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An interventionist Senate in Philippine foreign policy

Foreign policy is often an eclipsed subject in electoral campaigns. By its nature, it is reserved to the remit of the agents of the Foreign Affairs department, particularly the Chief Executive, who acts as its main architect. Despite this, there has been an increasing demand for transparency on foreign policies, particularly by members of the Senate, a body that is not directly involved in negotiations.
Defined in terms of external relations of states and their articulation of national interest vis-a-vis other states, foreign policy is mainly concerned about diplomacy, security, conflict management, trade and representation — issues that do not directly translate to the day to day preferences of the electorate. However, there is no doubt to the recent intensification of the demand for an interventionist Senate in foreign policy making in the Philippine government. This is particularly evident with the culmination of the West Philippine Sea case with an arbitral award to the Philippines and President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to shelve the UN decision in favor of a policy of appeasement on China.
This demand is echoed by this year’s senatoriables. In his campaign pitch, Ex SolGen Florin Hilbay has pushed for an active exercise of the oversight function of the Senate in order “to understand the operations of the government,” specifically President Duterte’s dealings with China. Senators Bam Aquino and Koko Pimentel have made a similar push for transparency, while Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano, a proponent of a clear ‘maritime security framework,’ has argued that “Philippine foreign policy has been severely compromised due to combined economic, diplomatic, and military coercion of China towards the Philippines.”
So as not to belabor the explicit Philippine constitutional provisions on the joint role of the Senate and the Executive in foreign policy, reflected in the Senate’s oversight power of inquiry in aid of legislation and its role in treaty ratification (treated by Jemy Gatdula in a BW Online column on October 26, 2016), let me turn to the other bases for transparent and accountable foreign policy making.
The first basis is found in the blurring of the division between domestic and external policies driven by transnational forces of citizen mobility, globalized media, and increasing societal interdependence. Transnationalism is not a recent phenomenon, but it has intensified to the extent that the governance of domestic policies, more particularly matters on health, natural resources and environment, human rights, migration, security, and the like, have become more sensitive to outside regional developments. Policies with transnational dimension also produce consequences beyond the nation-state. The West Philippine and South China Sea issues are such cases in which the sovereignty and maritime claims of Southeast Asian claimants overlap with the local people’s struggle for livelihoods security.
The influence of transnational advocacy networks (TANs) on economic, cultural and political integration of states also reinforce this blurring in policymaking, often paving the way for the internationalization of specific norms. An example includes TANs’ push for the illegalization of certain domestic norms and state practice that inflict harm on young women and girls, such as the norm on female genital mutilation or cultural norms that lead to unsustainable resource extraction such as whaling or those that promote the inhumane treatment of domesticated animals such as dogs in the dog meat trade, which continue to form part of the domestic practices of specific states.
A second basis is related to the first and is found in the internal/external security threat-nexus, formed out of the policy interdependence of defense, diplomacy and development. Transnationalism and globalization blur the boundaries of these policy areas, as do the actors (border control agents, military and civilian law enforcers) that define and implement these policies. Current events have demonstrated how politics can transform a low political issue to a security concern that requires emergency action. For instance, the anti-immigration sentiment among select EU member-states was, by and large, a product of the policy coupling of migration with terrorism and transnational crimes. This is a move that has relocated migration from a discourse on low politics (job security and welfare) to a high politics discourse on homeland and regional security.
Our case, in which the Philippine National Security Strategy integrates the sources and challenges of internal security (Abu Sayyaf, maritime piracy, smuggling and drug trafficking) and external security (China and North Korea), captures the imperatives of transnationalism. When translated on the ground, anti-piracy and border control measures of municipal law enforcement are reinforced by maritime delineation agreements, joint coast guard exercises, and mini-lateral/ coordinated maritime patrols that involve third states. Such is the case between the Philippine, Indonesian and Malaysian navies that implemented coordinated patrols against piracy and smuggling in their shared Sulu-Sulawesi waters.
Emerging trends on transnationalism that weave domestic with foreign policies have made inevitable the intervention of the people’s representatives in Congress, not only in the implementation of, but in the framing of foreign policy. On June 12, 2018, Senator Risa Hontiveros stated, “President Duterte and his foreign affairs officials have the responsibility to inform the people about their foreign affairs strategy to respond to China’s aggressive actions in the region.” In the light of this, she called for a foreign policy audit to “’determine if the Duterte administration’s foreign policy framework is in compliance with our international obligations, particularly the arbitral tribunal ruling on the West Philippine Sea.’”
As the real impact of foreign policy materializes through concrete issues that affect human lives at the societal level, it becomes high time for the actors of the Executive and legislative bodies to align their efforts in crafting and implementing a foreign policy that relates to the uncertainties of this fast-changing world.
 
Alma Maria O. Salvador is an assistant professor of political science in Ateneo de Manila.
asalvador@ateneo.edu

Your health matters: SuperWoman deserves SuperHealth

health
By Ma. Susana P. Padilla Campos
MARCH IS Women’s Month. This is a month set out to acknowledge the multiplicity of roles women have assumed in today’s society, to recognize them for the flair with which they deliver effectively and efficiently on these roles, and to ponder on the needs of women that will ensure that they can continue to function with pizzazz.
Globally, there has been a meteoric rise in the number of women all over the world who occupy key leadership positions in all facets of society. These same women remain responsible for birthing and minding the children. A woman’s nature is to create a supportive and nurturing environment for her family…after a full workday’s schedule. They provide answers to everyone’s needs in the family and oftentimes neglect their own needs, be they emotional, mental or physical needs.
It is high time more focus is given to Women’s Health realizing the pivotal role they play in family and in society. The three major areas I would want to address are: Cancer, Cardiovascular Health, and Mental Health.
CANCER
According to the 2015 Philippine Cancer Facts and Estimates of the Philippine Cancer Society, 13 out of 100 males and 14 out of 100 females in the Philippines would have had some form of cancer if they would have lived up to age 75. At least one-third of all cancers are preventable, and at least one-third of all cancers can be cured if detected early. In 2015, the top leading new cancer cases among women (Globocan 2012) which comprise 79% of all cases are: breast (33%), cervix uteri (12%), colon/rectum (7%), lung (6%), ovary (4%), liver (4%), thyroid (4%), uterus (4%), leukemia (3%), oral cavity (2%).
Breast cancer ranks 1st among women and the incidence starts rising by age 30. The incidence has been steadily rising with an annual percentage increase of 1.2%. Prolonged and sustained exposure of breast tissue to estrogen increases the risk of breast cancer. Something as natural and most beneficial to a newborn as breastfeeding interrupts continuous production of estrogen, and therefore lowers the risk for breast cancer. Major factors that increase risk for breast cancer are personal history of ovarian, peritoneal or breast cancer, family history of breast, ovarian or peritoneal cancer, and radiotherapy to the chest between age 10 and 30.
Breast cancer is relatively easier to detect; a breast mass is in fact often palpated by the woman herself. In developing countries, monthly self-breast examination and examination by health care provider during clinic visits are the mainstays of early detection. Mammography is the best studied breast imaging technique that has been shown to decrease mortality. Although most experts recommend that routine screening mammography by age 50, the American Cancer Society recommends that this start at age 45, continue annually until age 55, then decrease to every 2 years thereafter. Remember: early breast cancer is curable!
Cancer of the cervix is the 2nd leading site of cancer in women. Two out of 100 women will develop cervical cancer before age 75. Cervical cancer is preventable. Human papilloma virus (HPV) has been identified as a causative agent. The virus is transmitted through sexual intercourse. The more numerous the sexual partners, and the status of the male partner increases the risk of being exposed to the virus. Safe protected sex decreases the number of HIV/AIDS cases, sexually transmitted illnesses and cervical cancer. HPV vaccines are available for peri-adolescent vaccination. A Papanicolau smear (Pap smear) should be done every 5 years after an initial negative test starting at age 30. In less affluent areas direct visualization with acetic acid wash is a reasonable alternative. Surgery and radiotherapy are curative for early cervical cancer.
The incidence of colorectal cancer rises by age 50 and equally among males and females. Risk factors include: family history, polyps in colon or rectum, diet (high fat, low fiber), inactivity and alcohol consumption. Changes in bowel habits (diarrhea and constipation), abdominal discomfort, change in stool caliber, blood in the stool, weight loss, anemia are among the common warning signs. Again, early identification of colo-rectal cancer is curable by surgery and chemotherapy. Those at high risk are encouraged to have colonoscopy done by age 40 years.
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD)
CVD, although lower in incidence than in men, is the leading cause of death in women. CVD includes coronary heart disease (heart attack), cerebrovascular disease (stroke), atherosclerosis and peripheral artery disease. The risk factors for CVD include: personal or family history of CVD, age 55, hypertension, high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, overweight and obesity, smoking, post-menopausal state, psychological stress and sedentary lifestyle. Smoking even just 1-2 cigarettes per day has been associated with half of all coronary events in women. The risk of a heart attack is 3 times higher in women smokers, than non-smokers. A BMI > 32 kg/m2 was associated with a 4-fold increase of death from CVD compared to women with a BMI below 19 kg/m2. A target BMI of 25 kg/m2 and a waistline less than 35 inches is suggested by the American Heart Association. Alcohol intake above 2 drinks per day increases the incidence of hypertension. Women aged 20 and above should have periodic cardiovascular risk assessment every 3 years to be able to identify CVD risk factors and be guided on the management of these risk factors.
MENTAL HEALTH
With all the stresses women are subjected to in the workplace, striving to compete and prove their worth in our (still) male-biased society, over and above their expected responsibilities as wife, mother, homemaker, daughter to aging parents and in-laws, it is no surprise that women are twice more likely to develop mental health conditions: Depression, Anxiety Disorder, Eating Disorder, Manic-Depressive Illness, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post-traumatic Stress Syndrome, Alcohol and Substance Abuse. Onset of mental illness has been associated with the timing of hormonal changes. We observe perinatal depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, perimenopausal depression, but hormones do not explain everything. Societal stress, lack of emotional support, loss of spirituality and its replacement by commercialism and materialism, social media, are all contributors. The symptoms to watch out for are: persistent sadness and hopelessness, change in sleeping or eating patterns, weight loss or weight gain, decreased energy level or fatigue, excessive fear or worry, body aches with no identifiable cause, irritability, social withdrawal, suicidal thoughts, visual or auditory hallucinations, alcohol or substance abuse. When you notice any of these, give that woman your special attention and seek professional help. Although mental illness is still taboo in our country, there are prominent personalities that have come forward to speak on the importance of recognition and acceptance of mental health illness as a condition that is as common as CVD and cancer, and therefore needs medical attention. Most mental health professionals are careful about maintaining confidentiality between patient and physician, while our society is still evolving in their acceptance of mental illness. Lives will be saved, and quality of life will improve with this awareness of mental conditions.
Think about what life would be like without a mother, a sister, a daughter, a wife, a grandmother, a BFF — it would be dreary and empty. No one smiles at you, hugs you, holds your hand like a woman does. Encourage the women you love to attend to their health and to pursue preventive measures that will keep them healthy, happy and positively influential in this world we live in. Preventive measures as espoused by WHO and the DoH are focused on: 1) avoidance of cigarette smoking and exposure to second hand smoke 2) a healthy diet and avoidance of overweight ad obesity, 3) increased physical activity, 4) avoidance of excessive alcohol consumption, 5) immunization against cancer-associated viruses: Hepatitis B, Human Papilloma Virus, 6) stress management, 7) regular consultations with health care providers . Let’s JUST DO IT!
Cheers to Women!
 
Ma. Susana P. Padilla Campos is a Pediatric Endocrinologist, graduate of the UP College of Medicine who completed her residency and fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Buffalo. She was the Editor in chief of the Philippine Journal of Pediatrics from 2008-2017. She has assumed several positions in hospital management and is currently the Medical Director of ManilaMed (Medical Center Manila). She is married to Dr. Enrique E. Campos, an Interventional Cardiologist, mother to 4 sons, and sibling to 5 sisters, and 1 brother.

The Nationals set to take flight for maiden season

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
THE NATIONALS — the Philippines’ first and only franchise-based Esports League — is set to take full flight later this month with hopes of taking organized gaming competitions in the country to a whole new plane.
Broke ground and got its legs last year with Road to The Nationals, the Esports platform is now setting its sights on making a “bigger cultural impact” and showing that Esports is worth investing time and effort in.
The league commences for its debut season on March 24 with five teams and another one joining by June.
The five inaugural teams are Bren Epro, Cignal Ultra Warriors, HF Emperors, PLDT-Smart Omega, and Suha-XCTN Punishers. STI is the sixth team but is set to make its debut in the middle of this year.
Games to be featured on the first year of The Nationals are Dota 2 on PC, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang on Mobile, and Tekken 7 on PS4.
The first season will take place from March to October with all the games to be played at the Gariath Concepts Studio in Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City.
All of the contested games will have two conferences in the first season. Each conference will feature a double round-robin group stage and single-elimination playoffs, with winners and the top performers per conference advancing to a season finale later on in the year.
The Nationals President Kevin Chung said Esports stakeholders should expect an exciting inaugural season from the league and that it is a concept whose time has come.
“I think the market is ready now for The Nationals,” said Mr. Chung, whose group began conceptualizing the league as early as 2015.
The Nationals official went on to say that they are happy with the way things have progressed for the setting-up of the league and that they are bent on making it a successful first year.
“Well this is the first in Southeast Asia. We burned a lot of eyebrows in conceptualizing this. The thing about it is there was no one to copy it from. The closest thing we have is the NBA. But we don’t have same access [to data] as the NBA and we had to carve out everything as no one has done it before. It was really hard but we went with it and we wanted do it right as a lot of people not only here but also in Southeast Asia are looking at it — how we would do it and succeed in it,” said Mr. Chung on the sidelines of the media launch of The Nationals on March 8.
“Last year it was breaking ground and this year it is about being recognized by the market. For corporates to know this as something relevant, something worthy to invest in, something that is part of the culture. The Nationals will try to ramp up partnerships and get everyone involved,” he added.
For Bren Epro team owner Jab Escutin, the establishment of The Nationals is very much welcomed since he believes it is a step in the right direction for the development of Esports in the country.
“Coming from a company that is for Esports, we are happy that there are a lot of opportunities for the industry to grow in the Philippines, especially in making it legitimate. The Nationals is a good step for us. It’s a step in the right direction. Here we have certain rules and certain processes that we follow. Having those is big for Esports in the country. It’s a step in being recognized,” said Mr. Escutin in a separate interview.
With all systems go for the league, Mr. Chung said they could not wait for The Nationals to start rolling.
“This is going to be groundbreaking. I will compare it [the league] to the UAAP (University Athletic Association of the Philippines) with corporate backing. We see The Nationals unifying the market and people talking about it much like, say, an Ateneo-La Salle game, or that of a UST game. It’s going to have a bigger cultural impact,” Mr. Chung said even as he highlighted that The Nationals added further significance with Esports set to debut in the Southeast Asian Games here in the country later this year.
The Nationals’ official TV broadcast partners are ESPN5 through 5Plus on Free TV and Cignal TV through eGG Network and One Sports on Pay TV. Livestreaming on social media will likewise be provided by the league.
For more information on the league follow it on its Website at TheNationals.PH. It is also Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Ceres eyeing second AFC Cup win in away match in Vietnam

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
HAD a winning debut in the 2019 AFC Cup, top local football club Ceres-Negros FC is now focusing on getting its second win in group play in an away match today against Becamex Binh Duong of Vietnam.
Currently leading Group G, Ceres tries to stay on top of the heap as it battles Becamex at its home turf at 7 p.m.
The “Busmen” are coming off a tough 3-2 victory over Shan United of Myanmar in Bacolod City on Feb. 26 where it hung tough all the way to the end, helped by a brace from OJ Porteria, to secure the win.
Midfielder Porteria got the scoring going for Ceres against Shan United, slamming a seven-yarder in the 19th minute for the 1-0 lead.
Forward Bienvenido Maranon then made it 2-0 for Ceres in the 37th minute off a spot kick.
But Shan United would not go down without a fight, narrowing its deficit, 2-1, five minutes into the second half care of midfielder Zin Min Tun.
The visitors tried to claw their way back some more after only to find Mr. Porteria stomping on their thrust with his second goal in the 87th minute, converting on a pass from teammate Stephan Schrock to make it 3-1.
A minute later substitute Dway Ko Ko Chit infused life back into Shan United’s thrust with a goal.
No comeback though came for the Myanmar team as Ceres put its foot down for the remainder of regulation and the four-minute added time and held on for the victory.
While they were victorious in their AFC Cup opener, Ceres recognized that it was still far from the form where it wants to be in and is looking to make up for it in today’s game.
“We analyzed the game and saw the mistakes we made. The coach showed us what to do better. Day in and day out, we’re working on it and we try to avoid doing the same mistakes moving forward,” team captain Martin Steuble was quoted as saying by the official Ceres Web site as in the lead-up.
Waiting for Ceres at its home of Go Dau Stadium is Becamex, which is coming into the game off a 0-0 draw with Persija Jakarta of Indonesia last time around.
The Ceres-Becamex match will be shown live over free TV via 5 Plus and the 5 Plus Website. It will be also shown on premium cable channel FOX Sports 2.

Chicano secures bronze medal in Powerman Asia Duathlon Championships

GO FOR GOLD triathlete John Leerams Chicano also has the knack for duathlon following an impressive output in the Powerman Asia Duathlon Championships held recently in Putrajaya, Malaysia.
Chicano reached the podium of the world’s largest duathlon race after returning on the same punishing course where he won silver medal in men’s triathlon during the 2017 Southeast Asian Games.
“Overall, it was a good race for me. This is a great buildup for the SEA Games late this year,” said Chicano, who finished third overall in the men’s elite category with a clocking of two hours, 43 minutes and 25 seconds.
Frenchman Antony Costes ruled the 10-kilometer run, 60km cycling and 10km run event in 2:41.23 and Thomas Bruins of the Netherlands checked in second overall at 2:42.04.
“To stand on the medal podium in an international race with some of the toughest and seasoned duathletes is something that our country should really be proud of,” said Go For Gold godfather Jeremy Go.
Apart from triathlon, Go For Gold is also a staunch supporter of national athletes from cycling, sepak takraw, skateboarding, wrestling and skateboarding aside from its basketball teams in the PBA D-League and Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.
Go for Gold has likewise partnered with the National Basketball Training Center on the latter’s Coaches Convention, where the best coaches in the country are expected to show up during the two-day clinic on March 22-24 at the SM Mall of Asia.
Chicano’s preparation for the SEA Games in Subic has been impressive so far after kicking it off with a victory in the prestigious Tri-Factor International Triathlon in Quzhou, China three months ago.
With the win in Powerman Asia, Chicano has secured the top ranking in the Asian Triathlon Confederation (ASTC) class and again positioned himself as the toughest challenger to reigning SEAG gold medalist Nikko Huelgas.
Huelgas, whose local and overseas campaigns are also backed by Go For Gold, is seeking a third straight title in the SEA Games.

Games from Aeroflot

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

Final Top Standings

1-2. Grandmaster (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

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
The 17th edition of the Aeroflot Open was held from Feb. 20-27, 2019 at the Cosmos Hotel, Moscow. As recounted to you last Friday the Estonian GM Kaido Kulaots was the shock winner of the event and will be seeded to play in the SuperGM tournament in Dortmund July 13-21.
The previous Aeroflot winner Vladislav Kovalev, a 25-year-old GM from Belarus, went to Dortmund and tied for second with Jan Krzysztof Duda and Anish Giri with a score of 4/7, one point behind Ian Nepomniachtchi. This was a very good showing considering that the Belarussian was the lowest rated player in the field. Kulaots at 2542 will definitely be the lowest rated player (by far!) in the coming Dortmund event. We wish him well.
Here is one name you probably have never heard of — GM Boris Grachev. He is no longer a youngster, born March 27, 1986, which makes him 32 years of age now. His dad taught him chess when he was four. He became World Champion under 10 in 1995 and became Russian Champion under 10, under 16, under 18, and under 20. He is considered one of the very best in the world at bullet chess (one minute play to finish).
During these youth days he outstripped his contemporaries, for example he defeated Grischuk in a match in 2006 (five wins, three losses and three draws). The Russian Junior Championship he won in 2006 was against a very strong field which included Nepomniachtchi, Tomashevsky, Vitiugov, Lysyj and Boris Savchenko.
GM Grachev broke through the 2700 rating plateau in 2012 but since then has been rather inconsistent in his results and wallowed in the 2600-2700 range. Every tournament though he can be counted on to come up with a few beauties. I will show you one of his games.

Grachev, Boris (2626) — Gukesh, Dommaraju (2508) [D05]
Aeroflot Open A 2019 Moscow RUS (1.24), 20.02.2019

IM (International Master) Sagar Shah wrote this about the Indian youngster playing Black: In October 2017, Gukesh was a talented youngster with a rating of 2322 and no norms. In 16 months, he scored three IM norms, three GM norms, pumped up his rating to 2500 and became the second youngest GM in the history of the game.
On Jan. 15, 2019, Gukesh achieved his final GM norm at the Delhi GM 2019 and with it qualified for the GM title at the age of 12 years, seven months and 17 days (4617 days from his birth date, May 29th, 2006). The youngest GM in Indian chess history and the second youngest GM in the world, he missed Karjakin’s record of the youngest GM in the world by just 19 days!
Very impressive, but here in the first round of Aeroflot he gets a cold shower.
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bd3 Nbd7 6.0–0 Bd6 7.Nbd2
Sometimes the white knight goes to c3 and sometimes to d2. If you are playing a game with fast time control and don’t have much time for thought then it would be handy to remember this rule of thumb: If Nc3 then you have to exchange pawns first on c4 before pushing e6–e5. If Nbd2 then usually you can go straight ahead and push e6–e5.
7…0–0 8.e4 e5 9.cxd5 cxd5 10.Re1
The usual continuation is 10.exd5 exd4 and then either Ne4 or Nc4:
10…Re8
Black managed to equalize after 10…Qc7 11.exd5 exd4 12.Nc4 Nb6 13.Nxd6 Qxd6 14.Nxd4 Nbxd5 15.b3 Bg4 16.Qd2 Rfd8 17.Bb2 Nb4 18.Bc2 Rac8 1–0 (18) Lysyj, I (2655)-Petrosyan, T (2425) Yerevan 2014.
It appears to me that the safest line for Black is 10…h6 11.exd5 exd4 12.Ne4 Nxe4 13.Rxe4 Nf6 14.Rxd4 Bc5 15.Rc4 Qxd5 and Black might even be better here.
11.exd5 exd4 12.Ne4 Nxe4 13.Rxe4 Nc5
Giving up on the pawn. Gukesh would like to play 13…Nf6 so that if 14.Rxd4 Bc5 15.Rc4 Qxd5 regains the pawn right away, but after 13…Nf6 14.Bg5 is rather an uncomfortable pin 14…Rxe4 15.Bxe4 h6 16.Bxf6 Qxf6 17.Qxd4 wins the pawn just the same.
14.Rxd4 Nxd3 15.Qxd3 Bc5 16.Re4 b6 17.Rxe8+ Qxe8 18.Be3 Bxe3 19.fxe3 Bb7 20.Ng5!
The automatic continuation would have been 20.e4 to bolster his passed pawn, but then Black can put up some sort of blockade with 20…Rd8 21.Nd4 Qe5. Grachev sees an attack.
20…g6?
The only chance is 20…Qe5! 21.Qxh7+ Kf8 22.Qh5 Qxe3+ 23.Kh1 Bxd5 although even then White would have the advantage after 24.Rf1.
21.Qd4 Qe7 22.Ne4 f5 23.Nf6+ Kf7 24.Rc1 Rd8
Opposing with his rook on the c-file will not help. After 24…Rc8 25.Rxc8 Bxc8 26.Nxh7 and h2–h4 White penetrates on the dark squares.
25.e4 fxe4
[25…Qxf6?? 26.Rc7+]
26.Rf1 Ba6 27.Rf4 g5 <D>
POSITION AFTER 27…G5
28.Nh5+! Kg6
[28…gxf4 29.Qg7+ Ke8 30.Nf6+]
29.Rf6+ Kxh5 30.g4+ 1–0
[30.g4+ Kxg4 31.Qd1+ Kh3 32.Rh6#]
GM Krishnan Sasikiran of India started the tournament with 5/5 and looked liked a cinch to win the title but then could only finish with 3 draws in the final 4 rounds. It was still good enough for a creditable 3rd place.
In the early 2000s he was considered the heir apparent of World Champion Vishy Anand, not in the least because he like Vishy is a native of Madras, India. Champion of India in 1999, 2002, 2003 and 2013, Asian Junior Champion in Vung Tau 1999 (second-placer was Darwin Laylo from the Philippines), he was also the Asian Individual Champion in 2003. In 2007, after leading India to the team gold in the first ever chess competition at the Asian Games, he became the second chess player from India to exceed 2700 in rating.
I met him during the 1999 Asian Team Chess Championship held in Shenyang, China. The teams were quartered in a mountain resort and play was in the Shenyang Convention Center, which is at least 30 kilometers away. There were several buses ferrying the players from the resort to the convention center, but one morning the bus carrying the Philippine team and some other players, including Sasikiran, broke down halfway to the play area.
Sasikiran was very worried and said that the team was counting on him and he cannot let them down, so he got off the bus and started jogging towards the center. NM Ed Ortiz chased him to say that the repair was a minor one and should take only a few minutes, but he came back with a distressed look and told me, “I can’t catch him!”
Around 10 minutes later the driver got the bus to start and sped quickly to the playing venue. When we caught up with Sasikiran he was almost there already at the site. Wow!
I told you that story to illustrate to you his dedication to the sport. Anyway, somewhere between then and now Sasikiran got married and I don’t think he is as determined as before to become world chess champion, but he is still one strong dude. The following game is an overpowering performance over a very strong opponent.

Sasikiran, Krishnan (2678) — Korobov, Anton (2687) [B92]
Aeroflot Open A 2019 Moscow RUS (5.1), 23.02.2019

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.0–0 0–0 9.Re1
White has two major lines of play here. There is:
9.Be3 Be6 10.Qd2 Nbd7 11.a4 Rc8 12.a5 Qc7 13.Rfd1, or 9.Kh1 Nc6 10.f4 b5 11.Bf3 an approach which GM Suat Atalik calls “toothless.”
The game continuation’s idea is to get his b3 knight to e3 via d2–f1–e3.
9…Be6 10.Be3
White usually prefaces this move with 10.Bf3 to prevent Black’s pawn from advancing to d5, which causes the exchange of several pieces and leads to dull equality.
10…Nbd7
Korobov himself is playing for a win and avoids …d6–d5.
11.a4 Rc8 12.Bf3 Re8 13.a5 Qc7 14.Nd2 Nf8 15.Nf1 Ng6 16.g3 Qd7 17.Re2
Sasikiran will be putting this rook on d2, the e3–bishop on b6, and knight on e3.
17…h6 18.Rd2 Rxc3!?
Korobov was getting frustrated at his lack of counterplay and gives up the exchange to destroy White’s queenside pawns.
19.bxc3 Qc6 20.Rb1 Qxc3
Both players had to calculate that the e4–pawn cannot be taken: 20…Nxe4 21.Rb6 Qc4 22.Rb4 Nxc3 23.Rxc4 Nxd1 24.Rc7 White remains ahead.
21.Rxb7 Qxa5 22.Ba7 Qa4 23.Ne3 a5
[23…Nxe4? 24.c4! Qxd1+ 25.Rxd1 Nf6 26.Bc6 Rc8 27.Rb8 Rxb8 28.Bxb8 Black is stuck with a dreary endgame]
24.c4 Qc6 25.Qb1 Bc8 26.Rb6 Qa8 27.Bb8 Nd7 28.Rbb2 Nxb8 29.Rxb8 Qa7 30.Bg4! 1–0
White wins at least a piece after 30.Bg4 Qc7 31.Nd5 Qc5 32.Qb5.
From Moscow Sasikiran flew directly to Astana where he is representing India in the World Team Championships together with GMs Baskaran Adhiban, Surya Shekhar Ganguly, SP Sethuraman and Chithambaram Aravindh.
That tournament is what we will be covering next.
 
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

Embiid is back

“I’m back,” Sixers All-Star Joel Embiid declared before the Wells Fargo Center crowd, and none too soon. His presence on the court was certainly required; the red, white, and blue played uninspiring .500 ball in the eight matches he was sidelined due to a sore left knee, their middling slate underscoring his importance to the cause. For all their supposed talent, their system revolves around him, and precisely because he’s their biggest weapon in their aim to claim favorable playoff seeding. And, true enough, he promptly dropped an imposing 33 and 12 yesterday against the Pacers, the very opponents hitherto ahead of them in conference standings.
Indeed, the Sixers needed the win, and they needed Embiid to secure it. The score may have looked lopsided at the final buzzer, but it was actually close until midway through the fourth quarter. And, needless to say, he proved to be the catalyst that enabled them to pull away, with the beyond-capacity 20,636-strong crowd rocking and appreciating his efforts. “He’s a difference maker in all ways, shapes, and forms,” head coach Brett Brown enthused, and with reason. “I can feel that there’s an excitement having Joel back.”
Significantly, there is cause to contend that Embiid isn’t all the way back. Because of his size and constitution, he has invariably been subject to in-game fatigue. And it was understandably more apparent yesterday; his rhythm was off at the start, and he had to be subbed out after just four minutes and change of play. His second stint was then marred by a succession of whistles; he was called for three fouls in a span of three minutes and 15 seconds, causing him to miss a large chunk of the first half. He was on the court in the clutch, though, and the Sixers not coincidentally found their inside-out sets working as a result.
Moving forward, the Sixers are expected to monitor Embiid’s exposure in order to preserve him for the set-tos that truly matter. After all, they’re not just out to crowd the Bucks and Raptors at the top of the East in the final fourth of the regular season. More importantly, they’re keen on booking a Finals seat, and they know he will have to be at his best in order for them to meet their objective. How they end the season will then determine what they do with starters and would-be free agents Tobias Harris and Jimmy Butler. He’s their most crucial constant; everything else is a matter of fit.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

CA denies Rappler’s motion on SEC ruling

By Vann Marlo M. Villegas, Reporter
THE COURT of Appeals (CA) has denied for lack of merit the motion for partial reconsideration by Rappler, Inc. and Rappler Holdings Corp. (RHC) on their case with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over the alleged violation of foreign equity restriction by Rappler and its holding company.
In a 25-page resolution promulgated Feb. 21, the court’s former special 12th division said it found no compelling reason to reverse its previous ruling appealed by Rappler and RHC.
“The arguments raised by petitioners are essentially the same as those that have already been discussed and were exhaustively passed upon in this Court’s Decision dated 26 July 2018,” it said.
The CA held that Rappler, as a “mass media” entity, should be wholly-owned and managed by Filipinos, in accordance with the Constitution.
It should thus comply with the foreign equity restriction wherein the “right to receive dividends and right to vote must be retained by Filipino shareholders who own 100% of shares with voting rights, in compliance with the Full Beneficial Ownership Test,” the appellate court said.
“Therefore, applying the Full Beneficial Ownership Test, RHC cannot claim that it fully owns the Rappler shares since it does not exclusively exercise the right to vote on the Rappler shares. By virtue of clause 12.2.2, Omidyar Network is granted the power to direct the voting on the Rappler shares,” the CA ruled.
“Considering that clause 12.2.2 in the Omidyar PDRs (Philippine Depository Receipts) already granted Omidyar Network with control over corporate policies and affairs of a mass media entity, which must be wholly-owned and managed by Filipinos, the actual exercise by Omidyar Network of said control is irrelevant since a violation of the nationality requirement under the Constitution and pertinent laws was already committed,” the CA added.
The case stemmed from the SEC en banc decision in January 2018 which revoked Rappler’s certificate of incorporation for “existing for no other purpose than to effect a deceptive scheme to circumvent the Constitution” and declared void Omidyar’s PDRs for being a “fraudulent transaction.”
The CA said there is no violation of right to due process on the part of Rappler as the petitioners were sufficiently notified of the charge against them and were given the opportunity to defend themselves.
The court also reiterated that it remanded the case to the SEC and directed the commission to conduct an evaluation of the legal effect of Omidyar Network’s donation of its PDRs to the staff of Rappler.
“In view of the donation made by Omidyar of all the Omidyar PDR to the Rappler staff, the negative foreign control found objectionable by the SEC appears to have been permanently removed. This Court notes that the terms and conditions of the donation made by Omidyar was not discussed by petitioners in their Reply. Also, petitioners did not attach a copy of the document containing the alleged donation in their Reply,” the CA quoted its decision.
“Thus, it is incumbent upon the SEC to evaluate the terms and conditions of said alleged supervening donation and its legal effect, particularly, whether the same has the effect of mitigating, if not curing, the violation it found petitioners to have committed. If so, this may warrant a re-examination of the sanction of revocation of petitioners’ Certificates of Incorporation imposed by the SEC En Banc in the assailed Decision,” it added.
The court also said that it will refrain from discussing the donation “so as not to pre-empt the evaluation, and subsequent finding and conclusion to be reached by the SEC.”
For its part, Rappler said in a statement, “We let the decision speak for itself. We expect the SEC to now review its order and we continue to trust that the rule of law will be followed under a democratic government.”
For his part, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said in a press briefing, “We will not interfere. We will let the law take its course.”
The decision was penned by Associate Justice Rafael Antonio M. Santos and concurred in by Associate Justices Apolinario D. Bruselas, Jr. and Germano Francisco D. Legaspi.

Slain businessman’s brother tagged as mastermind in murder

By Vince Angelo C. Ferreras
THE PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) on Monday named a younger brother of businessman Dominic L. Sytin as the alleged mastermind of his murder.
PNP chief Director General Oscar D. Albayalde identified the alleged mastermind as Dennis L. Sytin following the testimony of Edgardo Luib, the alleged hitman who was arrested in Batangas on March 5.
“This high-profile murder of Dominic Lim Sytin was apparently motivated by rivalry among corporate siblings and carried out thru a gun-for-hire contract with a hitman,” said Mr. Albayalde in a press briefing at Camp Crame on Monday, March 11.
Mr. Sytin was shot dead outside the Lighthouse Hotel at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone on Nov. 28 last year. His bodyguard Efren Espartero was wounded in the incident.
Mr. Sytin is CEO of United Auctioneers, Inc. (UAI), chairman of Foton Philippines, and director and chairman of the board of listed company LMG Chemicals Corp.
Mr. Luib was arrested after a police witness affirmed his identity.
“Lumalabas na merong directives si Mr. Dennis sa kanya [Luib] (It turns out that Mr. Dennis had directives for [Luib]). Well, this is part of his extra judicial confession,” Mr. Albayalde said, presenting the alleged gunman to the media on Monday.
For his part, Police Regional Office 3 (Central Luzon) Regional Director Police Brig. General Joel Napoleon Coronel said the Sytin brothers were in conflict over business.
“Based on the investigation, it was shown before the killing of Dominic Sytin there has been an apparent dispute or disagreement between the brothers — Dominic, the victim, and the principal suspect. Apparently, they were quarreling over shares or control of shares of the United Auctioneers, Inc.,” Mr. Coronel said at the press briefing.
According to the information gathered by PNP, UAI has five shareholders with 20% shares each: Dominic, Dennis, two other brothers, and their mother.
Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Police Director Amador V. Corpus said Dennis Sytin was fired in 2015 by Dominic Sytin for diverting equipment to his own company.
“Tinanggal po si Dennis sa kumpanya…naglagay po siya ng sariling kumpanya at dina-divert niya ‘yung mga ibang equipment du’n. So nagkaroon po sila ng matinding away. Actually, off-limits siya sa United Auctioneers, Inc., ino-off-limit siya dun ni Dominic,” said Mr. Corpus. (Dennis was fired from the company….He established his own company and diverted some equipment to that company. So there was bad blood between the two. Actually, Dominic banned him from United Auctioneers, Inc.).
Another suspect in the murder is former UAI employee Ryan Rementilla who was also fired by the older Mr. Sytin last year.
“Sometime in August 2018, nadiskubre ni Dominic na marami rin siyang nadispalto, so tinanggal siya [Rementilla]….Ang ginawa naman ni Ryan, kinuha siya ni Dennis, nagtrabaho siya kay Dennis,” Mr. Corpus said. (Sometime in August 2018, Dominic learned that [Mr. Rementilla] embezzled a lot of money [from the company], so he was fired. Then he was hired by Dennis).
“Then September, naghanap sila ng gunman…ito pinapunta sa Olongapo, at nag-meeting sila kasama si Ryan at Dennis. Tatlo sila and one John Doe which we suspect to be a tipster.” (Then September, they were looking for a gunman…who was invited to Olongapo for a meeting. So, the three of them, plus one John Doe which we suspect to be a tipster.)
Mr. Corpus said Mr. Luib was promised P1,000,000 for the hit job but only got P50,000 in three installments so far.
Mr. Albayalde, for his part, said Mr. Luib “was the subject of an outstanding warrant of arrest for two counts of murder filed in Batangas. He has since eluded arrest when our operatives went to serve the warrants of arrest at his known address in Imus, Cavite, last February.”
Mr. Coronel, in turn, said “Si Dennis, as far as we know, is still here in the country and we were in touch with him the previous month and asking details, update about the investigation and we have recently informed other members of the family about the development of the case.”
PNP will file charges of murder and frustrated murder against the suspects before the Department of Justice.

Senate won’t push medical marijuana bill

By Camille A. Aguinaldo, Reporter
SENATE PRESIDENT Vicente C. Sotto III on Monday said the Senate will not pass any measure legalizing medical marijuana following President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s turnaround on this matter.
“It will not be passed in the Senate. If it gets passed…, the President will veto it. Again, waste of time,” he told reporters.
“Remember the Executive Department is the one executing the laws so even if we want to pass a law, if the Executive Department does not want it, they will just veto it or they will not execute the law. So waste of time, waste of money,” he added.
Mr. Duterte last Friday said he was against the legalization of marijuana in the country, warning that its use for medical purposes might be used as an excuse to cultivate it for other purposes.
“Marijuana. They are cultivated…I’ll give you the excuse to harvest for… They will say it’s medicinal. Everything is medicinal. That would be an excuse. I will not allow it. Not in my time, he said at a campaign rally in Negros Occidental on Mar. 8.
Mr. Duterte earlier expressed support for such a measure and even joked that he also smoked marijuana. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo also said the President would sign a bill legalizing medical marijuana.
The House of Representatives passed on third and final reading on Jan. 29 House Bill No. 6517 which seeks to legalize the use and research of medical marijuana in the country.
For his part, Senator Joseph Victor G. Ejercito, chair of the Senate committee on health, told reporters in a mobile phone message, “Though I am open to talks on medical marijuana, I understand the change of position of the President. Because of his frustration on the war against drugs perhaps he is not taking any chances on the possible substance abuse on use of cannabis in the guise of medical purposes.”
“We have to respect the President’s decision on medical marijuana. It’s the prevailing situation and circumstances probably that made him change his position. He has access to intelligence and other info(rmation), he should have a better grasp of the situation than us,” he added.
Mr. Sotto on Monday said groups that want to plant marijuana for other purposes were behind the push for its legalization. He added that the President may have received intelligence reports similar to his claims when he changed his mind.
“There are many intel(ligence reports) reaching the President that only he receives. So in some reports, I’m sure one of those reports that he received was what we have said, that those who want to push for the legalization of marijuana wanted to plant it and to legalize their planting,” the Senate leader said.
“People who need medical cannabis are already using it. These groups are using the (medical aspect) as a front,” he added.
Mr. Sotto said the use of marijuana for medical purposes is already allowed under the declaration of policy provisions in Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

Gasoline up by P0.90/L this week

OIL COMPANIES are raising the prices of gasoline products this week by P0.90 per liter (/L), while keeping unchanged those of diesel and kerosene. The price adjustment takes effect at 6:00 a.m. today, March 12, for most of the oil firms that sent their advisories of as Monday afternoon. The prices follow the direction of trading in the international market. This week’s increase is the fifth straight week of price hikes for gasoline products, which rose by P1.45/L during the last week of February. So far this year, gasoline prices were cut only once — in the first week of February. Last week, the prices of gasoline products were up by P0.10/L, while those of diesel and kerosene declined by P0.10 and P0.35, respectively. — Victor V. Saulon

Suspected Abu Sayyaf member nabbed in Taguig

THE NATIONAL Bureau of Investigation (NBI), along with the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force, arrested on March 6 an alleged member of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) wanted for multiple counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention in 2001. In a press statement, NBI Director Dante A. Gierran identified the suspect as Salahim H. Dawani, also known as Abu Moadz, who was nabbed in Barangay Maharlika, Taguig city by virtue of the arrest warrant issued against him in connection with the kidnapping of workers of Golden Harvest Plantation in Basilan in 2001. The NBI also said that Mr. Dawani was among those who decapitated two workers of Golden Harvest and served as close-in guard of the rest of the abducted workers, including the victim-witnesses. NBI Deputy Spokesperson Auralyn L. Pascual, in a press conference, added that Mr. Dawani torched the chapel in the plantation and the residence of the plantation manager. The bureau also said in the statement that Mr. Dawani allegedly helped in guarding kidnapped victims from Dos Palmas in Palawan, which included two American nationals. Last February, the NBI arrested another two ASG members linked to the Golden Harvest Plantation incident. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

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