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2019 Aeroflot Open

Aeroflot Open 2019 “A”
Cosmos Hotel, Moscow, Russia
Feb. 20-27, 2019

Final Top Standings

1-2. GM Kaido Kulaots EST 2542, GM Haik Martirosyan ARM 2616, 7.0/9

3. GM Krishnan Sasikiran IND 2678, 6.5/9

4-9. GM Wang Hao CHN 2714, GM Wei Yi CHN 2733, GM Maksim Chigaev RUS 2613, GM Ernesto Inarkiev RUS 2692, GM Alexey Sarana RUS 2630, GM David Anton Guijarro ESP 2642, 6.0/9

10-24. GM M.Amin Tabatabaei IRI 2590, GM Anton Korobov UKR 2687, GM Suri Vaibhav IND 2575, GM Sanan Sjugirov RUS 2663, GM David Paravyan RUS 2627, GM Aram Hakobyan ARM 2545, GM Denis Khismatullin RUS 2621, GM Bogdan-Daniel Deac ROU 2603, GM Constantin Lupulescu ROU 2610, IM Klementy Sychev RUS 2545, GM Zhou Jianchao CHN 2615, GM Tigran L Petrosian ARM 2595, GM SL Narayanan IND 2593, GM Parham Maghsoodloo IRI 2666, IM Nodirbek Yakubboev UZB 2569, 5.5/9

Total of 101 participants
Time Control: 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 30 minutes play-to-finish with 30 seconds added to your clock after every move starting move 1

Kaido Kulaots
GM Kaido Kulaots

The 17th edition of the Aeroflot Open was scheduled to start on Feb. 20 but a bomb threat forced the evacuation of the venue, the Cosmos Hotel, shortly after play had started. When the situation normalized the organizers announced that round 1 would start the next day and there will be a double-round day on the nearest Saturday to make up for the lost afternoon. As a consequence of that, the time control of the tournament, originally 100 minutes for 40 moves plus 50 minutes until the end of the game with a 30-second increment, was adjusted to 90 minutes for the first 40 moves plus 30 minutes till the end of the game with 30 seconds added to the clock after every move. This is to avoid unnecessary strain on the players.
The tournament then continued in earnest.
The surprise winner of the event was GM Kaido Kulaots, the champion of Estonia. He celebrated his 43rd birthday the day after the tournament ended. To give you some perspective, Vladimir Kramnik has just retired from tournament chess after a “long, fruitful and legendary” career. He is also 43 years of age.
The Aeroflot required a minimum rating of 2550 to ensure entry into the Top Section, the so-called “A” tournament. Based on that criteria Kulaots would not have qualified in the 100-player “A” section. Fortunately, after all the entrants had been processed and the players ranked from highest to lowest he was no. 62 out of 100, so he was allowed to play. I remember back in 2011 the Philippines sent a contingent of some of our top players (GMs Darwin Laylo, Richard Bitoon and John Paul Gomez) to Aeroflot, and all of them got bumped down to the “B” tournament! Then again this is Moscow, where even the cigarette vendors play decent chess.
The World Champion Magnus Carlsen weighed in on this result on twitter: “Congrats to Kaido Kulaots for an absolutely amazing underdog victory at the Aeroflot open! 19 years ago, he shared a flat with my father and I at the Gausdal tournament, and inspired an unrated 9-year-old by predicting that he would one day be rated 2650.”

Maghsoodloo, Parham (2666) — Kulaots, Kaido (2542) [B90]
Aeroflot Open A 2019 Moscow RUS (1.12), 20.02.2019

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Nb3
This is the pet line of Polish GM Mateusz Bartel, and he has been playing it with a lot of success. So much, in fact, that even Alexander Grischuk used it heavily during the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in 2016. The main idea is simply to wait and see how Black develops his forces. There is a secondary idea which I will show you later.
6…g6 7.Be2 Bg7 8.g4
This is the idea I was talking about. In many cases after White plays g2 — g4 Black has the counter …e7 — e5 with a double attack on the knight in d4 and the pawn on g4. By pre-emptively withdrawing his knight to b3 he gets rid of that possibility.
8…h6 9.Be3 Nbd7
Here is one of the original games with this line. It is quite instructive: 9…Nc6 10.f3 b5 11.Qd2 Be6?! (Maybe 11…Ne5 was better. The bishop does not seem to be particularly well-placed on e6) 12.0 — 0 — 0 Rc8 13.Kb1 Ne5 14.h4 Bc4 15.Bd4 Qc7 16.f4 (this is probably why Kulaots chose to move his b8 — knight to d7 followed by b6. With the knight on e5 White’s f2 — f4 pawn push is a nuisance) 16…Bxe2 (as GM Roiz points out 16…Nc6 17.Nd5 Bxd5 18.Bxf6 Bxf6 19.exd5 Nb8 20.g5 Bg7 21.h5 is winning for White) 17.Qxe2 Nexg4 18.e5 dxe5 19.fxe5 Black is losing a piece now. Bartel, M (2625)-Artemiev, V (2674) Moscow RUS 2016 1 — 0 40.
10.f3 Qc7 11.Qd2 b5 12.a3 Rb8 13.0 — 0 — 0 Nb6 14.Bd4 e5 15.Bxb6 Rxb6 16.h4 Be6 17.Kb1 0 — 0 18.Nd5 Nxd5 19.exd5 Bd7 20.h5 g5 21.Bd3 <D>
POSITION AFTER 21.BD3
Black now gives up a pawn to open up the position for his bishops.
21…e4! 22.Bxe4 b4! 23.a4
[23.axb4 Qc4 24.Na5 Qxb4 25.Qxb4 Rxb4 26.b3 Bxg4 Black has the better position at no material investment]
23…Bxa4 24.Nd4 b3 25.cxb3?
[25.c3 is imperative]
25…Bxb3 26.Rc1 Qb7 27.Rh2 Rb8 28.Rc6 Rb4 29.Nxb3 Rxb3 30.Rc2 a5
Black is clearly winning. Opposite-colored bishops is drawish in the endgame, but in cases like this it is favorable for the attacking side — the b2 — pawn can be attacked by the Black bishop and cannot be defended by its White counterpart.
31.Kc1 Be5 32.Kd1
White has no time to save the h2 — rook because 32.Rg2? Bf4.
32…Bxh2 33.Qxh2 Qb6 34.Kc1 Qe3+ 35.Kb1 Qe1+ 36.Ka2
[36.Rc1 Qb4 37.Rc2 a4 it will be over soon]
36…Ra3+ 0 — 1
[36…Ra3+ 37.Kxa3 (37.bxa3 Qb1#) 37…Qa1#]
Besides the prize fund of €140,000, the Aeroflot Open provides a ticket to the Dortmund super GM tournament later this year. We hope Kulaots will continue his good form. Estonia has a great chess tradition — the chess legend Paul Keres is from there as is the two-time world correspondence champion (1983 and 1999) Tonu Oim. The famous chess coach Ivo Nei is also an Estonian. However, lately the country has been in a bit of a chess decline because their top players have left — Jaan Ehlvest, the former world championship candidate, now represents the USA and Lembit Oll passed away some years ago from an apparent suicide. Hopefully the successes of GM Kaido Kulaots will stir up new impetus to develop the next batch of hopefuls.
Finishing in second place was the 18-year-old Armenian GM Haik M. Martirosyan. He actually tied for first place but the tie-break system in use in Moscow was “most black,” meaning that the one who played Black more times is given a higher placing. Kulaots had five blacks (he actually killed with black — 4.5/5!) and Martirosyan had four. Some might say that the tie-break rule of “most blacks” is not fair, but it does not matter, for Kulaots undoubtedly deserved his gold medal. He was lower-rated in every single game but despite that scored wins against heavyweights Maghsoodloo, Alireza Firouzja, Daniil Dubov, Wei Yi and Khismatullin. Compare those names against GM Haik’s opponents: Shardul Gagare, Liu Yan, Manuel Petrosyan, Sasikiran and Tigran L. Petrosian.
Having said that, Martirosyan showed brilliant play as well.

Petrosian, Tigran L. (2595) — Martirosyan, Haik M. (2616) [C50]
Aeroflot Open A 2019 Moscow RUS (9.2), 27.02.2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 a6 7.a4
Everybody is playing the Italian Slow Game now and so far the verdict is that Black is doing ok. Here is a warning though on how quickly the situation can change. 7.Nc3 g5 8.Bg3 d6 9.a3 Nd4 10.Nxd4 Bxd4 11.h4 Rg8 12.hxg5 hxg5 13.Rh6 Bg4 14.f3 Bd7 15.Qd2 Qe7 16.Bf2 0 — 0 — 0? (up to now Black is ok but he starts losing the thread here. Best is 16…Be6 to try and force the white-squared bishops off the board) 17.Bxd4 exd4 18.Rxf6! Qxf6 19.Nd5 Qe5 20.Qa5 b6 21.Nxb6+ Kb8 22.Nd5 Qg3+ 23.Kf1 Rc8 24.Bxa6 Bc6 25.Ne7 1 — 0 Pavlidis,A (2552)-Ashiku,F (2373) Batumi 2018.
7…d6 8.c3 Ba7 9.0 — 0 Qe7 10.Nbd2 g5 11.Bg3 Nd7 12.Bd5 h5 13.h4 g4 14.Ne1
[14.Ng5 Nd8 the white knight is in danger of getting trapped]
14…Nf8 15.d4 Ng6
[15…exd4 16.cxd4 Nxd4 17.Nc2 Followed up by Nc4. White is counting on assaulting the black king which is stuck in the center]
16.Nc4 exd4 17.Nd3 Nce5 18.cxd4 Nxc4 19.Bxc4 Bxd4 20.Nf4 c5 21.Nxg6 fxg6 22.b4
I believe 22.Qb3 followed by e4 — e5 would open up the position in White’s favor.
22…Be6 23.bxc5 dxc5 24.Bxe6 Qxe6 25.Rb1 b6 26.Qb3 c4 27.Qb4 Bc5 28.Qc3 0 — 0 29.Rfc1 Rad8 30.Rc2
[30.Qxc4 Rd1+! 31.Kh2 (31.Rxd1 Qxc4) 31…Qxc4 32.Rxc4 Rxb1 leaves Black a rook ahead]
30…Rd4 31.Re1 b5 32.axb5 axb5 33.Qa5?
Taking his own queen out of the action.
33…Qc6 34.Rb1 b4 35.Rxb4 Bxb4 36.Qxb4 Qxe4 37.Ra2 Qe6 38.Kh2 Rd7 39.Rc2 Rc8 40.Qc3 Rd3 41.Qa5 Rd1 42.Qg5 c3 43.Qh6 Qf5 44.Re2 c2 45.Be5 Rh1+! 46.Kg3 Rh3+! 0 — 1
More on this come 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

Complete & healthy

For a while there, it looked as if the Rockets were floundering. They greeted the last week of February with a loss to the otherwise-reeling Lakers, marking their second straight setback and third in four outings. Frustration was setting in, and to the point where reigning league Most Valuable Player James Harden felt compelled to note that “we have no tendencies.” Never mind that he was still in the midst of a record scoring spree topped only by offensive force Wilt Chamberlain in pro hoops annals. As far as he was concerned, more pressing matters had to be contended with, their battle for homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs not least of all.
And then the Rockets found their groove. Ironically, they did so on the next outing, and without Harden to boot. The National Basketball Association’s most prolific point producer sat out the match against the rival Warriors, seemingly a grave handicap but, in retrospect, perhaps just what they needed to close ranks. In his absence, they wound up claiming victory at hostile Oracle Arena and underscoring, most importantly to themselves, that they were a force under any circumstance. For all his otherworldly exertions, he didn’t make them; rather, he made them better.
For the Rockets, the distinction is crucial to defining their competitiveness. Including yesterday’s emphatic triumph against the gritty Raptors on the road, they’re on a six-outing skein that has enabled them to challenge the swooning Nuggets for the second seed in the West. And who knows? With continually inspired play and a little help from the uncharacteristically shaky Warriors, they may yet be in the same position they were in last year heading into the postseason: as Number One in the conference and harboring realistic designs of going all the way.
These days, Harden is all smiles, highlighting, if nothing else, that three weeks in the NBA is an eternity. It helps, of course, that the Rockets, beset with injuries to key players throughout their 2018-19 campaign, are finally complete and healthy. “It feels good,” he acknowledged. “Guys know their roles. We’re executing defensively. We’re helping each other out. We’re talking.” In other words, they’re close to their finest, and they couldn’t have developed a rhythm at a better time. They’re supremely confident, and why not? They’re themselves anew, and they have him.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

PHL, Vietnam firm up ties with ‘plan of action’

By Camille A. Aguinaldo, Reporter
THE PHILIPPINES and Vietnam convened on Tuesday its ninth Joint Bilateral Cooperation Mechanism, which led to both countries adopting a new five-year plan of action on a broad range of areas.
“Building on the excellent work of our senior officials yesterday, (Vietnamese) Deputy Prime Minister Pham (Binh Minh) and I adopted the new Philippines-Vietnam five-year Plan of Action covering the period 2019 to 2024,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. said in a joint press conference at the Diamond Hotel in Manila on Wednesday.
“It comprehensively maps out specific commitments we will undertake jointly in the political, security, economic, and cultural spheres, as well as in other various areas,” he added.
For his part, Mr. Pham, who is also the Vietnamese Foreign Minister, highlighted his “in-depth and substantive discussion” with Mr. Locsin on “regional and international issues of mutual interest,” such as the still-disputed South China Sea.
“We both underlined the importance of maintaining peace, stability, safety and security of navigation in the South China Sea, peaceful resolution of (the) dispute, and respecting the diplomatic and legal processes, respecting international law, including UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) 1982, full observation of DOC (Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea) towards early conclusion of an effective and substantive COC (Code of Conduct in the South China Sea),” he said in his press statement.
“Vietnam spoke highly of the Philippines’ role as the Coordinator of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-China relations until 2021,” he added.
Vietnam is among the countries with competing territorial claims in the South China Sea, aside from the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei, and China. The country protested last November China’s construction activities in the disputed waters.
Mr. Pham also noted the strengthening of cooperation between the Philippines and Vietnam in the defense and security aspect “with the regular and effective implementation of important mechanisms such as defense policy dialogue and the navy consultation.”
“We appreciate the good progress in maritime and oceanic affairs cooperation, and also in agriculture, ICT (Information and Communications Technology), environment, education, training, culture, sports, tourism, and people-to-people exchange,” he said.
He added that both countries have agreed to target an annual growth of 20% in bilateral trade turnover in the next few years. He said bilateral trade turnover between the two countries reached $4.72 billion in 2018, which Mr. Pham said was up by 18% compared to 2017.
“Both our countries are among the fastest growing economies in Asia, and that is conducive to further promoting our trade and investment relations in the years ahead,” Mr. Pham said.
Mr. Locsin said the new five-year plan between the two countries showed the “resolve to drive relations forward and onward.”
“As two of ASEAN’s most dynamic economies, and as two countries faced with similar challenges, we draw lessons not only from our gains and accomplishments but also from…areas where we might have fallen short,” Mr. Locsin said.
The Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) is a regular consultative mechanism between the two countries to discuss bilateral and regional issues of mutual concern. The last JCBC was held in Hanoi in October 2015, during the tenure of then Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. Del Rosario.

Reshuffle ordered on police with relatives running for public office

By Vince Angelo C. Ferreras
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL Police (PNP) Chief Director-General Oscar D. Albayalde has approved a limited reshuffle of 1,370 police officers who are related to politicians running this midterm elections.
The PNP also ordered the resignation of five police officers who are seeking elective posts and have accordingly filed certificates of candidacy.
“As (the) non-partisan and deputized law enforcement agency of the Commission on Elections, we strongly and firmly remain faithful to our apolitical mandate to ensure and protect the will of the electorate towards honest, orderly and peaceful elections,” Mr. Albayalde said in a statement on Wednesday, March 6.
The limited reshuffle policy is an administrative measure to help ensure impartiality among police personnel especially in areas where they have relatives who are vying for elective posts.
The said policy was also applied to 121 provincial directors, city directors, mobile force commanders, and chiefs of police who have reached the maximum two years tour of duty in their assignments.
PNP noted there are 1,858 of its personnel who are related to politicians running this midterm elections. Of that total, 488 are assigned to areas where they have no such relatives and are thus kept to their present assignments.
Those reassigned were 26 commissioned officers and 1,344 non-commissioned officers.
Of the five police officers seeking public office, whom the PNP did not identify, one is running for vice-mayor and the others for municipal councilors in the provinces of Bukidnon, Surigao del Norte, Northern Samar, Lanao del Sur, and Zamboanga del Sur.
Commission on Elections Resolution No. 10420 Section 24 states that “any person holding a public appointed office or position, including those in uniformed service, shall be considered ipso facto resigned from the office and must vacate the same at the start of the day of the filing of COC.”

Veep: Try narco-politicians in court, not by publicity

VICE-PRESIDENT Maria Leonor G. Robredo on Wednesday said politicians linked to the government’s narco-list should be brought to court and not tried in public.
“Kasuhan sila sa korte para may pagkakataon sila na depensahan iyong sarili. Mahirap iyong trial by publicity, kasi ano iyong assurance natin na tama iyong information?” the Vice-President said during her visit in Nagcarlan, Laguna. (File charges against them in court to give them a chance to defend themselves. Trial by publicity would be problematic because what is our assurance that the information is correct?)
She added: “’Di ba noong nakaraang dalawa’t kalahating taon, maraming pagkakataon na binabawi iyong sinasabi, kasi hindi pala na-vet’ nang maayos. So ito, may mga mabibiktima na mga inosenteng tao.” (Isn’t it in the last two and a half years, there were many instances of statements being retracted since they were not vetted properly? So with this, innocent people might be victimized).
The remarks followed Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo’s pronouncement that the list of narco-politicians may be released next week.
Mr. Panelo also said the evidence gathered were wiretapped by foreign states.
Ms. Robredo said that while she agrees that candidates involved in the drug trade should not be elected into office, the rule of law must still be observed.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency reported that of the 82 narco-politicians in its list, 64 are running in the midterm elections.
Ms. Robredo also said she would support moves to file charges against identified politicians ahead of the May 2019 polls.
“Oo naman, sa akin okay kasuhan. Kasi kung mayroon namang ebidensya, bakit hindi kasuhan? Para warning din siya sa tao, pero hindi tayo nagiging unfair. Kasi at least kapag kinasuhan sila, may pagkakataon silang depensahan iyong sarili,” she said. (Of course, filing charges is okay by me. Because if there’s evidence, why not file charges? That will also serve as a warning, and [send the signal] that we’re not being unfair. Because at least if they are charged, they have an opportunity to defend themselves).
Mr. Panelo also said the government is also considering filing administrative and criminal charges against narco-politicians. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Shares resume ascent as investors buy bargains

By Arra B. Francia, Reporter
LOCAL SHARES bounced back on Wednesday as investors turned bargain hunters after enduring losses for most of last week.
The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) soared 1.96% or 150.72 points to close at 7,821.34, recovering from the previous session’s flat performance. The broader all-shares index likewise climbed 1.43% or 68.17 points to 4,809.07.
“The market move is a result of the technical bounce coming from the losses from last week’s trade validating the 7,600 support line,” Philstocks Financial, Inc. Research Associate Piper Chaucer E. Tan said in a text message.
Mr. Tan added that the release of corporate earnings has supported optimism among investors. So far, conglomerates such as SM Investments Corp. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. have already released their 2018 earnings results, posting profit increases of 13% and seven percent, respectively.
“In line with that, corporate earnings is somehow helping the index regain momentum and foreign buying is present, signaling bargain hunting for investors,” Mr. Tan said.
Foreign investors turned buyers on Wednesday, recording net inflows of P272.89 million versus the previous session’s net sales worth P1.28 billion.
The PSEi bucked the negative sentiment in Wall Street on Tuesday, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.05% or 13.02 points to 25,806.63. The S&P 500 index dropped 0.11% or 3.16 points to 2,789.65, while the Nasdaq Composite index was flat with a meager loss of 0.02% or 1.21 points to 7,576.36.
“Philippine investors became bargain hunters as investors looked beyond US-China trade talks for further catalysts to trade on,” Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan said in a mobile phone message.
Investors overseas continue to wait for signals on how the US-China trade talks will fare, as reports pointed to a trade deal nearing completion. The two parties are seen to sign a trade deal at a summit by March 27.
Most Southeast Asian stocks were muted on Wednesday, in line with their broader Asian peers, as investors awaited details on progress in the US-China trade negotiations.
All sectoral indices moved to positive territory back home, led by property which jumped 2.41% or 94.45 points to 4,002.19. Industrials followed with a 1.67% gain or 190.27 points to 11,547.40, while financials rose 1.65% or 28.12 points to 1,732.77.
Holding firms rallied 1.61% or 124.79 points to 7,848.76; services went up 1.18% or 18.12 points to 1,554.22; while mining and oil added 0.47% or 38.65 points to 8,126.70.
Some 1.53 billion issues switched hands valued at P6.01 billion, down from Tuesday’s P6.62-billion turnover.
Advancers outpaced decliners, 113 to 88, while 38 issues remained unchanged.

Peso recovers as Diokno eyes RRR cuts

THE PESO rebounded against the dollar on Wednesday as remarks from newly appointed Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno quelled market uncertainties.
The local unit ended Wednesday’s session at P52.165 versus the greenback, 7.5 centavos stronger than the P52.24-per-dollar finish on Tuesday.
The peso opened the session weaker at P52.28 per dollar, slumping to as low as P52.41 intraday. However, it bounced back in the afternoon session, with its best showing at P52.15 against the greenback.
Dollars traded thinned to $1.31 billion from the $1.483 billion that switched hands the previous day.
A foreign exchange trader said the peso slid to its intraday trough in the morning session after the dollar strengthened against a basket of currencies overnight.
“The dollar was stronger overnight across all currencies. There was positive US data: new home sales and ISM (Institute for Supply Management) manufacturing data. It came better than expected, so that drove the dollar higher,” the trader said in a phone interview.
However, the peso bounced back in the latter part of the trading day as the market reacted to the comments from Mr. Diokno about cutting banks’ reserve requirement ratio (RRR). Big banks’ RRR stands at 18%, one of the highest in the region.
“The peso rebounded from its heavy fall yesterday after incoming BSP Governor Diokno said that he intended to ‘accelerate’ the reduction in the reserve requirement ratio, which was received positively by market players today,” another trader said in an e-mail on Wednesday.
At the sidelines of his weekly press conference, Mr. Diokno said the central bank will review the reduction in RRR as a continuation of the late BSP Governor Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr.’s policy.
“We can expedite the…reduction in the reserve requirement… Mataas talaga iyon (that’s high),” Mr. Diokno told reporters yesterday.
“There’s news that came out that our new BSP Governor wanted to accelerate reserve ratio cut. That means that the peso was about to go stronger with that statement,” the first trader said, adding that the statement somehow eased uncertainties in the market.
For today, the first trader expects the peso to trade between P52.10 and P52.45, while the other gave a P52-P52.30 range. — Karl Angelo N. Vidal

CA justice appointed to SC

By Vann Marlo M. Villegas, Reporter
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has appointed Court of Appeals (CA) Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier as new Supreme Court (SC) associate justice.
This was confirmed by Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea in a text message.
Ms. Javier will replace Justice Noel J. Tijam who reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 on Jan. 5.
Ms. Javier has been with the CA since her appointment in 2007.
She graduated magna cum laude from the Philippine Normal University with an education degree. She earned her law degree from the University of Santo Tomas in 1982 where she graduated as class valedictorian and passed the bar the same year.
She worked as trial attorney at the Office of the Solicitor-General in 1983 and became assistant solicitor-general in 1994.
Meanwhile, Mr. Tijam was appointed by the President to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) to represent the academe, Justice Secretary and JBC ex-member Menardo I. Guevarra told reporters in a text message.
Mr. Tijam served the high court for over a year after his appointment on March 8, 2017 by President Rodrigo R. Duterte. He is the President’s second SC appointee following now-Ombudsman Samuel R. Martires.
Prior to his appointment, he also served as presiding judge of the Quezon City regional trial court (RTC) Branch 221 in 1994 and president of the Quezon City RTC Judges Association. He was then promoted to the Court of Appeals in 2003.
The JBC performs the “principal function of recommending appointees to the Judiciary.
The body is composed of the Chief Justice as ex officio Chairman, with the Secretary of Justice and a representative of the Congress as ex officio Members, a representative of the Integrated Bar, a professor of law, a retired Member of the Supreme Court, and a representative of the private sector.
Regular members are appointed for a term of four years and subject to the confirmation of the Commission on Appointments.

NBI, BuCor ordered to report on probe of drug trade in New Bilibid Prison

JUSTICE SECRETARY Menardo I. Guevarra has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) to apprise him on the investigation on the alleged illegal drug trade operated by an inmate in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP). In a department order dated March 4, Mr. Guevarra directed NBI Director Dante A. Gierran and BuCor Director General Nicanor E. Faeldon to submit reports to his office on the progress of the probe on the drug operations led by prisoner Rustico R. Ygot. “Further Director Gierran and Director General Nicanor E. Faeldon of the BuCor are directed to submit reports on the progress of the subject investigation and case build-up to the Office of the Secretary,” Mr. Guevarra said in the order. He added that appropriate charges should be filed against those involved in the crime “if evidence warrants.” Mr. Ygot is linked to the P190.4-million worth of shabu seized in twin operations in Cebu. Reports said he gave instructions to his girlfriend through video call. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Russian fugitive caught while attempting to extend visa

THE BUREAU of Immigration (BI) arrested a Russian fugitive who is wanted for large-scale fraud in his country last March 5 at the BI’s main office in Intramuros, Manila. In a press statement, the BI said Likharev Anton, 37, was caught by immigration officers when he attempted to extend his temporary visitor’s visa. He arrived in the country in 2016 and has not left since. The BI Board of Commissioners issued in Dec. 2018 a deportation order against Mr. Likharev based on information that he is wanted by Russian courts “for large-scale crimes involving acquisition of other people’s property by means of deceit.” “We will not allow fraudsters like him to hide in the Philippines, as they pose a risk to public interest,” BI Commissioner Jaime H. Morente said in the statement. The Russian national was turned over to the BI Fugitive Search Unit pending his deportation. Mr. Likharev already made headlines in the country in 2017 after he was arrested for violation of the Fisheries Code of the Philippines and a municipal ordinance for killing a green sea turtle with a spear in Dauin, Negros Oriental. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Iloilo City gets P14.3M of sports equipment from PSC

THE PHILIPPINE Sports Commission (PSC) donated P14.3-million worth of facilities and equipment to the Iloilo City government following its successful hosting of the Batang Pinoy 2019 Visayas Qualifying Leg last Feb. 24-March 2. “PSC is donating to us a total of P14, 269,780 worth of sports equipment for the sports development of the city,” Iloilo City Sports Director Moises Salomon Jr. announced. The equipment and supplies were for archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, chess, futsal, karatedo, pencak silat, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, lawn tennis, and volleyball, among others. During the regional sports event, Iloilo City emerged as the overall champion for the first time with 57 gold, 49 silver, and 44 bronze medals. Mayor Jose S. Espinosa attributed the success of the athletes to their constant training. “The Cebu delegation was well-prepared. Their delegation was very big. With our constant training, silently that we have continued, we are 15 golds medal higher than Cebu City,” he said. The Batang Pinoy is a grassroots development program that aims to discover new talents among the young athletes in the different localities. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

No confirmation yet of Chinese vessel harassment in Pag-asa, but military ordered to investigate

THE DEPARTMENT of National Defense (DND) said Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana has already tasked the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to validate the report of alleged harassment by Chinese vessels in the sandbars near Pag-asa Island in the contested West Philippine Sea. “Based on the initial communication from the AFP Western Command (WESCOM), there has been no substantiated report from our units on the ground confirming Mayor (Roberto M.) del Mundo’s statement. The AFP, through the Naval Forces West under WESCOM, will nonetheless continuously validate and report any information relevant to Mayor del Mundo’s claims,” said DND in a statement on March 6. Mr. Del Mundo, mayor of Kalayaan town located within Pag-asa island, recently reported that the presence of Chinese vessels around the island has been affecting the fishing activities of local fishermen. DND noted that the area cited by Mr. del Mundo is also a fishing ground for China and Vietnam. “It has to be noted that the area referred to by Mayor del Mundo is a traditional fishing ground for the Philippines and other countries, including China and Vietnam,” it said. “According to WESCOM, they have been encouraging fishermen from Pag-asa to continue their activities since it has been observed that they have not been fishing in the vicinity of the sandbar, even before the Chinese fishing vessels were sighted in the area,” it added. DND also said that a sheltered port is now being constructed on Pag-asa Island to help local fishermen. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

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