid strict inspections.

“This is clearly a case of human trafficking, and even those from the north travel all the way to Zamboanga in an attempt to depart illegally to work abroad,” he said. “These schemes will not pass, as we are intent in doing our mandate in protecting Filipinos from these syndicates,” he added.

The Filipinas were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for assistance and investigation. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Senate approves changes to law against terrorism

THE Senate on Wednesday approved on final reading a bill that seeks to boost the government’s anti-terrorism thrust.

With 19 votes in favor, two against and zero abstention, Senate Bill 1083 or the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act will repeal the Human Security Act of 2007.

The bill will expand the coverage of terrorist acts and will now include attacks that cause death or serious injury, extensive damage to property, and manufacture, possession, acquisition, transport and supply of weapons or explosives.

The law only penalizes four terror acts — commission of the actual crime of terrorism, conspiracy to commit terrorism, being an accomplice and accessory to the crime.

Under the bill, violators face life imprisonment without parole. Violators also include any person who plans, trains, prepares and facilitates a terror act, conspires or recruits other people to a terrorist organization.

Those found guilty of threatening, proposing or inciting to commit terrorism will be penalized with 12 years in jail.

Senator Francis N. Pangilinan, one of two senators who voted against the bill, said the measure could be abused by police.

He said the new definition of terrorism is “vague and encompassing, making it open to abuse.”

He also opposed clauses allowing the military to access data and information, and intercept private communications of suspects under surveillance and detain them for 14 days without an arrest warrant. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Duterte defends VFA termination

PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte has defended his decision to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States, saying the Philippines has the capability to handle internal security threats on its own.

“Kailangan ba natin ang America (Do we need America), the might and power of the United States to fight our rebellion here, and the terrorists down south, and control drugs? We are doing it,” he said in a speech on Wednesday.

“Kapag hindi natin kaya (If we canot do it), we have no business in being a Republic. We choose: We can be a territory of America or we can be a province of China,” Mr. Duterte added.

Mr. Duterte also said that one of the reasons why he ordered the cancellation of the VFA is the USA’s intrusion into local politics, particularly a provision in the 2020 US National Budget prohibiting Philippine officials allegedly responsible for Senator Leila M. De Lima’s detention from entering the US.

The notice of termination for the military cooperation agreement was sent to the US Embassy in Manila on February 11.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. earlier said in a Senate hearing that ending the VFA would make other defense pacts inoperative.

Lawmakers are planning to question the President’s authority to order the termination without congressional concurrence. — Gillian M. Cortez

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