Streaking Stags hold off Generals, nail solo lead

MANILA, Philippines - San Sebastian went to Calvin Abueva and Ronald Pascual in the absence of Ian Sangalang as it edged Emilio Aguinaldo, 94-93, for the solo lead in a game delayed by two hours due to a broken ring in yesterday’s 88th NCAA men’s basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City. Abueva, the reigning MVP, exploded with a season-high 29 points spiked with 18 rebounds and seven assists while Pascual scattered 21 points, including five triples, as they propelled the Stags to their sixth straight win in seven outings for the solo lead. But the Stags had to weather the Generals’ rally after the latter came charging back from 14 points down in the fourth to close to within two points. But the Generals rushed their bid from the three-point range instead of going for high-percentage shots, missing a couple of triples, paving the way for the Stags’ escape act. The superb efforts by Abueva and Pascual, who are both PBA-bound, made up for the absence of the 6-6 Sangalang, who is out with a strained left knee and is slated for a MRI today due to suspected MCL (medial collateral ligament) injury he sustained during practice last week. “We can do away with Calvin and Ronald but Ian’s spot is really hard to fill,” said San Sebastian coach Topex Robinson, referring to Sangalang, who he said will be out for two weeks. The Generals, who were led by Cameroonian Noube Happi with 26 points and 14 caroms, fell to their seventh straight defeat against a triumph. The San Sebastian-EAC seniors game was delayed for almost two hours as arena personnel rushed to fix the ring fronting the Generals’ bench that was broken as a result of monster dunks by Abueva during pre-game warm-ups. Earlier, San Sebastian Staglets smothered EAC, 95-52, to grab the upperhand in the high school division with an unblemished 7-0 (win-loss) slate. St. Benilde edged Jose Rizal, 72-65, to nail its fourth win against three defeats. In another juniors encounter, Rey Nambatac came three rebounds shy of recording the league’s first ever quadruple-double feat as he powered Letran to a 100-53 thrashing of Arellano U. The 18-year-old Nambatac, a vital cog in Energen Pilipinas’ title sweep of the SEABA Under-18 Championship in Singapore last month, had 30 points, 11 steals and 10 assists for the season’s first-triple double performance in the high school division. Nambatac finished with seven rebounds. - By Joey Villar

Phl remains in sweet spot for investments - UBS

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines remains in a sweet spot with a lot of room for investment and economic activities, the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) said in its latest report. “The lack of excess suggests the Philippine economy is still in a sweet spot. Easy monetary policy settings and rich asset valuations can encourage excesses in domestic credit and investment activity, but these have yet to show up in a meaningful way,” UBS said in a report released last week following the 25-basis points reduction in key policy rates by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). On Thursday, the BSP reduced the overnight borrowing rate to a low of 3.75 percent and the lending rate to 5.75 percent on concerns over global growth risks. In its report, UBS raised the question as to whether it was necessary for monetary authorities to raise rates. It said that easing monetary policy may spur credit but this has yet to be seen. UBS also said the Philippine economy is not immune to the global external risks such as the crisis in the euro zone. “At the same time, the Philippine economy is not immune to global headwinds. In the context of international risks to the Philippine economy and low inflation, a reasonable case for policy easing can and has been made by the BSP,” UBS said. It said that earlier BSP monetary policy should be good for asset prices. UBS said it expects the policy rate to be at 3.75 percent for the overnight borrowing rate and the peso at 42 to the dollar by yearend. The inflation rate dipped to 2.8 percent in June from 2.9 percent in May, according to latest data from the National Statistics Office. The June inflation brought year-to-date inflation at three percent, falling at the lower end of the central bank’s three to five percent target for 2012. - By Iris C. Gonzales

Thumbs up, thumbs down for Aquino’s TV Patrol tirades

Thumbs up to President Aquino in setting aside tact and taking to task Noli de Castro's dubious role as journalist. Thumbs down for once again whining about media not reporting his idea of good news, as if media is an extension of Malacanang. This is a portion of Aquino's speech that directly hit De Castro even if his name was not mentioned: Noong Oktubre ng nakaraang taon, may isang reporter kayo ang nagbabalita sa NAIA 3. Ang sabi niya, sa puntong iyon, tumaas ng dalawampung porsiyento ang passenger arrivals sa paliparan. Magandang balita, at higit sa lahat, fact po iyan. Sa kabila nito, nakuha pa pong humirit ng isang anchor n'yo at ang sabi po niya, and I quote, "Nasa NAIA 3 ka kasi; kung nasa NAIA 1 ka, doon malala." Sa loob-loob ko po, anong kinalaman ng ibinabalita sa NAIA 3 sa NAIA 1? May nagsabi po bang ayos na ayos na ang NAIA 1? Kung mayroon man ho, hindi kami. Nakaligtaan niya atang mahigit 30 anyos na ang istrukturang ito. Napapaisip nga po ako: 'yung nagkomento nito, hindi ba't anim na taon ding tumangan sa renda ng gobyerno? Sabihin na po nating minana lang din nila ang problema; 'di hamak mas luma naman ang ipinamana nilang problema sa amin. Anim na taon ang ipinagkaloob sa kanya para tumulong sa pagsasaayos ng mismong inirereklamo niya. Pero ngayon, tayo na nga ang may bitbit na problema, tayo na nga ang tutugon dito, pero, masakit nga ho, may gana pa tayong hiritan ng nagpamana? Naalala ko rin po nang na-recover ng NBI ang isang banyagang bata na nakidnap. Ang ganda na po sana: Nakakuha ng tip ang awtoridad, kumilos sila, at na-recover ang bata. Masaya ang mga magulang na kapiling na muli nila ang kanilang anak; masaya ang bata na kayakap niya ang kaniyang ama't ina; masaya ang awtoridad na maayos at matagumpay ang operasyon nila. Mukhang ang hindi lang masaya, ito nga pong anchor natin na nagawa pa uling humirit na baka raw na-set-up lang raw ang rescue operation, at binayaran lang talaga ang ransom. Kahit anong pilit ng reporter na malinaw ang operasyon; nag-surveillance ang mga taga-NBI, at talagang natiyempuhan nilang walang nakabantay sa bata, pilit pa rin po nang pilit ang anchor. Sabi nga ho ng nanonood kong kasama, "Naman." Kami pa po mismo ang magagalak kung makakapaghain kayo ng kapirasong ebidensya ukol dito, at kung mayroon nagkamali, usigin natin ang mga nagkamali. Noli de CastroMay naitutulong po ba ang mga walang-basehang spekulasyon, lalo na kung lumalabas ka sa telebisyon at sinusubaybayan ng sambayanan? Kung nagbabangkaan lang tayo sa kanto, hindi problema ang mga walang-basehang patutsada. Pero kung alam mong opinion-maker ka, alam mo rin dapat na mayroon kang responsibilidad. Sana po, sa tuwing sasabihin nating, and I quote, "magandang gabi, bayan," ay totoong hinahangad nating maging maganda ang gabi ng bayan. ABS-CBN lowered the bar of broadcast journalism when they returned former Vice President Noli de Castro to their early evening news, TV Patrol. The main reason could have been the ratings war. As Gloria Arroyo's vice president, he was silent on the many anomalies that riddled the Arroyo administration. He even came to the aid of Arroyo when she was shaken by the Hello Garci expose. What did he say or do when all the anomalies - fertilizer scam, NBN-ZTE deal, North Rail, etc. etc. were coming out in media? Nothing. It's hypocritical of De Castro to be commenting on other irregularities when he was silent of the many scams when he was near the center of power. In fact it's so awkward everytime TV Patrol carried a report on Delfin Lee of Globe Asiatique. As Arroyo's housing czar, De Castro could not have been ignorant of that huge anomaly. Why did he do to stop that. If he really didn't know anything about it, then he was guilty of incompetence and neglect of duty. But Aquino's attempt to be meddle with media's editorial judgment is a big turnoff. He said, "Kung gabi-gabing bad news ang hapunan ni Juan dela Cruz, talaga namang mangangayayat ang puso't isip niya sa kawalan ng pag-asa," he said. "Ilang turista kaya kada buwan ang nagka-cancel ng bakasyon dahil sa araw-araw na negatibismo? Ilan kayang kababayan ang nawawalan ng pagkakataong magkaroon ng kabuhayan dahil sa bad news na ito?" Reporters do not classify news as "good" or "bad." Their responsibility is to make sure that their reports are accurate. As long as the report adhere to the basic rules of journalism —truthful,fair, written without any hidden agenda or conflict of interest, didn't put innocent people in harm's way, the reporter is accountable for it — it is good. What is not good is a inaccuracy. Any report that is not truthful is not good. Tourists don't cancel plans because of news reports. People don't lose their job because of news reports. Tourists don't come because of many things —poor infrastructure, inefficiency, incompetence, etc. etc. And it points to one thing: leadership. ..

Philippines to get 12 new patrol boats from Japan

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - Unlike the decades-old and stripped-down ships the Philippines gets from the United States, the 12 patrol boats the Philippine Coast Guard will most likely get from Japan in 2014 "will all be brand-new", according to a top official of the Japanese Embassy in Manila. Minister Shinsuke Shimizu, head of the Japanese Embassy's chancery, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in an interview on Thursday that Japan and the Philippines had begun the paper work for the acquisition of the patrol boats by the Philippine Coast Guard. Tokyo, Shimizu said, "has yet to decide which of the vessels will be built and transferred to the Philippine government on official development assistance or grants." Shimizu sought to assure the Philippines that Japan would continue to help the Coast Guard deal with its maritime safety and law enforcement problems. The Japanese government has been helping the Philippine government modernise its Coast Guard since 1990. Fifteen years ago, Japan gave the Philippine Coast Guard a search-and-rescue vessel that the agency named BRP Corregidor. The Corregidor was one of two Philippine vessels that faced off with Chinese maritime ships at Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) from April 8 to June 15. Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario earlier told this paper that Japan was likely to provide the Coast Guard with 12 patrol boats. "They're considering 10 40-metre boats on official development aid and two larger ones as grants," Del Rosario said. Shimizu said the assistance was not meant to help the Philippines establish a "minimum credible defence posture" to complement its diplomatic capacity in dealing with its territorial disputes with China in the West Philippine Sea. "It is of different nature from establishing the minimum credible defence capabilities of the Philippines nor is it aimed at addressing a specific regional situation," Shimizu said. "It is cooperation for the purpose of dealing with various maritime safety and law enforcement issues, such as piracy and search and rescue," he said. The 12 patrol boats will be fitted with modern equipment when they are transferred to the Coast Guard, Shimizu said.

Three dead as storm lashes Philippines

..At least three people were killed and millions were left without power Monday as Tropical Storm Saola turned into a typhoon, bringing heavy rains to large parts of the Philippines, the government said. Manila was one of the worst hit areas and schools across the sprawling capital were suspended, largely due to flooding, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said. Nearly 13,000 people were evacuated in Manila, other parts of the main island of Luzon and the central Visayas region, as rainfall reached 20 millimetres (0.8 inches) an hour, according to the council. "The worst appears to be over, though... there will be more rains forecast today," council chief Benito Ramos told AFP. One person drowned in the central province of Antique, while the body of a man believed to be a fisherman lost at sea washed ashore in a coastal town south of Manila, he said. The coast guard meanwhile said one of 57 passengers aboard a ferry that sunk Sunday in rough seas in the central Philippines died of an apparent asthma attack while being rescued. All the other people aboard were safe, it said. Saola did not strike the Philippines directly but exacerbated rains from a low pressure area in the vicinity, weather forecasters said. The storm was upgraded into a typhoon by the government weather station on Monday as it continued to bring heavy rains and strong winds to the northernmost areas of the Philippines, the government weather station said. By late afternoon Monday, Saola was in the Philippine Sea, 260 kilometres (161 miles) off the northernmost Batanes islands and heading slowly towards Taiwan, the weather station said. The northern regions are still vulnerable to flashfloods and landslides even as the typhoon pulls away, it warned. Work in all government agencies was suspended in Manila in the afternoon to allow workers to return home early amid forecasts of more rain, presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte said. The storm knocked out power for as many as two million households in Manila starting late Saturday, said Joe Zaldarriaga, spokesman for the Manila Electric Co. which distributes power to the capital of 15 million. Even though repair crews had restored electrical service to most of those affected, there were still 38,000 homes without power as of Monday afternoon, he said in a radio interview. "We apologise for the inconvenience but be assured that we are doing are best to immediately restore power," Manila Electric said in statement to customers. At least 15 domestic flights were also called off, while emergency officials were also monitoring La Mesa dam north of Manila after its water neared overspill level. La Mesa provides water to Manila's residents, and any overflow could flood a major river that snakes across the northern portion of the capital before draining into Manila Bay. "There are thousands of residents living along this waterway and we have told them to prepare for possible evacuations," Ramos told AFP. ..

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Philippine gunmakers take aim from the backyard to the production line

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines (Reuters) - In the Philippines, they vote with their trigger fingers. Elections mean big business for illegal gunsmiths, who are looking forward to 2013 mid-term polls. With election-related violence commonplace, the Philippines imposes a ban on the carrying of guns for six months, from campaigning to the proclamation of winners. With legal access denied, Filipinos simply turn to the many illegal gunsmiths who ply their trade in back alleys and on the edge of rice fields despite government crackdowns. In Danao City, in the northeast of central Cebu island, they are already anticipating a windfall. "There's actually huge demand for guns, especially now and because of the elections next year," said a 33-year-old gunsmith, who asked to be named only as Remo, as he hammered away at bits of scrap metal in a makeshift factory in Danao. Loud music drowned out the noise of Remo's workshop on the edge of a dry creek, hidden from view by thick bamboo groves, as he and two assistants hammered, filed and drilled away. "We are actually having some difficulty in keeping up with the orders because it usually takes at least two weeks to make one .45 calibre pistol, even if I work 16 hours a day," he said. TV link http://link.reuters.com/vys69s "THE WORLD OF OUR FATHERS" As the pro- and anti-gun lobbies in the United States agonise over how to respond to yet another massacre of innocents, in the Philippines many want even more liberal gun laws to boost production of a small but growing legal industry. Guns have long been part of everyday life in the Philippines, especially since the end of World War Two. After the war, farmers took up arms during agrarian unrest in the late 1940s and early 1950s and then a Maoist insurgency that has become one of the world's longest-running conflicts. Today, all private security guards in the Philippines carry either handguns or shotguns, or both. Guns are a common sight in shopping malls, government and private offices, banks, restaurants and even schools. "When we were children, we were already surrounded by guns. It was the world of our fathers," said Elmer Genzon, a third-generation gunsmith who once made "paltik", or illegal weapons, out of scrap metal and bits of angle iron. "We grew up making guns." According to www.gunpolicy.org, a site hosted by the University of Sydney's School of Public Health in Australia, there are about 3.9 million guns -- legal and illegal -- held by civilians in the Philippines, or about 4.7 per 100 people. That puts the Philippines 105th place on a list of 179 countries, tiny in comparison to the 88.8 per 100 in the United States and behind even Australia with 15 per 100. While it is impossible to count the number of illegal guns in the Philippines, the national police estimate there are about 350,000, again paltry in comparative terms to Central and South American weapons hotspots like Guatemala, Honduras and Colombia. Yet the Philippines suffers worryingly high gun-crime rates. According to the latest available figures from the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, there were 8.9 homicides per 100,000 people in 2003, by far the worst in Asia and outstripping Europe. (www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/homicide.html) While not at the levels of Central and South America, the number was still almost triple that of the United States, which had 3.3 homicides per 100,000 people the same year. Illegal guns are not just carried by criminal gangs, Maoist rebels and Muslim separatists. They also belong to civilians and politicians who keep private armies. Investigations into the Ampatuan family, a political clan linked to the 2009 massacre of 57 people, including dozens of journalists, found more than 1,000 high-powered weapons, including mortars and .50 calibre machineguns. HEALTH PLAN In the 2004 elections, authorities decided to crack down on illegal gunsmiths in Cebu. There had been more desultory attempts to act against an industry dating back to the early 1900s. Police closed the Genzon family's home factory on the edge of a rice field during the 2004 crackdown. Like other gunsmiths from his hometown, he was soon working at the government-registered Shooters' Arms Manufacturing factory about 25 km (15 miles) down the road in Mandaue City. "We no longer have to worry about police raids and we also have a steady source of income, plus some health and other social benefits," Genzon, 33, told Reuters while he wrapped a handcrafted model of a 1911 Colt .45 destined for a dealer in Rochester, New York. A small army of 400 workers assembles revolvers and pistols at the Mandaue factory, which exports guns to the United States, Australia, Italy and Thailand. Factory owner Romulo de Leon III, a second-generation gun dealer, quickly recognised the unusual skills developed by the illegal, backyard gunsmiths when he decided to switch from selling imported weapons to making his own. His partly automated factory now produces about 20,000 guns a year, with up to 85 percent of them sold abroad, making him the second largest gun manufacturer in the Philippines. With cheap labour and Filipino ingenuity, de Leon wants to expand into new markets in Eastern Europe and South America. With more foreign markets in their gunsights, legal manufacturers hope President Benigno Aquino, a gun enthusiast who shoots competitively, will help liberalise gun laws. "What we want is a more balanced gun legislation, not too restrictive, but we also understand that guns must be regulated," said Demetrio Tuason, head of the largest and oldest manufacturer in the Philippines, Armscor, at a Manila gun show. Existing laws allow Filipinos to own one "long" firearm -- a rifle or shotgun -- and one handgun. Guns are meant to be licensed and owners must have permits to carry them in public. Tuason wants gun licences more like driving licences, allowing people to "own as many guns as they can afford". Not surprisingly, gun sellers also want to expand the industry, worth about 2.5 billion pesos. Export receipts grew fourfold to $23.4 million between 2000-11. But, just like in the United States, there seems little appetite to change existing laws. "That's not a priority right now," Aquino told Reuters in an interview earlier this month. There are 34 gun-related bills before both houses of parliament, some seeking looser laws and others more control. Supporters of two prominent bills seeking to outlaw civilians carrying guns in public and stiffer penalties for possession of illegal weapons have all but given up hope. Much like the United States, guns are so deeply ingrained in Philippines culture that they don't expect the July 20 shooting in a Colorado cinema, in which 12 people were killed and 58 wounded, will have much of an impact. "For the last 22 years we've been telling our lawmakers ... to pass a strict gun control law but nothing has happened," said Nandy Pacheco of the Gunless Society group. "Our gun laws are encouraging a culture of guns, a culture of violence. When do we act? Are we waiting for a similar attack to happen here in our movie houses?" (Editing by Paul Tait)

Philippines' dams reach near spilling levels, open gates

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - Heavy rains brought by Tropical Depression "Ferdie" have caused dams in the Philippines to reach near spilling levels, the state weather bureau said Saturday. Binga Dam in Benguet opened one gate at 0.5meter after its water level reached 574.12 metres, with a critical level of 575.00 metres, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said. La Mesa Dam in Quezon City, with a critical level of 80.15 metres, has reached 79.18 metres, while Ipo Dam in Bulacan has reached 99.78 metres, with a spilling level of 100.80. Meanwhile, Caliraya Dam in Quezon has reached 287.61 metres, with a spilling level of 288.00. Tropical depression "Ferdie" has slightly accelerated as it continues to traverse Balintang Channel, a small waterway that separates Babuyan Islands and Batanes province. As of 7:00 a.m., it was seen 90 kilometres north northwest of Laoag City, with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometres per hour near the center.

Flammable water tastes sweet, Iloilo residents claim

Schoolkids and residents in Iloilo City have been drinking well water which, they claim, is unusually sweet —and flammable. In Sta. Barbara Central Elementary School in Iloilo City, students —as well as their teachers and parents— were surprised to find that their artesian wells (poso) contain flammable water. Sta. Barbara residents get their drinking water from these wells. Sta. Barbara is a second-class municipality in Iloilo, Western Visayas. In an interview with GMA News, Department of Health (DOH) Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag strongly urged people not to drink the water, pending further tests. “Huwag n’yo muna inumin iyan. Tutal may magagawa naman tayong mga test. This thing fascinates people…” Tayag said. Tayag added that similar cases of flammable water have also been reported in the United States. Methane —a naturally-occurring combustible gas— was the culprit in these cases: it seeped into the porous rocks under the wells, where it mixed with the water. The artesian wells in Sta. Barbara were built in the 1970’s to supply potable water to the town. According to the residents, no cases of chemical contamination or water-borne diseases have ever been reported from the wells. In a July 27 report on State of the Nation with Jessica Soho, the water was shown to have a different color, odor, and taste from regular water. Students at Sta. Barbara drink the water for its sweetness, based on the report. A study found that water from seven of the eleven wells in Sta. Barbara, including the one in the school, were not safe for drinking. One of the teachers, Cynthia Jualayba, said that they had to stop taking water from their well to avoid the dangers it could pose. In 2008, residents also found flammable water from a deep well in Albay province. Some residents of the area used the deep well water for cooking but it was later destroyed by typhoons. — TJD

DA Bats For Vegetable Sufficiency

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala is setting his sights on achieving sufficiency in vegetable supply. Alcala told 1,000 participants attending the 10th National Vegetable Congress in Butuan City on Tuesday that after ensuring self-sufficiency in rice by the yearend of 2013 that he is determined to "achieve self-sufficiency in vegetables." He batted for the annual conduct of the vegetable congress, promising an annual outlay of R500,000 to support the activity. He noted that since the country is only 65 percent sufficient in vegetables, it has to promote vegetable production to eliminate foreign vegetables in the market by 2016. To achieve this, Alcala said the Department of Agriculture (DA) has been fortifying the campaign of the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) to raise output and promote vegetable gardening in the uplands and the lowlands as well. Annually, the DA chief disclosed, every Filipino consumes 40 kilos of vegetables, which translates to a yearly demand of 3.8 million metric tons (MMT) of vegetables for roughly 95 million Filipinos. Yet, Alcala stressed, the national per capita consumption of vegetable is far removed from the recommended dietary requirement of 146 kilos per year set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Thus, what is required is to raise the per capita consumption of vegetables and boost production to be at par with the WHO standard. Alcala urged the congress participants to forge marketing agreements with institutional buyers and consumers and plan their respective production and harvest schedules for each commodity. This should be done to obtain reasonable profit and avoid oversupply and sudden drop in prices. In this regard, he revealed that the DA has met with major vegetable traders from Divisoria wholesale market in Metro Manila to determine their vegetable supply and demand requirements. Alcala said this is necessary for farmers' cooperatives and individual farmers to plan their planting schedules, production targets and harvest periods. The dialogue resulted in the DA's learning that there has been an oversupply of tomatoes even as the traders warned of a possible flood of imported onions as the Christmas season approaches. Alcala reported to the congress participants that the consultation will be conducted regularly as the DA, through the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS) and HVCDP, seeks to match and directly link farmers' groups with wholesale market traders and institutional buyers. The idea, he explained, is to provide producers and sellers comfortable profits while assuring consumers of regular supply of reasonably-priced, safe and quality vegetables. To boost vegetable output, Alcala said DA is identifying areas less susceptible to flooding and drought that can serve as expansion areas for growers. Alcala said these areas are needed to supply vegetables during the off-season in traditional farming areas like Benguet, Nueva Ecija and Bulacan. This year, HVCDP has allotted R643 million, or about one-half of the program's total R1.3-billion budget, to undertake initiatives to sustain the vegetable industry. A similar budget is proposed next year. During the congress spearheaded by the Philippine Vegetable Industry Development Board (PVIDB) and Caraga High Value Vegetable Cluster, Inc., Alcala responded favorably to 10 resolutions presented by PVIDB Chairman Marcelino Remotigue. He said the DA, through the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), will strictly implement phyto-sanitary quarantine procedures on imported vegetables aside from crafting a vegetable credit program, in consultation with the PVIDB. This will be patterned after the pilot "Sikat-Saka" for rice implemented in four provinces by the DA in partnership with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP). A comprehensive vegetable production and marketing training program in partnership with the PVIDB, University of the Philippines in Los Baños (UPLB), and DA Regional Field Units (RFUs), Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), HVCDP and AMAS will also be initiated. On the resolution to establish techno demo farms that will produce organic vegetables in strategic areas, Alcala urged PVIDB and farmers' groups to go into commercial-scale production, with DA providing technical and marketing support. He asked PVIDB to discuss with AMAS its proposal to establish vegetable trading centers but said a major vegetable trading center will soon rise in Benguet. Other farm trading centers will be established Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The DA will also conduct a regular production and marketing survey of major and high value crops at the regional level in partnership with the PVIDB, DA-RFUs and the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS).

Death toll in Basilan clashes rises to 19

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Hostilities in Basilan have already left 19 casualties, including 10 soldiers and nine Abu Sayyaf militants, as government troops continued to pursue the al-Qaeda-linked bandits in the jungles of Sumisip town, the military said. Lt. Col. Randolf Cabangbang, spokesman of the Armed Forces’ Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said 16 other soldiers and eight militants were wounded in the series of encounters. Cabangbang, however, said the pursuit operation has been hampered by bad weather due to the low pressure area over northern and western Mindanao. He added though that the pursuit operation “will continue to flush them out.” The hostilities erupted in Barangay Cabengbeng at around 7:30 a.m. Thursday, and continued in Barangay Mebak, also in Sumisip town, nearly eight hours later. In the first encounter, Cabangbang said the government troops clashed with at least 50 followers of Wyms Wakil, alias Bacoy, which left eight soldiers dead and six others wounded. Among the slain militants, the military said, were sub-leader Hassan Asnawi and his son Jumaidi, Nurham Asnawi, Juhair Aliman, Kaobut Mastul, Hudjata Marain, Meloy Patpi, and a certain Balong. Cabangbang said Wakil himself was wounded, along with Jarad Marain and Jaz Umangkat, among others. Wakil’s group was responsible for the spate of attacks on rubber plantation workers and soldiers since January, already killing 16 people and wounding 34 others. Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Jessie Dellosa and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin yesterday went to Basilan to assess the situation. AFP spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. said Dellosa and Gazmin visited the wounded soldiers at the Camp Navarro Hospital here and were given security briefings by officials on the ground. Despite the death of 10 soldiers, the military does not view the Basilan incident as a setback. “Incurring casualties is part and parcel of the discharge of our duties and responsibilities to protect the people. (We will do it) even at the cost of our precious lives,” Burgos said. The Army has released more than P7 million in assistance for the families of the slain soldiers. Meanwhile, some members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were monitored trying to reinforce the armed group involved in the Basilan clashes, said a security official who asked not to be named. The official said followers of fugitive MILF commander Dan Asnawi were sighted coming from the towns of Al-Barka and Ungkaya Pukan. – With Alexis Romero - By Roel Pareño

Debt payments hit P150 B in H1

Manila, Philippines - The government spent P150.010 billion for interest payments in the first half of the year, 11.5 percent higher than last year’s P134.502 billion, latest data from the Department of Finance (DOF) showed. Budget Secretary Florencio Abad attributed the 11.5-percent increase to higher debt issued by the Bureau of the Treasury during the period as well as interest paid on retail treasury bonds (RTBs). “This is due largely to higher issuances of fixed rate Treasury bills and retail treasury bonds by the Bureau of the Treasury,” Abad said. Despite the increase, the amount spent for interest payments during the period still fell below the programmed allocation of P155.855 billion. Similarly, in June alone, interest payments increased to P19.021 billion, 13.9 percent higher than the P16.705 billion disbursed a year ago. Interest payments, which form part of expenditures, are paid on the country’s domestic and foreign debts. Minus the interest payments, the government’s total expenditures for January to June amounted to P645.393 billion, 14.4 percent higher than the P564.369 billion spent by the government a year ago. In June alone, the government’s disbursements – less interest payments – increased to P107.951 billion, 18.5 percent higher than the P91.125 billion spent a year ago. The Aquino administration is stepping up efforts to fix the country’s fiscal position through a combination of higher revenues, increased spending and debt liability management. Fiscal authorities said the government’s fiscal space remains wide, giving it more room to accelerate spending. In the first half of the year, the government’s budget gap stood at P34.482 billion, almost P75 billion below the programmed deficit ceiling for the period of P109.341 billion. Revenues in the first half of the year increased by 11.6 percent to P760.921 billion from P681.640 billion a year ago. This is P15.026 billion lower than the P775.947 billion during the period. Similarly, January to June expenditures increased by 13.8 percent to P795.403 billion from the P698.871 billion disbursed in the same period last year. However, this was still below the program for the period of P885.288 billion. In June alone, revenues increased to P115.276 billion, 15.1 percent higher than the P100.139 billion generated a year ago while expenditures reached P126.972 billion, 17.8 percent higher than the P107.830 billion disbursed in June last year. - By Iris C. Gonzales

BLAST FROM THE PAST Kalinga Trip Stopover at Strawberry Hotel

Kopi Talk No one can stop China in Spratlys but China or the power of world opinion

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - No one can stop China from claiming "indisputable sovereignty" over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea)-except China itself or the authoritative power of world opinion. Short of war, a war nobody wants or would wish, even the United States can only delay or impede the fulfillment of China's inordinate ambition to gain sovereign control of 3 million square kilometres of this great inland sea that is also Southeast Asia's maritime heartland. This is the strategic context of China's assertive ambiguity in the West Philippine Sea. Just now, Beijing can only bluster and intimidate, as it probes for weaknesses in its rival claimants. But once China can translate its economic power into military capability credible enough to challenge that of the United States-when the "time is right" in China's terms-then the geopolitical configuration in the Asia-Pacific region will change radically. And time and circumstances favour China. Analysts say China is likely to become the world's largest economy in a decade or so. If they are right, the Philippines has only 10 short years to prepare for what is likely to become an interesting Asia-Pacific future. Long-term security Given the constraints under which it's working, the administration of President Benigno Aquino has so far done all that could possibly be done, in the short term, to defend our nation's interests in the West Philippine Sea. But in this case it's not enough to deal with the immediate problem. Our nation's long-term security hangs in the balance. And to ensure our safety, we must look at the root of our nation's security, which lies in our people-in everyone of us and nobody else. If our country is to prevail in any challenge, if the Philippines is to become worthy of respect as a sovereign nation, we must first of all enable our people to become effective wealth creators. We must make our country rich enough to enable us to acquire the means to defend our nation's interests, to protect our people's dignity and honour. Nationhood infrastructure To carry out the government's strategies, policies, plans and programmes to grow and develop the nation, we must strive urgently to create the four conditions necessary for growth and development. Let us make no mistake, without these, the nation can hardly enforce its Constitution and its laws, and no development plan can succeed: 1. We must come to terms with ourselves. We must build among us the infrastructure of nationhood. We must be able to answer the basic question of who we are. We must live the core values our forebears fought and died for: Dignity, honour, freedom, justice, self-determination, hard work, discipline, tolerance, mutual caring and compassion. We must become a people at peace with themselves and with the world. There is nothing our people cannot accomplish, if our identity and the goals we seek are articulated in terms of the core values taught us by our heroes and martyrs. These core values define what is right or wrong for our people. They guide us, like our heroes and martyrs, to live only when it is right to live, and to die only when it is right to die. 2. No matter what it takes, we must end our internal wars. Our radical insurgency is kept alive by our grievous inequality and the elemental injustice of mass poverty. And both are caused by corruption and misgovernment. The same is true of our separatist conflict in Mindanao. There popular frustrations are worsened by rivalries over land and livelihood, and the situation is complicated by ethnic and religious enmities. 3. We must complete all the land and nonland reforms we still need to do. Not only will their completion make rebellion, separatism and mutiny irrelevant but will also accelerate our nation's growth. And, finally, it will unite our people. 4. We must transfer the power of the few over the state to the people as citizens. In the World Bank's view, we are a country where state policies and their implementation serve not the common good but those of special interests. The capture of the state and its regulatory agencies by vested interest groups has made our economy the least competitive among comparable economies in East Asia. In sum, we must put our house in order. We must level our popular playing field to grow and develop the nation-and so enable our people to surmount any challenge. No luxury of time As we create the four conditions necessary for growth and development, we must also carry out our development plans. Given the uncertainties building up in East Asia, we do not have the luxury of time. It is the Chinese people's historic sense that is driving their country's rise. They count their recovery from generations of humiliation at the hands of the great powers as lasting 150 years starting from the initial European effort to open up China around 1800. In 1949, Mao Zedong proclaimed China had stood up. But China began to recover economically only after Deng Xiaoping's reforms (1978). In three and a half decades, China has become the world's second largest economy. We, too, must tap into our people's sense of nationality-and do no less. By creating the four conditions necessary for growth and development that I cited above, and by simultaneously carrying out the government's development plans, we can change our country-we can modernise it without leaving anyone behind-during the next 10 years. By that time, we will also have nurtured the inclusive institutions that will sustain our people's capacities for wealth creation. No primrose paths Let us not delude ourselves. There are no short cuts-no primrose paths-to growth and development. We must never give up even if our country's rise takes 150 years or more. We have no choice. The alternative is too dire to contemplate. We must work together to prevent the situation developing that reduces our country into a tributary, a vassal, a province of a great power. Those who sacrificed and died for us and for generations yet to come will never forgive us if we fail to summon the courage and the will to take the radical steps toward the Filipino future: To deliberately put in place the four conditions necessary for growth and development without delay. The writer is a former Philippine National Security Adviser

Small miners assail Aquino’s SONA, mining policy

DAVAO CITY— Rogelio Simbajon has labored in the mining tunnels in the gold rush community of Gumayan, a town in Compostela Valley, for more than 30 years. On Monday, he and about 400 other small-scale miners left the tunnels to participate in protests timed with President Benigno S. Aquino III's third State of the Nation Address. Simbajon and fellow miners said the President's mining order or Executive Order 79, which limits small-scale miners to "minahang bayan" or small parcels of land, in effect favors large-scale mining corporations, including those foreign-owned. They cited as example the mining tenement in Panganason, Pantukan, where only 81 hectares were declared as "minahang bayan." But 1,656 hectares had been approved for the mining claim awarded to the National Development Corp. "Why is the government taking side with these foreigners and big corporations while turning a blind eye on its constituents who are poor and hungry?" Simbajon said. The small-scale miner also lamented that Aquino's SONA only mentioned revenue collection from mining and was silent on plans or programs to support and improve the local mining industry. Expressing the fear of small-scale miners, Simbajon said deputizing government troops to protect big mining companies would worsen tension in the area. "Sooner or later, these soldiers deployed in our area would be used to evict us from our lands," he said.

Andal son still draws gov't salary, lawyers say

MANILA, Philippines - One of former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr.’s sons – detained since December 2009 in connection with the Maguindanao massacre – continues to receive his salary as a provincial board member of Maguindanao. The issue of Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan’s salary was brought up by lawyer Nena Santos during a court hearing Wednesday, and confirmed by the younger Ampatuan’s lawyer, Paris Real. Santos represents Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, whose relatives were among those slain in the Nov. 23, 2009 murders of 57 people. Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo said in a text message to The STAR yesterday that he directed Mangudadatu to “file a case against those responsible for allowing” Ampatuan to stay in his position and receive a salary. Santos, citing six payroll lists from the Maguindanao provincial board, told Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221, “How come Sajid Islam receives a salary? May we know if Sajid Islam is still in jail?” Santos was about to disclose the amount of money given to Ampatuan monthly but Real interrupted her, saying the issue should be discussed in court through a written motion. Based on a copy of the payroll list from the Office of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Ampatuan received a monthly salary from January to June 2012. He was reported to have received P48,153.46 each month from January to March; P55,792 in April; and P52, 845 each in May and June. The boxes provided for “signature of payee” for Ampatuan’s name have also been signed. Ampatuan’s name is also included in the April 2012 notice of salary adjustment, which states that the income of provincial board members will be raised from P45,505 to P54,088. In a separate phone interview, Real confirmed that his client won in the 2010 elections, but refused to comment on his client’s salary, saying they have not yet discussed it. Real also stressed that Ampatuan is “a duly elected provincial board member” although he does not know who administered his client’s oath taking. He added that while “physical assumption of office is impossible,” his client cannot be disqualified. “He is not convicted yet. You cannot disqualify him just because he is detained. That is not a ground for disqualification,” he told The STAR. - By Aie Balagtas See and Cecille Suerte Felipe

Shift in Fortunes

MANILA, Philippines - Rain or Shine star rookie guard Paul Lee has been declared out for the rest of the series, re-installing the B-Meg Llamados as the solid picks and the Elasto Painters the sentimental choice as they head to Game Three in the PBA Governors Cup finals tonight. Without Lee to orchestrate their play and provide the spark, spunk and class, the E Painters will have to lean on somebody else to step up as they battle the Llamados for the 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Lee, the leading contender for the Rookie of the Year award, re-injured his shoulder in the last quarter of Game Two, which B-Meg won, 85-80, to square the series. Lee is scheduled to undergo surgery next week. Despite his absence, however, coach Yeng Guiao maintains they will win the series. B-Meg main man James Yap, meanwhile, said he would rather see what happens on the court while coach Tim Cone had wished Lee could come back. “I hate to see a guy go away like that,” said Cone, adding later his concern on the extra pressure they face against a Lee-less Rain or Shine side. “If he doesn’t play, it puts the pressure on us. It makes us an instant favorite,” Cone pointed out. “This series is for the fans and for the league. We don’t want to win because someone gets hurt or knocked down,” Cone also said. “He’s a big loss to his team. Our job will be lighter if he’s not there,” said Yap. The Rain or Shine organization, however, remains confident of its chances to nail a breakthrough championship. “The series is reduced to a best-of-five. I’m confident the other players will step up in the absence of Paul,” said co-team owner Raymond Yu, whose wards dominated the Llamados in the series’ opener, 91-80. The first time Lee suffered the injury on June 17, the Elasto Painters still prevailed over the Barako Bull Energy, 100-90, then clobbered the Petron Blaze Boosters, 103-80. On his return on July 1, Lee sizzled with 18 points, helping Rain or Shine nip Talk n Text, 92-90. On his ouster in Game Two with 2:22 left, the Elasto Painters still waged a battle and just came out short, held off by Yap’s killer fade-away jumper in the closing seconds. “I still feel good even as things didn’t fall our way,” said Guiao after their Game Two loss. Players like Gabe Norwood, Jeff Chan and Ronjay Buenafe, however, must exert extra effort to make up for the absence of Lee. The former UE stalwart had been Rain or Shine’s top player in the season, especially in this conference where he placed second to Ginebra’s Mark Caguioa in the fight for the Best Player of the Conference honors. No less than B-Meg import Marcus Blakely defended against Lee Wednesday.

Basilan clash leaves 7 soldiers, 4 Abus dead

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – At least seven soldiers and four Abu Sayyaf militants were killed while five other government troopers were wounded in fierce fighting in the mountains of Sumisip town in Basilan yesterday morning, the military said. Lt. Col. Randolf Cabangbang, spokesman of the Armed Forces’ Western Mindanao Command, said several militants were also wounded in the encounter in Upper Cabengbeng, Sumisip town. Col. Arthur Ang, commander of the Army’s 104th Infantry Brigade, said the fighting was still ongoing as of press time. According to Cabangbang, the government troops were pursuing an armed group that had harassed a military detachment last Wednesday when they encountered at least 50 heavily armed men led by Wyms Wakil alias Bacoy. He said the fierce fighting left seven men of the 4th Scout Ranger Company dead and five others wounded. At least four militants were confirmed killed, but authorities believe the Abu Sayyaf had more casualties. Cabangbang said the four slain bandits were identified through their aliases, while the names of the military casualties were not made available as their families have yet to be notified of the incident. Cabangbang said Wakil was a former manager of the Tumahubong Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Integrated Development Cooperative who was sacked because of his links with the Abu Sayyaf. He said Wakil has been blamed on the series of attacks on workers of the cooperative’s rubber plantation, which have left 16 dead and 34 wounded. The clash has prompted the military to coordinate with the ceasefire panel of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to avoid any mistaken encounter while soldiers pursue the militants, Cabangbang said. - By Roel Pareño

RLC to build Robinsons Galleria Cebu, its biggest outside Metro Manila

Manila, Philippines - Robinsons Land Corporation is breaking ground this July 26 on the site of what will be its 38th and biggest mall outside of Metro Manila in the North Reclamation area of Cebu City, where the Gokongwei business empire first took root and flourished. Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) is ramping up investments in Cebu, which is experiencing robust economic growth, a vibrant retail industry and a booming tourism sector”, said RLC president Frederick D. Go. Robinsons Galleria Cebu will be a mixed-use development which will include the first Cebu branch of gohotel.ph as well as office spaces for business process outsourcing firms. The seven story commercial building will rise on a 4.6 hectare lot along General Maxilom Avenue, Cebu City and will have a gross floor area of about 156,000 square meters (sqm). The hotel will have 153 rooms, the BPO offices will occupy three floors with over 9,000 sqm of leasable space, while the mall will have a gross leasable area of 56,000 sqm spread on four levels. Robinsons Galleria Cebu’s anchor tenants will include Robinsons Department Store, Robinsons Supermarket, True Value, Robinsons Appliances, Saizen, and Toys R’ Us. It will also have six cinemas, including two 3D theaters, with a total seating capacity of 1,800. The mall will have about 300 tenants offering a mix of international brands and popular local brands. Tenants will also include homegrown Cebuano retail shops, restaurants, amusement centers and new entertainment attractions. Robinsons Galleria Cebu is seen to attract shoppers and tourists from nearby government offices, consulates, churches, hotels, shipping terminals, schools including the University of San Carlos and University of Visayas, and popular tourist destinations such as Magellan’ Cross and three museums. The mall is slated for completion and opening in 2014. It will come after RLC opens five Robinsons Place malls in Butuan, Roxas City, Malolos, Malabon and Santiago, Isabela. Go said the masterplan for the Gen. Maxilom property also includes the construction of high-rise residential condominiums which will benefit from the proximity of the mall and BPO offices. Robinsons Land also owns and operates various properties in Cebu which cuts across RLC’s various business units. Robinsons Galleria-Cebu will be RLC’s third mall in Cebu after Robinsons Fuente, and Robinsons Cybergate Cebu, which is a mixed use mall and office development also in the Fuente Osmeña area. Robinsons Land currently operates the newly renovated and improved Summit Circle Hotel in Fuente Osmeña Circle. The Group will soon have three hotels in Cebu, including the Summit Shores Resort hotel which will be part of the upscale Amisa residential development on Mactan Island. The firm is also building the Azalea Residences, a residential development in Gorordo Avenue. Other RLC residential properties are Blue Coast and Aspen Heights which are under the Robinsons Communities and Robinsons Homes brands, respectively.

Chinese fishing fleet closes in on Philippines' Pag-asa Island

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - A fleet of 20 Chinese fishing vessels believed to be escorted by at least two naval frigates has been deployed around Pag-asa Island of the Philippines in a move likely to escalate tensions over disputed territories in the Spratly archipelago between the Philippines and China. Highly placed sources in the Philippine military reported that at least 20 Chinese fishing vessels had congregated about 9 kilometres (5 nautical miles) from Pag-asa beginning late Tuesday. The fishing vessels were accompanied by two naval frigates of China's People's Liberation Army, according to one source who asked not to be identified for lack of authority to speak on the matter. Colonel Neil Estrella, spokesperson of the Western Command, confirmed the Chinese presence near Pag-asa but declined to give details. He said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) would address the latest development in the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). "We will let the DFA address that. But yes, Chinese vessels are there around the island," Estrella told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone yesterday. A source at the Naval Forces West based here said that at least four Philippine Navy and Coast Guard vessels were patrolling the Philippine-claimed territories in the Spratlys. But like Estrella, the source declined to say how the Navy would respond to a Chinese intrusion into Philippine waters. Pag-asa Island, which measures 32.7 hectares, is located 480 kilometres off southwestern Palawan. The largest of five islands and islets in the Spratlys being claimed by the Philippines, Pag-asa has a 1.3-kilometre airstrip used by the Philippine military to transport troops and supply. Declared in the late 1970s as a municipality, Pag-asa has a census population of 150 and a kindergarten school for children of some 50 families residing there. The Chinese presence was also confirmed by Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon of Kalayaan municipality, which includes Pag-asa. A military source said the Armed Forces of the Philippines believed that the Chinese-occupied Mischief Reef was being used as the staging ground for the stepped-up presence of China inside Philippine territory. China occupied Mischief Reef in 1995, amid protests from the Philippines and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Beijing then said that it was constructing a shelter there for fishermen. Recent photos taken by Philippine naval surveillance planes showed Mischief Reef had been turned into a highly fortified garrison, with gun embankments on elevated towers. Bito-onon said that Filipino fishermen who had approached Mischief Reef recently by bartering sea turtles for Chinese goods reported that the Chinese had dredged portions of the reef ostensibly to allow larger ships into the lagoon within the reef system. "That entire area measures around 9 by 6 kilometres with a wide east to west clearance suitable for entry of large vessels," he said. Bito-onon, interviewed while in Puerto Princesa City, reported "frequent sightings since last week of the Chinese fishing party on the eastern side of the island." The mayor said it was unclear from the report he received yesterday from administrative personnel on the island whether the fishing fleet was part of the armed fishing party dispatched by Beijing last week to the Paracels, an area disputed by China and Vietnam. "We don't know if they are accompanied by warships but for us, it appears to be a coral-gathering expedition by Chinese commercial fishers," he said. Bito-onon explained that Chinese fishers were frequently observed collecting large amounts of corals in the unprotected areas of the Philippines. The corals, he said, were more valuable than fish "as they are sold in Hainan as some kind of raw material for the manufacture of a type of marine glue." Bito-onon said the Chinese were also developing Subi Reef near Pag-asa into another fortress. He said that the Chinese completed in May the construction on a half-submerged reef of a four-story building with dome-shaped radar on its deck. Recent aerial photos of Subi taken by the Western Command, copies of which were obtained by the Inquirer, showed a "landing ship" type vessel anchored in the inner portion of the reef. Bito-onon said the Pag-asa residents did not feel physically threatened by the reported Chinese presence. He said he expected the vessels to depart after fishing and harvesting corals. "Our staff have been observing their movements since last week. What we know is that the Chinese armed vessels were merely passing through on their way to Subi Reef. I don't think they are staying put there," he said. Bito-onon, however, expressed concern about the "coral mining" activities. "They are there not primarily to fish. We think they are mainly engaged in gathering corals which is a more lucrative business in Hainan," he said. He explained that the corals were used by the Chinese as base ingredient for some type of marine glue used in shipbuilding. In the last two weeks, he said several Chinese boats had been gathering corals around the area. Bito-onon also claimed that the Chinese vessels were congregating near Pag-asa "because on the opposite side are the Vietnamese in Southwest Cay and they have gun emplacements there." "They prefer to anchor near Pag-asa because they are not safe on the Vietnamese side of the passage where there are large cannons pointed toward the sea," he added.

Binay says he’ll support Garcia if there’s move to suspend her

VICE President Jejomar Binay vowed to return to Cebu to help Gov. Gwen Garcia fight moves to remove her from office. “Pagka-sususpindihin si Gov. Garcia, sinisiguro ko po sa inyo, ako mismo sasama ako sa inyo rito sa pagkontra (I will be with you in supporting Garcia),” Binay told a crowd in Liloan, Cebu last 21. “I thanked VP Binay, he is focused on this particular case,” Garcia said yesterday. Garcia was charged with two counts of graft and technical malversation before the Sandiganbayan for the purchase of P98.9-million Balili lot in Tinaan, City of Naga, in 2008. About 196,696 square meters of the lot are submerged in seawater, according to the case forwarded to the anti-graft court. Former Provincial Board member Juan Bolo and six others face one charge each. Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol said suspension follows the arraignment of the case. In a press conference yesterday, Archbishop Emeritus of Cebu Ricardo Cardinal Vidal advised Garcia to let the wheels of justice turn and “let the truth come out.” “Let the truth come out. If it is a false accusation it will just fall down,” Cardinal Vidal told reporters. Garcia welcomed Vidal’s advice. “The cardinal has always been a man of truth. Indeed I have always subscribed to the saying that the truth will set us free and so I welcome the statement of the cardinal that the truth will always come out. All falsehoods will eventually be swept away,” she said. On the plan of Garcia to run for senator, Vidal said he already told Garcia his opinion in an earlier meeting. He said the work for a national position may be a difficult process for her. “(I told her) if it’s a nationwide office, you should remember you are not so well known,” said Vidal. “(I told her to take it) step by step, slowly then perhaps you can be more popular. For now you are only popular in the province,” he recalled telling Garcia. Capitol consultant Rory Jon Sepulveda said he sees a pattern in chief executives being suspended prior to an election. He cited Binay, when he was still Makati City mayor, and former Iloilo governor Niel Tupas Sr., as examples. Binay, leader of the United Nationalist Alliance, went with the governor to Naga City and Liloan, a day after attending Garcia’s State of the Province Address (Sopa) last July 20. “Milyon ang bumoto para kay Gov. Garcia. Hindi pwedeng suspindihin ng paganyan-ganyan lamang (Garcia can’t be removed from office just like that),” he told the crowd. He said former president Joseph Estrada and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile also promised to return here and defend the governor. “Makikita po nyo kaming tatlo, darating po kami, aalalay kami sa pakikibaka at lalabanan natin ang maling ginagawa (The three of us will be here to support Garcia),” he said. Binay recalled the time when he was also given a suspension order. “Ginawa sa akin po yan. Napakasakit pero magandang hamon (They did that to me. It was painful. But I considered it a challenge),” said Binay. On the day Binay was in Liloan, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo was also in Cebu. And this surprised Binay as a reporter, not from Sun.Star, asked him if the secretary was doing a follow-up on the status of the governor’s case. When asked if Robredo was in Cebu to follow up on Garcia’s case, Binay said, “Talagang tino-totoo nila. Hindi naman yata tama yun (They are really serious about it. That’s not right).” DILG 7 Director Annanias Villacorta confirmed Robredo’s visit to Cebu. He said it was not to follow up a case but to be a forum speaker in an event initiated by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma.

Sandiganbayan Bars GMA From Leaving PH

MANILA, Philippines --- The Sandiganbayan First Division issued Tuesday a hold-departure order against former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and nine former officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and the Commission on Audit (COA). However, the anti-graft courts Fourth Division granted several appeals made by Arroyo for various judicial actions. The Sandiganbayan panel also rejected a bid by the Ombudsman to withdraw the original records of the preliminary investigation on the two counts of graft charges and violation of the Code of Ethics for Public Officials filed against the incumbent Pampanga lawmaker. The HDO, the third slapped against Arroyo, was issued on account of plunder charges filed against her and her co-accused in connection with the alleged misuse of some P366 million PCSO intelligence fund allegedly reimbursed for fictitious expenses. Two HDO's were issued by the Sandiganbayan's fourth division for the criminal charges stemming from her alleged approval of the overpriced National Broadband Network Deal with China's ZTE Corporation. The $329 million dollar transaction was later scrapped on orders of Arroyo. An earlier HDO covered the non-bailable electoral sabotage case filed by the Commission on Elections before the sala of Judge Jesus Mupas of the Regional Trial Court of Pasay City. Included in the HDO list issued by the Sandiganbayan's First Division are Sergio O. Valencia, former PCSO board chairman; Rosario Uriarte, general manager and vice chairperson; directors Manuel Morato, Jose Taruc V, Raymundo Roquero and Ma. Fatima Valdez; Benjamin Aguas, budget and accounts chief; former COA Chairman Reynaldo Villar and Nilda Plaras, head of COA's intelligence and confidential fund unit. All accused were charged by the Office of the Ombudsman with conspiring to directly or indirectly accumulate P365.99 million in ill-gotten wealth from January 2008 to June 2010. They allegedly diverted PCSO's operating budget to the confidential and intelligence fund to avoid strict accounting and auditing rules for disbursement of funds. Meanwhile, the Fourth Division granted Arroyo's motion to be excused from filing a pre-trial brief of the pending criminal charges against her. The anti-graft panel also allowed the separation of the three criminal complaints and directed the Ombudsman to allow the production or inspection of material evidence against her and co-accused, former Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza. Chaired by Associate Justice Gregory Ong, the anti-graft court's fourth division, denied a motion by the Ombudsman to withdraw the records of the preliminary investigation of the cases. The court rejected as being "not well taken" the claim of the state prosecutors that the records were not part of the file submitted in the court and that these were "merely inadvertently left" with the docket section. The Fourth Division ruled that it cannot be swayed by such claim "given that there was apparently no duplicate or photocopy" attached with the case filed, thus, implying that it is actually the intention of the Ombudsman to attach the files. In granting Arroyo's motion not to file a pre-trial brief, the court agreed to since the court is "vested with discretion to require the filing of a pre-trial brief in criminal cases", it possesses the same authority to excuse the accused from presenting the said brief. Nevertheless, the court warned Arroyo that a pre-trial conference is "clearly mandatory" under Section 1, Rule 118 of the Rules of Court and that the Sandiganbayan is duty bound to consider plea bargaining, stipulation of acts, marking for identification of evidence and other judicial processes required under the conference. The separation of the cases pending before the Fourth Division was also ordered "to prevent further delay" in the proceedings and "prejudice the rights of the accused." Now on hospital detention at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, Arroyo has not yet taken any steps to lift the HDO's against her despite claims by her camp that she requires special medical attention abroad. However, a motion to set bail has been filed by her lawyers before the Pasay City RTC.

Arroyo bail a 'big slap' to Aquino's face

The grant of bail in the electoral sabotage case against former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a "big slap in the face" of President Benigno Aquino III, a militant lawmaker who criticized Aquino just days ago for failing to hold the former President accountable said. The decision by Judge Jesus Mupas of the Pasay City Regional Trial Court to grant Arroyo bail of P1 million came just two days after Aquino highlighted his administration's drive against corruption in his annual State of the Nation Address. "The court decision was made apparently because the government's complaint of electoral sabotage was rushed, owing to its failure to build up any of the major cases filed earlier by various citizen's groups," Bayan Muna party-list Representative Teddy Casino said. At a protest rally Monday, Casino criticized the government for downgrading a plunder complaint--which has a heavier penalty--filed by his group over the scrapped ZTE National Broadband Network deal. "Clearly, the government should exert greater efforts to hold Mrs. Arroyo and her conspirators accountable for their crimes," he said. But the Commission on Elections, which is prosecuting the case, said the grant of bail is “not a setback at all.” Senators react Administration allies in the Senate have meanwhile played down the bail decision. Senator Franklin Drilon, senior Liberal at the Senate, said the right to bail is a right of the accused. He said, however, that "government will not go slow in prosecuting GMA for the abuses and excesses of her nine-year misrule." He added prosecuting Arroyo is not about vindictiveness, a charge that President Aquino’s critics have hurled against him. "This is about justice and holding public officials accountable for their actions," Drilon said. Senator Francis Pangilinan, also a member of the Liberal Party, said having Arroyo out on bail is not anything to be alarmed about. He said that as long as a hold-departure order issued by the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court on a separate graft charge stands, the former President cannot flee the country. "Ang mahalaga ay haharap ang akusado sa mga paratang laban sa kanya," he said in a press statement. He added the people will not allow her to leave the country if she does try to fly off. "Iba na ang panahon ngayon. Taumbayan na mismo ang masigasig na nakaabang at nagmamasid laban sa katiwalian at pagpataw ng hustisya," he said. But Senator Panfilo Lacson, who is not in LP but is friendly to Malacanang, said "it is bad enough that GMA has been granted temporary liberty, (but) the worse implication is that it posits the existence of a weak electoral sabotage case against her by the joint DOJ-Comelec panel." "One obvious lesson learned from the experience is we cannot build up a strong case through press releases and media interviews," he said, possibly referring to Justice Secretary Leila De Lima, whom he has criticized in the past for holding press conferences often. "Rather, it takes hard work and the gift of skill and well-rounded knowledge of law, not to mention the rules of court and proper legal procedures to accomplish the same," the senator added.

Private sector eyed to run Cebu airport

CEBU CITY -- A promise to upgrade the international airport in Mactan, Cebu was among the things President Benigno Aquino III mentioned in his State of the Nation Address (Sona) last Monday. Consultants for the building of a new airport terminal want to go a step further, recommending that the private sector jointly manage the facility under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program. If the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) approves it, the recommendation from transaction adviser Velloloite (India) will be sent to the Infrastructure Coordinating Committee (ICC) of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda). General Manager Nigel Paul Villarete of the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) said they are asking that the PPP contract include a proviso to absorb the existing employees for at least six months. About 580 employees may be affected if the plan to let the private sector operate the expanded airport pushes through. Villarete, however, said he is confident that the private firm will retain most, if not all, of the employees for three reasons. First, airport operations require highly specialized skills that are not in abundant supply. Second, the airport is operating with a lean staff. In 2000, there were more than 600 employees to serve two million passengers. Right now, they are down to 580 to serve 6.2 million passengers as of 2011. Third, the private sector is going to need more people for the new terminal. Targets The expansion of MCIAA is one of the major PPP projects President Aquino mentioned in his Sona on Monday. “Before the end of my term, the New Bohol Airport in Panglao, New Legaspi Airport in Daraga, and Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental will have been built,” the President said. “We will also upgrade our international airports in Mactan, Cebu; Tacloban; and Puerto Princesa Airport, so they can receive more passengers; in addition to remodeling the airports in Butuan, Cotabato, Dipolog, Pagadian, Tawi-Tawi, Southern Leyte, and San Vicente in Palawan,” Aquino added. Villarete said he has a scheduled meeting with DOTC officials headed by Secretary Mar Roxas on Friday to further discuss the Mactan airport project. The transaction adviser for the construction of the new terminal, Velloloite (India), has also recommended that the operational and management structure of the entire airport be included in the PPP. More than BOT Villarete recalled the feasibility study for the new passenger terminal building, prepared by the Korean International Cooperation Agency, was submitted to the DOTC last November 2011, for inclusion in the PPP. It was DOTC that requested the Neda PPP Center to engage the consultant’s services, and Velloloite has completed the draft business case and PPP structure. It recommended changing the project terms, for the construction of the new terminal, from build-operate-transfer (BOT) to include operation and management of the entire airport. But Villarete clarified the draft business case needs to be approved by the DOTC, then Neda-ICC. The target is to submit this to Neda by the first week of August. “We thank everybody and all agencies who cooperated and assisted us in this endeavor, and we look forward to your continued support as we proceed to the finalization of this project,” the airport’s general manager said. (EOB/Sun.Star Cebu)

Imports up 10% to $5.386 billion in May

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine merchandise imports rose 10 percent in May from a year ago following the year-on-year drop seen in the previous month, the National Statistics Office (NSO) reported yesterday. It said total merchandise imports in May went up to $5.386 billion from last year’s $4.893 billion. May’s year-on-year growth in merchandise imports is the highest posted since September last year when shipments to the country rose 10.6 percent. The country’s merchandise imports fell 13.7 percent in April from the same month a year ago. Compared to the previous month’s $4.773 billion, imports in May were up 12.8 percent. But while the country saw merchandise imports rise in May, the import bill for the January to May period declined slightly. “Aggregate imports went down 1.9 percent from the $26.150-billion value in the first five-month period in 2011 to $25.660 billion for the same period in 2012,” it said. The NSO said electronic products which comprised the bulk or 26.7 percent of the aggregate import bill slipped 15.3 percent to $1.440 billion in May from the same month last year. Among the major groups of electronic products, it noted that semiconductors which had the biggest share declined 22.6 percent to $1.101 billion from last year. Other merchandise imports, however, saw increases in May from a year ago. Import bill payments for mineral fuels, lubricants and other related materials rose 88.1 percent to $1.290 billion from the $685.91 million spent last year. Transport equipment shipments into the country climbed 68.8 percent to $367.73 million from the previous year. The import bill payments of industrial machinery and equipment also went up 8.7 percent to $268.46 million from a year ago. In terms of source of imports, the NSO said the United States of America (USA) including Alaska and Hawaii, accounted for the bulk or 12.1 percent of Philippine imports in May. - By Louella D. Desiderio

Tuguegarao vice mayor, 5 cops charged with murder

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – The vice mayor of Tuguegarao City, the capital of Cagayan province, and five policemen have been charged with multiple murder before the Office of the Ombudsman for the killing of five suspected guns-for-hire last May. The Commission on Human Rights (CHR)-Cagayan Valley, which assisted the victims’ families in filing the case, identified among those charged as Vice Mayor Danilo Baccay and Senior Superintendent Alexander Rafael, Abra police director. Also included in the complaint sheet of five counts of murder, grave misconduct and grave abuse of authority as well as incriminating an innocent person are four Cagayan policemen identified only as John Does. “The John Does, who are (Rafael’s) former subordinates, are allegedly assigned at the Regional Intelligence Unit (at the) police regional office (in) Tuguegarao City,” said the CHR, adding that they served as Rafael’s escorts when the killing took place. The CHR said its findings show there was a probable cause to indict the suspects in the killing of Leonard Apolonio, Daniel Villamor, Nomer Biendima, Isabelo Bernal and Michael Bermudez, all from Abra, who police had tagged as members of a gun-for-hire group. Baccay was linked to the killing after he was found to own one of the firearms found in the crime scene. In earlier reports, he admitted owning the gun but claimed that he had lost it. Earlier, the regional police based in Tuguegarao City said the killing was the result of a legitimate shootout with Rafael’s group along the Maharlika Highway in Barangay San Lorenzo, Lallo town last May 1. Rafael claimed then that the slain suspects aboard a Toyota Corona had tailed them while they were on their way to his hometown in Cagayan from Ilocos Sur. His group, he said, was only forced to fire back at the suspects after they refused to stop when they were flagged down. The CHR, however, said, “There is no argument as to the fact that the victims were killed by police Senior Superintendent Alexander Rafael and four unidentified police officers from the Intelligence Division of Police Regional Office No. 02.” “From the number of gunshots found in the (victims’) vehicle, one cannot help but describe it as overkill... The (victims’) vehicle was surrounded by the police involved, who then indiscriminately fired upon said vehicle,” the CHR said in its report. The CHR said the victims could be even “part of the convoy of no less than respondent police director Alexander Rafael.” The CHR conducted its own investigation after the victims’ families expressed suspicion that the incident was a case of rubout and not a legitimate shootout, as the police claimed. Earlier, Chief Superintendent Rodrigo de Gracia, Cagayan Valley police director, said one of the slain suspects was earlier apprehended by the Abra police and supposedly confessed their supposed illegal activities in Cagayan, including a plot to assassinate several prominent politicians in the province. - By Raymund Catindig and Charlie Lagasca

Vietnam, Philippines slam China's Sea garrison plan

Vietnam and the Philippines on Tuesday lashed out at China's moves to establish a military garrison in the South China Sea, amid escalating tensions in the disputed waters. Hanoi filed a formal protest with Beijing against the plan outlined by China this week to station troops in Sansha in the disputed Paracel Islands, saying it "violates international law". Manila, which is involved in a dispute over another archipelago, the Spratly Islands, also weighed into the row, summoning the Chinese ambassador to lodge a complaint against the garrison announcement. An intensifying spat over the South China Sea -- the site of key shipping routes and thought to have vast oil and gas reserves -- has seen a barrage of diplomatic moves between the countries with competing territorial claims. Taiwan, one of several claimants to portions of the Spratly chain, plans to boost firepower at its base on that archipelago's biggest island Taiping from next month, Taipei's coastguard said on Tuesday. Longer-range artillery and mortars are to be added to existing weaponry at the site, in a move that could further stoke tensions in the region. China says it owns much of the South China Sea, while Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia each claim portions. The disputes have become particularly acrimonious in recent weeks, with Vietnam and the Philippines criticising what they call Chinese encroachment. Beijing's garrison plan "violates international law, seriously violates Vietnam's sovereignty... and is invalid," Foreign Ministry spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi told AFP. China attracted Hanoi's ire -- and sparked a series of rare protests in the Vietnamese capital -- when it last month designated Sansha as its administrative centre for the Paracels and the Spratly Islands. The state-backed China National Offshore Oil Corporation also announced it was welcoming bids to explore oil blocks in the disputed waters, a week after Vietnam adopted a law placing the Spratlys under its sovereignty. Nghi told AFP Tuesday that China must revoke its "wrongdoings" and urged "friendly and cooperative" relations in order to "maintain peace and stability" in the South China Sea. China and South Vietnam once administered different parts of the Paracels but after a brief conflict in 1974 Beijing took control of the entire group of islands. Vietnam still holds several of the larger Spratlys. A July 13 meeting of the Association of Southeast Nations broke up without a joint statement for the first time in 45 years because members could not agree on how to refer to China's behaviour in the disputed waters. The countries are drafting a "code of conduct" to try to prevent flare-ups in the area.

Pilots into ‘drugs’

SEVERAL lawmakers strongly asked Wednesday for a congressional investigation into the claim of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Authority (PDEA) that many of the country's pilots are drug addicts. This after a commercial pilot was arrested for selling methamphetamine hydrochloride also known as shabu. Western Samar Representative Mel Senen Sarmiento said PDEA's revelation is very disturbing as this would mean that many of the country's commercial airlines are in the hands of people who could be high on drugs. "This is unimaginable and very, very disturbing. We have always thought that our airline pilots are among the most disciplined and most professional but now it appears that this is not the case. Thousands of passengers are put at risk everyday by allowing drug addicts to sit in an airline cockpit even just for a few seconds," Sarmiento said. He said the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) should respond swiftly and conduct massive drug testing to all pilots without any exception. “We should assure the public, as well as the international airline community, that our pilots are drug-free and are still among the best pilots around the world,” Sarmiento said. House Assistant Majority Leader and Davao City Representative Karlo Alexei Nograles echoed the observation of Sarmiento as he noted that Congress should look into this matter and possibly craft a legislation or possibly make recommendations to the Caap on the best practices and standards before one is allowed to pilot a plane. “This exposed the loopholes in Caap's ability to fully monitor the mental and physical fitness of all commercial pilots. We should do everything to ensure the public that our airlines are safe because if we don't, this would spell the complete demise of our airline industry,” Nograles said. He added that a pilot high on drugs can potentially endanger thousands of lives. “If we require drug tests before issuing a simple driver's license, we should even be stricter in issuing a pilot's license,” Nograles added. House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability Chair and Iloilo City Representative Jerry Treñas, on the other hand, expressed deep concern that this news about the alleged proliferation of pilots who are drug dependents could prompt aviation authorities worldwide to ban Filipino pilots. Trenas added that many Filipino pilots are hired not only by Filipino-owned commercial airlines but other international airlines as well because of their flying skills and discipline. The congressmen's reaction came following reports that a 40-year-old commercial pilot was arrested by PDEA agents in Taguig City selling 'shabu' to an undercover agent. Reports identified the pilot as Rioklyn Toledo, a local airline pilot, and a resident of Parañaque City. The PDEA operation was reportedly conducted last July 14 around 2 a.m. Toledo reportedly agreed to meet the PDEA agent at the corner of Rizal and 29th Streets. PDEA said Toledo reportedly supplies ‘shabu’ to some pilots and some foreign tourists. (PR)

Pilots into ‘drugs’

SEVERAL lawmakers strongly asked Wednesday for a congressional investigation into the claim of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Authority (PDEA) that many of the country's pilots are drug addicts. This after a commercial pilot was arrested for selling methamphetamine hydrochloride also known as shabu. Western Samar Representative Mel Senen Sarmiento said PDEA's revelation is very disturbing as this would mean that many of the country's commercial airlines are in the hands of people who could be high on drugs. "This is unimaginable and very, very disturbing. We have always thought that our airline pilots are among the most disciplined and most professional but now it appears that this is not the case. Thousands of passengers are put at risk everyday by allowing drug addicts to sit in an airline cockpit even just for a few seconds," Sarmiento said. He said the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) should respond swiftly and conduct massive drug testing to all pilots without any exception. “We should assure the public, as well as the international airline community, that our pilots are drug-free and are still among the best pilots around the world,” Sarmiento said. House Assistant Majority Leader and Davao City Representative Karlo Alexei Nograles echoed the observation of Sarmiento as he noted that Congress should look into this matter and possibly craft a legislation or possibly make recommendations to the Caap on the best practices and standards before one is allowed to pilot a plane. “This exposed the loopholes in Caap's ability to fully monitor the mental and physical fitness of all commercial pilots. We should do everything to ensure the public that our airlines are safe because if we don't, this would spell the complete demise of our airline industry,” Nograles said. He added that a pilot high on drugs can potentially endanger thousands of lives. “If we require drug tests before issuing a simple driver's license, we should even be stricter in issuing a pilot's license,” Nograles added. House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability Chair and Iloilo City Representative Jerry Treñas, on the other hand, expressed deep concern that this news about the alleged proliferation of pilots who are drug dependents could prompt aviation authorities worldwide to ban Filipino pilots. Trenas added that many Filipino pilots are hired not only by Filipino-owned commercial airlines but other international airlines as well because of their flying skills and discipline. The congressmen's reaction came following reports that a 40-year-old commercial pilot was arrested by PDEA agents in Taguig City selling 'shabu' to an undercover agent. Reports identified the pilot as Rioklyn Toledo, a local airline pilot, and a resident of Parañaque City. The PDEA operation was reportedly conducted last July 14 around 2 a.m. Toledo reportedly agreed to meet the PDEA agent at the corner of Rizal and 29th Streets. PDEA said Toledo reportedly supplies ‘shabu’ to some pilots and some foreign tourists. (PR)

Pilots into ‘drugs’

SEVERAL lawmakers strongly asked Wednesday for a congressional investigation into the claim of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Authority (PDEA) that many of the country's pilots are drug addicts. This after a commercial pilot was arrested for selling methamphetamine hydrochloride also known as shabu. Western Samar Representative Mel Senen Sarmiento said PDEA's revelation is very disturbing as this would mean that many of the country's commercial airlines are in the hands of people who could be high on drugs. "This is unimaginable and very, very disturbing. We have always thought that our airline pilots are among the most disciplined and most professional but now it appears that this is not the case. Thousands of passengers are put at risk everyday by allowing drug addicts to sit in an airline cockpit even just for a few seconds," Sarmiento said. He said the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) should respond swiftly and conduct massive drug testing to all pilots without any exception. “We should assure the public, as well as the international airline community, that our pilots are drug-free and are still among the best pilots around the world,” Sarmiento said. House Assistant Majority Leader and Davao City Representative Karlo Alexei Nograles echoed the observation of Sarmiento as he noted that Congress should look into this matter and possibly craft a legislation or possibly make recommendations to the Caap on the best practices and standards before one is allowed to pilot a plane. “This exposed the loopholes in Caap's ability to fully monitor the mental and physical fitness of all commercial pilots. We should do everything to ensure the public that our airlines are safe because if we don't, this would spell the complete demise of our airline industry,” Nograles said. He added that a pilot high on drugs can potentially endanger thousands of lives. “If we require drug tests before issuing a simple driver's license, we should even be stricter in issuing a pilot's license,” Nograles added. House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability Chair and Iloilo City Representative Jerry Treñas, on the other hand, expressed deep concern that this news about the alleged proliferation of pilots who are drug dependents could prompt aviation authorities worldwide to ban Filipino pilots. Trenas added that many Filipino pilots are hired not only by Filipino-owned commercial airlines but other international airlines as well because of their flying skills and discipline. The congressmen's reaction came following reports that a 40-year-old commercial pilot was arrested by PDEA agents in Taguig City selling 'shabu' to an undercover agent. Reports identified the pilot as Rioklyn Toledo, a local airline pilot, and a resident of Parañaque City. The PDEA operation was reportedly conducted last July 14 around 2 a.m. Toledo reportedly agreed to meet the PDEA agent at the corner of Rizal and 29th Streets. PDEA said Toledo reportedly supplies ‘shabu’ to some pilots and some foreign tourists. (PR)

PAL to deploy iPads on flights

PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) announced that it will include Apple iPads among its inflight entertainment options aboard all trans-Pacific flights. PAL will be the first full service airline in Asia to have Apple iPads inflight. The company said it is the result of close coordination between PAL and Apple, Inc. through an authorized Apple developer. Soon, PAL passengers flying to and from any of PAL’s four North American destinations will get to enjoy one of the world’s most sought after mobile device, the third generation Apple iPad that will be loaded with various inflight entertainment options – from the latest full-length movies, TV shows, music, games, to even the latest newspapers and magazines. Both business class and economy passengers can opt to use the Apple inflight iPad – for a minimal charge – with its familiar and user-friendly operating system and other features, such as made-for-iPad user interface, closed captioning, multi-language playback, controls that detect if headphones are not plugged in, and more. With its quad-core graphics processor that enables endless fun in games and razor-sharp text display, the inflight iPads have been customized to also contain PAL’s regular inflight reading materials such as Mabuhay magazine, duty-free catalogue, inflight meal menu, safety card, PAL promos and other popular publications. The inflight iPad is just one of the customer service enhancements announced July 23 by PAL President Ramon Ang together with PAL Director Michael Tan during cocktails at the Shangri-La Makati hotel, signifying the initial results of the collaboration between San Miguel Corporation and the Lucio Tan Group of Companies. Other customer-enhancement projects unveiled include new inflight dishes prepared by five top-rated chefs, Book-and-Buy ticketing kiosks at selected Petron gasoline stations, and the company’s third Boeing 777-300ER twin-engine, fuel-efficient aircraft. (PR)

Aboitiz Eyes Further Visayas Expansion

MANILA, Philippines - The Aboitiz Power group is targeting to expand further its electricity generation portfolio with a greenfield 200-megawatt power facility in the Visayas. In an exclusive interview, AP president and chief executive officer Erramon I. Aboitiz disclosed that ''in the Visayas, we're looking at greenfield developments there also... probably around 200 megawatts.'' He indicated that technology deployment for the planned Visayas facility may still be coal as this is intended to beef up baseload capacity needs of the region beyond 2015 when demand is expected to outstrip supply once again. ''We're looking at other technologies, but to be honest at this point in time, coal is the cheapest,'' he stressed, qualifying further that the country's baseload supply problems must be addressed first before diversifying into other sources, such as renewables or liquefied natural gas (LNG). The planned Visayas power project will be an addition to the growing investments of the Aboitiz group in Luzon and Mindanao grids. The conglomerate previously lined up multi-year capital expenditures of P170 billion to bring all of its power projects to completion. The commercial operation date, the design as well as the siting of the proposed Visayas facility are among the items being firmed up yet by the Aboitiz firm. As coal is manifestly the preferred technology in a number of their projects for lack of current options, Aboitiz has indicated that diversification is very much in their plan for the future. It must be noted that aside from its coal fleets, the Aboitiz group already has a highly-diversified generation capacity that similarly covers hydro, geothermal and oil-fired facilities. ''No question about it, we really need to diversify. But from a national policy and energy security standpoint, it's important to look at the price and it is also important to look at the resource when it comes to sustainability,'' he stressed. The AP chief executive has emphasized that one technology option they are seriously looking at is LNG, albeit he asserted that the main concern they're trying to unravel is how to possibly bring down the cost for this market similar to what has been happening in the United States and Canada. ''We are looking at it, and we're trying to understand it because we think that LNG is the fuel of the future. And we think that prices can become cheaper, and that is being made possible now with the shale gas in the US, Canada and other parts of the world,'' he stressed. Aboitiz opined that the country needs to balance its energy mix, noting that fossil fuel-fired facilities as well as renewables would be the sector's inescapable future. ''I would be concerned if we are totally reliant on coal, for example, in the future. We should have a balance of coal, LNG, geothermal as well as other renewables,'' he said. ''You have to bring in big baseload capacity and diversify the energy sources. It's not choosing coal or renewable, it's doing both together. But it's about doing the renewables that make financial sense, those that are feasible and will not require huge subsidies,'' he concluded.

DA Eyes World-Class Slaughterhouses

MANILA, Philippines - Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala has asked the hog industry to explore the export market for pork, saying the establishment of world-class slaughterhouses is premised on maximizing the industry's potential overseas. Alcala's marching orders to his subordinates at the Department of Agriculture (DA) is to find sites that are viable, meaning they should be adjacent to piggeries and corn farms that provide the feeds for hogs. Agriculture Undersecretary for Finance Antonio Fleta said the department is consulting with the Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines, Inc. (ProPork) for the crafting of a meat industry roadmap, which also focuses on the establishment of slaughterhouses that abide by international standards on hygiene, sanitation and meat quality. Not only the DA but also the Alliance of Food Producers, Processors and Stakeholders (AFPPS) want hog raisers to rationalize their operations, meaning they should start producing choice cuts rather than selling hogs at 90 kilos, which limits their incomes. Meat processors source no less than 30 percent of their meat requirements from local hog farmers and poultry raisers. "We have allotted some R180 million for the construction of two triple A slaughterhouses this year. What we want is to identify the strategic areas so that they can be maximized," Fleta stressed in an event organized by ProPork. Agriculture Assistant Secretary for housesLivestock Davinio Catbagan said the DA hopes to find a local government unit (LGU) that can host the slaughterhouse and be a partner of the department within the next two weeks. One triple A slaughterhouse already operates in the Mt. Matutum area in South Cotabato. Catbagan revealed that the slaughterhouses will be built in Luzon. He added that R180-million funding is just an initial amount, saying that Alcala has promised to provide additional funding if a feasibility study shows that a bigger facility is needed. "The National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) is already doing the ground work, the planning. It's just a matter of finding the specific area for the facilities, whether it is in Bulacan, in Batangas, in Laguna or in Quezon," he said. Catbagan believes the new slaughterhouses will help local pork producers to meet quality standards set by importers of processed meat. Fleta explained that while the efforts for this year target Luzon, DA is also planning to establish similar facilities in Visayas and Mindanao starting next year. Slaughterhouses are classified by the NMIS into three different ratings: AAA, AA and A. Based on NMIS, AAA slaughterhouses are top-grade abattoirs with appropriate facilities and operational procedures. Livestock and fowls slaughtered in these facilities are recommended for sale in domestic and international markets. AA abattoirs have sufficiently adequate facilities and procedures that make their products suitable for sale in all markets. On the other hand, A-rated slaughterhouses have facilities and procedures of minimum adequacy