Manila Standard Today - May 17, 2012 Issue

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CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Next page Next page
Govt admits failure to arrest 3 fugitives
Aquino, Grace Lee now uncoupled
Palace seeks
urgent okay
of sin tax bill
Lapid joins colleagues
against meat imports
Marathon meet
on power urged
Two special envoys
to China appointed
Witness tale.. Harvey Que creates a stir in the impeachment court with his allegations of millions of dollars in bank deposits be-
longing to Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. He causes graphic reactions from Senator-Judge Miriam Santiago and presid-
ing ofcer Juan Ponce Enrile.
Pattern of dishonesty to oust Corona noted
Grand conspiracy
Vol. XXVI No. 77 12 Pages, 2 Sections
P18.00 THURSDAY, May 17, 2012
www.manilastandardtoday.com mst@mstandardtoday.com
TODAY
Standard
Manila
There is a dismaying pat-
tern of dishonesty in the con-
duct of the prosecution, Su-
arez said.
Now it is compounded by the
spectacle of all those independent
branches of government---the
Ombudsman, the Commission
on Audit, the Anti-Money Laun-
dering Council---ganging up on
the chief justice.
Suarez made his statement af-
ter Ombudsman Conchita Car-
pio-Morales admitted that she
was able to secure Coronas bank
records through the Anti-Money
Laundering Council without the
required court order.
House Deputy Minority
Leader and Zambales Rep. Mi-
lagros Magsaysay, a member of
the House justice committee,
said the manner by which Car-
pio-Morales secured the docu-
ments might be illegal.
Why was the AMLC report
leaked to different government
agencies? Should it be given to
anybody? Magsaysay said.
Coronas lawyers claim
that the Ombudsman and the
AMLC have conspired to paint
a negative image of the chief
magistrate before the impeach-
ment court, where Corona is on
trial for alleged betrayal of the
public trust.
But the House prosecu-
tion dismissed the oppositions
grand conspiracy theory.
Thats a good script for a
movie but thats not a defense,
said Marikina Rep. Federico
Romero Quimbo, one of the
spokesmen for the prosecution
CJ testies
on Tuesday
THE Philippines might buy two squadrons of military jets
for as much as $1.6 billion to modernize its defenses, Presi-
dent Benigno Aquino said Wednesday as the Philippines and
China declared a shing ban on the disputed Scarborough
Shoal in the South China Sea.
The government could buy new training jets for between
$400 million and $800 million per squadron and upgrade the
planes to ghters, Mr. Aquino told Bombo Radyo.
The seller would be a progressive nation and not the
US, the Philippines main ally, he said. A squadron is made
up of between 16 and 24 jets.
It may be from Europe, or somewhere nearer,
Mr. Aquino said.
Thats what the Armed Forces of the Philip-
pines is studying to make it more economical.
Mr. Aquino made his statement even as
China announced a two-and-a-half-month
shing ban on Scarborough Shoal starting at
noon Wednesday to replenish the area, where
Philippine and Chinese military vessels have
been in a standoff for a over a month.
Vietnam protested Chinas shing ban, say-
ing it considered Chinas decision invalid.
The Philippines Bureau of Fisheries im-
posed its own shing ban in the area also start-
ing Wednesday, and for two months.
If a shing [ban] will contribute to a better
By Joyce Pangco Paares
PRESIDENT Benigno Aqui-
no III on Wednesday said he
had certied two measures as
urgent: a bill to increase the
excise taxes on alcoholic bev-
erages and cigarettes and a
resolution to have a new voter
registration in the Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The so-called sin tax bill,
which recently passed the
House ways and means com-
mittee, aims to index cigarette
and alcohol excise taxes to
ination. Ofcials say it will
add P60 billion to government
revenues each year once it be-
comes law.
When this tax is raised,
this will result in an additional
SENATOR Manuel Lapid on Wednesday
joined Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto
III and Senator Francis Pangilinan in moving
to make the Senate investigate the smuggling
and over-importation of pork and chicken.
PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino
III sent a lot of tongues wag-
ging about his relationship with
Korean television host Grace
Lee with a terse statement that
many people have described as
pregnant with meaning.
Mr. Aquino, who has been
dating Lee for the past ve
months, told a radio inter-
view: We are friends.
The bachelor President,
whose amorous exploits have
gained as much attention as
the affairs of the state, de-
clined to elaborate. Many in-
terpreted that to mean the end
of another affair.
The President brought Lee
to a Sergio Mendes concert at
the Smart Araneta Coliseum
last month---the last time they
were seen together in public.
By Christine F. Herrera
MINDANAOS lawmakers on Wednesday
demanded that the House hold marathon
sessions to deal with the power crisis on
their island, now that there are only 10 ses-
sion days left before Congress adjourns.
Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez,
Akbayan Rep. Arlene Kaka Bag-ao, and
Agham Rep. Angelo Palmones said they will
present a bill creating the state-owned Mind-
anao Power Corp. to the Joint Congressional
PRESIDENT Benigno
Aquino III has appointed
two special envoys to China
amid the tension generated
by the Philippines dispute
with China over the Scar-
borough Shoal, a group of
small islands and atolls in
the West Philippines Sea
that is believed rich in gas
and oil deposits.
Mr. Aquino named busi-
nessman Domingo Lee and
former Development Bank
of the Philippines chairman
Cesar Zalamea as envoys to
PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III
on Wednesday said the government
had its shortcomings in its efforts to
arrest three high-prole fugitives:
retired general Jovito Palparan, for-
mer Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes, and
Ruben Ecleo of Dinagat Island.
We had shortcomings, lets ad-
mit it, Mr. Aquino said in an inter-
view with Bombo Radyo.
But I assure you that, eventu-
ally, we will be able to arrest these
people, he said.
Reyes is accused of masterminding
the murder of environmental activist
and journalist Gerry Ortega. Palparan
is accused of human rights violations,
while Ecleo has been convicted for
the murder of his wife last month.
Palparan has a P1-million bounty
on his head, while the government
has offered P1.55 million for the
immediate arrest of Reyes and his
younger brother, Coron town May-
or Mario Jr. The National Police has
offered P150,000 for information
leading to Ecleos arrest.
The Interpol has placed Reyes
and Mario Jr. in its red notice at the
THE defense will present Supreme
Court Chief Justice Renato Corona as
its last witness next Tuesday to bring to
a close the four-month-long impeach-
ment trial in which Malacaang and its
congressional allies are seeking to re-
move the head of the lands highest tri-
bunal for allegedly betraying the public
trust.
Defense lead counsel Seran Cue-
vas told the senator-judges that Corona
will take the witness stand to refute all
the allegations about his supposed un-
explained wealth and ownership of un-
reported property.
Next page
Next page
Next page
ll up the void in Philippines-China re-
lations caused by the Philippines fail-
ure to name a permanent ambassador to
China.
Next page
Next page
DOMINGO LEE CESAR ZALAMEA
REYES
LEE
ECLEO PALPARAN
PH eyes 24 military
jets to boost defense
amid shoal tensions
By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta
HOUSE minority leader and Quezon Rep. Da-
nilo Suarez said Wednesday he was convinced the
Aquino administration is behind a grand conspira-
cy to oust Chief Justice Renato Corona at all costs.
Next page
Next page
Bone of contention. A rock formation juts out of the
disputed territory in the Scarborough Shoal, which is made up
mainly of islets and atolls.
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News
ManilaStandardToday mst.daydesk@gmail.com MAY 17, 2012 THURSDAY
A2
Shoes this
time. Customs
Commissioner
Ruffy Biazon
and Deputy
Commissioner
Danilo Lim present
to reporters P25
million worth
of smuggled
counterfeit
footwear in
a house in
Baclaran. Biazon
has promised to
hit his agencys
collection target
this year despite
the smuggling
syndicates who
have strong
connections with
corrupt Customs
ofcials. SONNY
ESPIRITU
Marathon...
Power Commission as one pos-
sible solution.
Once the commission made the
bill a priority, that could trigger a
marathon debate before Congress
adjourned on June 7, Bag-ao said.
She said Congress must decide
once and for all whether to exempt
the Agus-Pulangui hydroelectric
plants in Mindanao from the gov-
ernments policy to privatize its
power facilities. That, she said,
would enable the government to
inject capital to rehabilitate the
remaining state-owned plants and
identify and develop other sources
of renewable energy for the black-
out-stricken island.
The 62 lawmakers from Mind-
anao, along with businessmen, civil
society organizations and local gov-
ernment units, oppose the privatiza-
tion of the hydroelectric plants and
other assets because, they say, that
will drive power rates up.
Rodriguez, a commission mem-
ber, said the joint panel would
have a hearing on May 24 and that
there was still time for Congress
to debate the power crisis issue
before the second session of the
15th Congress ended.
Noting the spotty attendance
record of his colleagues, Palmo-
nes said the House leaders should
compel all members to attend the
10 remaining sessions.
I believe it is just fair that
Congress debates the power crisis
because as this problem drags on,
the people of Mindanao are left
reeling from blackouts and high
power costs, Bag-ao said.
Palmones said Congress should
waste no time in reviewing or scrap-
ping the Electric Power Industry
Reform Act, which he said failed
to achieve the objectives of making
the power plants run efciently and
bringing down the cost of power.
The Epira law has obviously
failed because it should have solved
or preempted the blackouts that
struck Mindanao, Palmones said.
The MDC bill seeks to exempt
the Agus-Pulangui hydroelectric
plants from privatization. It also
seeks to create a state-owned Min-
danao Power Corp. that will be
run and managed by Mindanaos
residents.
Rodriguez said private compa-
nies could still get involved by en-
tering into repair, operate, maintain
and transfer schemes in which they
would nance the repair of state-
owned power plants until they re-
covered their investments.
Bag-ao said she wanted a guaran-
tee that no coal-fired plants, which she
described as dirty sources of power,
would be built to augment the supply
of electricity to the region.
The people of Mindanao
should be given that option not to
use coal because it is dirty and it
poses great risks to the public,
Bag-ao said.
Palmones said Mindanao was
home to rich sources of hydrother-
mal, geothermal and other renew-
able sources of energy. It would
be ironic and unjust to make the
people there pay more for cheap
sources of power because the gov-
ernment had neglected the plants
rehabilitation for many years.
Govt...
request of Ortegas family,
which welcomed it.
While speculations arose
that the brothers have left the
country illegally, this devel-
opment surely gives us much
hope that eventually they will
be captured and tried in a
court of law, the family said
in a statement issued by Orte-
gas eldest daughter Mika.
We call for the brothers
to surrender immediately and
peacefully. Our family will
not stop until the perpetrators
of my fathers murder are be-
hind bars.
In March, the Justice De-
partment ordered the indict-
ment of the Reyes brothers,
former provincial administra-
tor Romeo Seratubias, close-
in aide Arturo Regalado, and
Valentin Lecias after a rein-
vestigation by a second panel
of state prosecutors on the
complaint led by Ortegas
wife Patria Gloria.
The panel upheld the tes-
timony of Rodolfo Edrad Jr.,
another suspect who tagged
the Reyes brothers as the
masterminds of Ortegas kill-
ing. Joyce Pangco Paares
and Rey E. Requejo
Palace...
P33 billion that will be shared
by all tobacco-growing areas,
Mr. Aquino said in an interview
with Bombo Radyo.
This will go to health-related
activities and also to support the
livelihood of tobacco farmers.
Mr. Aquino hinted that the
price of tobacco bought from
farmers under the present sys-
tem was being dictated by one
company. With the reform mea-
sure, he said, new players could
provide competition and raise
the price of the tobacco being
sold by farmers.
Cigarette and alcohol taxes
are raised based on these com-
modities 1996 prices.
The debt-rating agencies have
made the passage of the bill a
requirement for upgrading the
Philippines credit rating to in-
vestment grade, which would
lower its interest payments and
attract more investors.
The Philippines now has a
BB+ rating from Fitch Ratings,
its highest rating and one level
shy of investment grade. It also
has a BB rating from Standard
& Poors and a Ba2 rating from
Moodys Investors Service, both
two notches below investment
grade.
The President on May 15 also
certied as urgent congressional
resolutions ordering the Com-
mission on Elections to carry out
a general voters registration in
the ARMM.
Mr. Aquino said a re-regis-
tration would allow the govern-
ment to implement the much
needed electoral reforms and
ensure free, orderly and honest
elections.
The poll body had earlier
rejected Malacaangs pro-
posal for a re-registration in
the ARMM except in Magu-
indanao. There are at least 1.71
million registered voters in the
region based on the 2010 village
balloting.
Data from the National Sta-
tistics Ofce showed that the
ARMM population was bloated
to 4.1 million in 2007, the same
year when there were allegations
of electoral fraud in the senatori-
al polls. The gure was reduced
to 3.3 million after a revalidation
of the list in 2010.
On Wednesday, Health Sec-
retary Enrique Ona appealed
to the 70,000 members of the
Philippine Medical Association
to support the sin tax bill and
responsible parenthood bill that
are pending in Congress.
He said the sin tax bill would
raise more revenue to benet the
poorest 40 percent of the popula-
tion by providing them universal
health insurance. With Macon
Ramos-Araneta
Lapid...
Lapid, in ling Senate Resolution 761, said the
government must immediately address the concerns
raised by local growers to prevent them from mount-
ing a ve-day pork and chicken holiday.
Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy also
called for the immediate passage of tougher laws against
meat contaminated with foot-and-mouth disease.
Herrera-Dy led House Bill 5323 banning the impor-
tation of meat from Egypt, Libya and Middle Eastern
and South African countries whose livestock have been
aficted by a new strain of foot-and-mouth disease.
Herrera-Dy cited the advisory issued by the United
Nations against the new strain called SAT2 that has
hit those countries.
HB 5323 seeks to prohibit the importation, selling
and distribution of FMD-contaminated meat or any
ill-quarantined meat or meat products.
Lapid wanted an investigation of the smuggling and
over-importation of meat to put an end to this illegal act
and enact measures to protect our local livestock raisers.
If the problem of meat smuggling will not be ad-
dressed appropriately by the government, local hog
raisers have warned of a ve-day pork holiday, which
may have adverse effects on the supply and price of
meat in public markets, Lapid said.
He demanded that the Senate dig deeper into re-
ports that meat importation permits had been granted
to suspicious corporations of which some were said
to have a paid-up capital of only P30,000 but were
allowed to import millions of kilograms of meat.
Herrera-Dy said the smuggling of meat must stop
to protect the local producers of meat and chicken.
She said dishonest importers may have been taking ad-
vantage of the lax importation requirements and approval
processes being observed at Customs. ChristineF.Herrera
CJ...
He said the defense will dis-
pense with other witnesses since
their testimonies will no longer be
corroborative and necessary.
The court accepted the de-
fenses offer to give Corona
time to study the report of the
Anti-Money Laundering Coun-
cil showing his alleged 82
dollar accounts and over 400
transactions in ve banks.
Senate President Juan Ponce
Enrile said extensions will not
be allowed.
Defense spokesman Rico
Quicho said Corona was ready to
accept the verdict of the impeach-
ment court. Rey E. Requejo
Two...
Mr. Aquino said the envoys
were tasked to promote the
2012-2013 Philippines-China
years of friendly exchanges.
He nominated Lee as Philip-
pine Ambassador to China but the
Commission on Appointments
turned him down. He then with-
drew his nomination last month.
The President said he had inter-
viewed one or two candidates to
the position, but their names had
not been made public. He said he
had ordered Foreign Affairs to ex-
pand the list of candidates.
As envoy to China, Lee, a for-
mer San Miguel Corp. director
and senior adviser of Philippine
Savings Bank, was tasked to at-
tract tourists to the Philippines
and promote friendship and good-
will through enhanced coopera-
tion in culture and the arts and es-
tablishing more people-to-people
exchanges.
Zalamea, former head of Ma-
nila Electric Co. and other busi-
ness conglomerates, was ordered
to seek potential Chinese inves-
tors who will participate in the
Aquino Administrations Public-
Private Partnership Program and
other key infrastructure projects.
He is also tasked to encourage
Chinese investors to locate and set
up their businesses in the Philip-
pines. Joyce Pangco Paares
PH...
situation, we will impose it,
agency director Asis Perez
said.
He said some of the Chi-
nese fishing vessels on the
shoal left hours before the
fishing ban there took effect.
Everything is normal,
Perez said.
Some Chinese fishing
vessels remain in the area,
but its okay as long as they
will not fish or gather marine
resources.
The Aquino administra-
tion has embarked on a plan
to upgrade the countrys
military, which has no viable
fighter jets. The plan is part
of efforts to better address
external threats, which in-
clude increased tension with
China over disputed waters
in the South China Sea that
are rich in fish, oil and gas.
In a May 4 interview with
Bloomberg News, Mr. Aqui-
no said the Philippines was
focused on quelling insur-
gencies and lawlessness, and
that its ability to respond to
external threats has been
very, very severely dimin-
ished.
China has become more
assertive over its claims to
the South China Sea, while
the US, which has a mutual
defense treaty with the Phil-
ippines, has shifted its mili-
tary posture toward the Asia-
Pacific region.
The latest standoff, over
a reef that the Philippines
calls Panatag Shoal and
China refers to as Huangyan
Island, began in April when
Chinese ships blocked the
Philippines from inspecting
Chinese fishing boats in the
area. Mr. Aquino reiterated
the Philippines claim on the
reef in Wednesdays radio in-
terview.
Its our exclusive eco-
nomic zone and we need to
preserve our patrimony ac-
cording to our Constitution,
he said.
The Philippines plans to
acquire 10 new helicopters
and 21 refurbished ones this
year for maritime surveil-
lance, Mr. Aquino said in the
May 4 interview.
The Philippines signed a
ve-year agreement with Italy
earlier this year for the pur-
chase of military hardware.
The nation would be spending
as much as P70 billion ($1.6
billion) through 2020 to mod-
ernize its forces, Defense Un-
dersecretary Hernando Mana-
lo said in January.
SM Investments Corp. is
closely monitoring the
situation in China, where
some groups have called
for a boycott of Philippine
establishments due to a ten-
sion sparked by a territorial
dispute between the two na-
tions, according to senior
vice president Corazon
Guidote. The traffic of shop-
pers in the companys malls
hadnt dropped, she said.
Bloomberg, with the AP
and Othel V. Campos
Grand...
panel in the impeachment trial.
They should instead explain
simply the issue at hand.
House Deputy Majority Leader
and Citizens Battle against Cor-
ruption Rep. Sherwin Tugna said
there was no conspiracy to oust
Corona.
The the Ombudsman, the Audit
Commission and the Anti-Money
Laundering Council were created
by law to work hand in hand to de-
mand accountability from public
ofcials, Tugna said.
President Benigno Aquino III
denied he had a hand in Carpio-
Moraless testimony on Coronas
alleged dollar accounts. He said he
was not privy to the report of the
Anti-Money Laundering Council.
I dont know the Ombuds-
mans data, Mr. Aquino said in
an interview with Bombo Radyo
Wednesday.
The President is not authorized
to also look into the accounts.
Mr. Aquino nonetheless praised
Carpio-Morales for her compe-
tence and for being true to her
constitutional mandate to go after
corrupt government ofcials.
Shes exhibiting her competence
and shes doing her job, he said.
The media blitz against Corona
continued Wednesday as House
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.
told reporters that Coronas un-
explained wealth was likely to hit
P677 million according to a 20-
page report that the Ombudsman
sent to his ofce Friday.
The report was given ahead of
the Senate hearing where it was
rst exposed by the Ombudsman,
Belmonte said.
At the trial Wednesday, the
senator-judges attacked the leader
of a civil society group closely as-
sociated with President Benigno
Aquino III for submitting unau-
thenticated documents to the im-
peachment court.
You are trying to inuence
this court by bringing these docu-
ments, Enrile told Harvey Keh of
the Kaya Natin! Movement, who
was presented by the defense as a
hostile witness.
I did not open them. I did not
read them. I felt insulted and of-
fended as a presiding ofcer.
Enrile cut short Kehs apology
and ordered him to explain why he
should not be cited for contempt.
He said he was surprised why keh
had submitted supposed copies of
Coronas bank records.
You had previously led a
complaint with the Ombudsman.
So why did you not bring it to the
Ombudsman? Enrile said.
In presenting Keh as a hostile
witness, defense lawyer Dennis
Manalo said they wanted to prove
his involvement in a well-planned
and orchestrated effort to destroy
Coronas reputation.
Keh admitted during cross-
examination that the documents
that defense lawyers had called
fabricated, falsied and fraudulent
had merely been left by someone
in the Kaya Natin! ofce in Loyola
Heights, Quezon City, on May 3.
He said the documents would pin
Corona down.
Why did you bring along mem-
bers of the media? Because you
wanted to publicize that you de-
livered these documents? Enrile
asked Keh.
Senator Miriam Defensor-San-
tiago slammed Keh for ling a
complaint with the Ofce of the
Ombudsman based on anonymous
sources.
I will ask the [National Police]
and the [Armed Forces] to issue
an arrest order against Mr. Anony-
mous. Why, is there a proliferation
of Mr. Anonymous in this archi-
pelago? Santiago said.
Why am I angry with you?
You led a complaint on the basis
of anonymous sources. Would you
want the same to be done to you?
Under the Golden Rule, you should
not do to others what you do not
want others to do unto you. And you
want us to take you seriously?
Santiago demanded to know
where Keh got his documents.
When Keh said he downloaded
them from the Internet, Santiago
yelled at him.
That can be posted from any-
where in this world and can be in-
vented by any brain in the world,
or even people with no brains,
Santiago said.
She said if Keh had any knowl-
edge of the alleged crimes com-
mitted by Corona, he should have
volunteered to become a prosecu-
tion witness.
Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontive-
ros-Baraquel, who also testied
as a hostile witness, admitted she
had no other source of evidence
against Corona but the information
that she had downloaded from the
Internet.
She said the only accounts they
stated in their complaint to the
Ombudsman were taken from
evidence that had already been
presented during the impeachment
trial and had been downloaded
from different websites.
She also denied claiming that
Corona had around $10 million in
several bank accounts.
What we said in our letter [to the
Ombudsman] was various peso and
dollar accounts. We didnt say there
was $10 million, she said.
Enrile cut Baraquels testimony
short after she admitted she had
no personal knowledge of the evi-
dence against Corona.
Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Da-
tumanong, member of the House
committee on justice, cautioned
the Ombudsman over a possible
abuse of power.
The Ombudsman had the pow-
er to investigate on its own or on
the basis of a complaint any act
or omission of any public ofcial
that appeared to be illegal, Datu-
manong, a former justice secretary,
said.
He said the Ombudsman could
request assistance from any gov-
ernment agency to discharge his
or her duties, but the Ombudsman
should never violate the law.
Will the Ombudsman really
use these charges to le yet anoth-
er impeachment case against the
chief justice in the event this one is
lost? Suarez said.
Is there so little regard for the
valuable time of our legislators, or
the urgent unnished business of
our nation? With Joyce Pangco
Paares
Aquino...
The women who have been
romantically linked with Aquino
include Shalani Soledad, Bunny
Calica, Liz Uy and Len Lopez.
Grace Lee may now be added to
that list.
Word has spread that Mr. Aqui-
no was seen with a new date at the
Cue Restaurant in Taguig City on
Monday, which belied his pro-
nouncement earlier that day that
he planned to become a priest and
live a life of celibacy.
His new date was unidentied,
but the two were later joined by
Energy Secretary Rene Almen-
dras and Philippine Amusement
and Gaming Corp Chairman Cris-
tino Naguiat, eyewitnesses said.
Unless Almendras and Nagu-
iat spill the beans, the tongues
will not stop wagging while the
nation awaits the identity of Mr.
Aquinos apparent new ame.
Joyce Pangco Paares
MAY 17, 2012 THURSDAY
A3 News
ManilaStandardToday mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Too costly to buy new poll machines
Bucor probers
disown leak
Two-tiered
wage system
in the offing
At a hearing conducted by the
House Committee on Suffrage
and Electoral Reforms, Comelec
chairman Sixto Brillantes said
the agency would be needing the
money for the purchase of these
machines for use in the elections
next year.
Comelec has the option to buy
the second-hand machines for P1.8
billion under the contract with
Smartmatic.
By Rey Requejo

THE fact-nding investigators yesterday
denied they leaked a report that recommended
the ling of criminal and administrative charges
against Director Gaudencio Pangilinan and six
other ofcials of the Bureau of Corrections
(BuCor) over an allegedly irregular renovation
project at the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP).
Muntinlupa City Prosecutor Edward
Togonon, State Prosecutor Berlin Berba and
National Bureau of Investigation anti-graft
chief Rachel Angeles testied before a four-
member committee led by Undersecretary
Leah Armamento last Monday in closed-door
hearing. The probers were looking into the
allegedly anomalous projects including aircons
and rest rooms amounting to P58 million
They said they had no knowledge of how their
99-page report signed last April 9 and immediately
submitted to the office of Justice Secretary Leila de
Lima found its way to the media.
Members of the media who reported the
leak, including Henry Omaga Diaz of
ABS-CBN 2 and Christina Mendez of The
STAR, were summoned to the hearing last
Tuesday but did not testify
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said that
the members of the media would be spared
from the probe.
Armamentos panel composed of Senior
Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony
Fadullon, Senior Asst. State Prosecutor Peter
Ong and Asst. State Prosecutor Juan Pedro
Navera then proceeded to interview the janitor
in-charge of the legal ofce in DOJ where the
document was kept by the fact-nding panel.
By Vito Barcelo
THE Philippines is now in a transition to a
two-tiered wage system with the effectivity
of the wage order of the Regional Tripartite
Wage and Productivity Board-Region IV-A
(Southern Tagalog), according to Labor
Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz
The Philippines is denitely in a transition
to a two-tiered wage system, which offers
better protection to minimum wage earners,
the labor chief said.
Baldoz said a productivity-based wage
system is central to the wage rationalization
law, adding that even Barangay Micro
Business Enterprises (BMBEs) will benet
from the two-tiered system.
The two-tiered wage system consists of a xed
oor wage or entry-level wage for new entrants
and low-skilled workers, and a exible wage
above the oor based on workers productivity
and industry or enterprise performance, which
may be negotiated between the employer and the
workers.
The wage reforms seek to upgrade the
existing minimum wage- setting in the country,
Baldoz said. The reforms are meant to minimize
the unintended outcomes of mandated
minimum wages, improve the coverage of the
vulnerable sectors, and promote productivity
improvement and gain-sharing, she said.
The National Tripartite Industrial Peace
Council endorsed and supported the reforms.
The Wage Order 15 in Southern Tagalog
set the regional oor wage at P255, with
a conditional temporary productivity
allowance (CTPA) of P12.50 for workers
already receiving more than P255.
Under the new wage order, the adjustments in
current minimum wage level shall be as follows:
(a) In non-agriculture sector, the lowest
minimum wage level of P253 in 2011 will
increase to P255 in 2012;
(b) In agriculture sector, from P213 to
P250 to a range of P231 to P255; and,
(c) In retail and service establishments
with 10 workers or less, from P165 to P232
to a range of P183 to P208.
By Maricel V. Cruz
THE Commission on Elections
(Comelec) will need between P5
billion and P6 billion to acquire brand-
new voting machines if the Supreme
Court fails to resolve the issue on the
governments contract with Smartmatic
for the purchase of these precinct count
optical scan (PCOs) machines.
To buy new machines, we
will need about ve to six billion
pesos, Brillantes told the panel
led by its chairman, Cavite Rep.
Elpidio Barzaga.
Brillantes response came after
Barzaga asked the commission
for an estimate of the amount
in the event the contract would
be declared void for being
unconstitutional.
Last month, the high tribunal
issued a temporary restraining
order freezing the Commissions
contract with Smartmatic.
TheTRO enjoined the Comelec
and the Netherlands-based
Smartmatic from proceeding with
their contract for the purchase of
around 82,000 machines.
Brillantes said that the new
machines would be used for the
conduct of several elections,
starting with the mid-term
elections next year.
He warned that the country
might return to a manual mode if
legal issues pending before the SC
would not be resolved within the
rst week of June, or the supposed
target date of the Comelec to carry
out the bidding.
We will be pressed for time,
Brillantes pointed out. This
is the reason we are asking
the Supreme Court to resolve
it immediately. But if it takes
time for the Supreme Court to
resolve the issue until July to
August, then we will run out of
time to hold the for automated
polls.
Republic of the Philippines
ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION
San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City
IN THE MATTER OF THE
APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF
THE POWER SUPPLY AGREEMENT
(PSA) BETWEEN MANILA ELECTRIC
COMPANY (MERALCO) AND SOUTH
PREMIERE POWER CORPORATION
(SPPC)
ERC CASE NO. 2012-034 RC
MANILA ELECTRIC COMPANY
(MERALCO),
Applicant
x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x
NOTI CE OF PUBLI C HEARI NG
TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:
Notice is hereby given that on March 9, 2012, the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) fled an application for
the approval of the Power Supply Agreement (PSA) it entered into with South Premiere Power Corporation (SPPC).
In the said application, MERALCO alleged, among others, the following:
1. It is a private corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with
principal offce located at Lopez Building, Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City;
2. It has a legislative franchise to operate and maintain a distribution system in the Cities and Municipalities of
Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite and Rizal, and certain Cities/Municipalities/Barangays in Batangas, Laguna,
Quezon and Pampanga pursuant to Republic Act No. 9209, including the economic zones located therein, and
is authorized to charge all its customers for their electric consumption at the rates approved by the Commission;
3. On December 12, 2011, it executed a PSAwith SPPC for the purchase of 1,180 MW capacity of the lIijan Power
Plant, a natural gas-fred combined cycle power generating facility in Ilijan, Batangas;
4. SPPC is a private corporation engaged in the generation of power and is the IPP Administrator of the lIijan
Power Plant;
5. Its PSA with SPPC, a copy of which was attached to the Application as Annex B and made an integral part
thereof, contains the following salient features:
2.2 Term of Agreement
2.2.1 Subject to Article 3, this Agreement shall become effective on the Effective Date.
2.2.2 The term of this Agreement (the Term) shall commence on the Effective Date and shall expire
on December 25, 2019, unless terminated earlier in accordance with the terms of this Agreement
or extended by the application of Section 2.2.3 or Section 14.5.2.
2.2.3 After the ffth (5
th
) anniversary, but no later than the sixth (6th), anniversary date of the Effective
Date, the Parties shall enter into good faith negotiations to decide on whether to extend the Term;
provided that any extension of the Term shall be for an additional three (3) years or until the
expiration of the term of the IPPAAgreement, whichever is earlier; provided further that, except
for the Term, the same terms and conditions of this Agreement shall govern the extension. The
duration of the negotiations for extension shall not exceed ninety (90) Days from the start thereof.
If the Parties fail to agree to an extension within the ninety (90) Day period, this Agreement will
be non-extendible and expire on December 25,2019.
xxx
3.3 Effective Date
3.3.1 If the ERC Final Approval is issued within the frst twenty fve (25) Days of a month, the date of
effectiveness of this Agreement shall be on the twenty sixth (26th) Day of such month in which
the ERC Final Approval was issued. If the ERC Final Approval is issued after the twenty ffth
(25th) Day of a month, the date of effectiveness of this Agreement shall be on the twenty sixth
(26th) Day of the month immediately succeeding such month in which the ERC Final Approval
was issued. MERALCO shall immediately notify Power Supplier of the ERC Final Approval as
soon as it receives said ERC Final Approval.
3.3.2 Prior to and until Effective Date, the TSC will govern the supply to MERALCO of power from the
Plant in an amount up to the Contract Capacity at the TSC Rate. For this purpose, MERALCO, with
the consent and cooperation of Power Supplier, undertakes to initiate negotiations and perform
any and all commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the effectivity of the TSC up to Effective
Date, including but not limited to the extension of the term of the TSC and the application with
the ERC for the approval of such extension. Upon Effective Date, the rights and obligations of
the Parties in respect of each other under or arising from the TSC shall forthwith be superseded
by this Agreement
xxx
4.1 Supply of Power
4.1 Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement:
4.1.1 From the Effective Date until the expiration or earlier termination of this Agreement, Power
Supplier shall:
(a) make available to MERALCO, and MERALCO shall purchase from Power Supplier,
at the Price determined in accordance with Appendix D, the Contract Capacity of the
Plant; and
(b) sell to MERALCO, and MERALCO shall purchase from Power Supplier, at the Price
determined in accordance with Appendix D, the Associated Energy of the Plant, to
the extent of MERALCOs relevant day-ahead nominations.
4.1.2 The Contract Capacity and Associated Energy shall be dedicated exclusively to MERALCO
for so long as this Agreement is in force and effect. Notwithstanding this, MERALCO
acknowledges that the Power Supplier is required to offer any portion of the Plants capacity
not nominated by MERALCO pursuant to the must offer rule under the WESM Rules.
4.1.3 Unless otherwise expressly permitted by this Agreement, Power Supplier shall provide
MERALCO with capacity and/or electrical energy exclusively from the Plant
xxx
7.1 Outage Allowances
7.1.1 Power Supplier is allowed Scheduled Outages not to exceed twenty six (26) Days for
each Contract Year (Full Load Equivalent Scheduled Outage Allowance Days) during
the Term, during which times reduced or no supply of Contract Capacity or Associated
Energy will be available to MERALCO. A maximum of eighteen (18) unutilized Full Load
Equivalent Scheduled Outage Allowance Days per Contract Year can be carried forward
to the immediately succeeding Contract Year.
7.1.2 Power Supplier is allowed Forced Outages not to exceed eleven (11) Days for each
Contract Year (Full Load Equivalent Forced Outage Allowance Days) during the Term
during which times reduced or no supply will be available to MERALCO. Unutilized Full
Load Equivalent Forced Outage Allowance Days shall not be carried forward to any
subsequent Contract Year.
7.1.3 Any reduction in capacity from the Plant, whether due to Scheduled Outages, Forced
Outages, Events of Force Majeure or otherwise, shall be allocated pro rata among
MERALCO and its assignees, based on their Contract Capacity at the time of such
reduction.
7.1.4 If the Scheduled Outage for a Block occurs within a Fuel Supply Force Majeure Event,
such number of maintenance, inspection and testing hours used during the Scheduled
Outage for such Block shall be counted towards the Full Load Equivalent Scheduled
Outage Allowance. The Block not under a Scheduled Outage shall be considered under
a Fuel Supply Force Majeure Event.
7.2 Replacement Electrical Output During Outages
7.2.1 During (i) Scheduled Outages within the Full Load Equivalent Scheduled Outage Allowance
Days, and (ii) Forced Outages within the Full Load Equivalent Forced Outage Allowance
Days, Power Supplier shall not be required to supply MERALCO with replacement capacity
and electrical output. In such circumstances, MERALCO shall source the replacement
power from the WESM.
7.2.2 If during any Contract Year, (i) the actual outages for maintenance, inspection and testing
of the Plant exceed the Full Load Equivalent Scheduled Outage Allowance Days, and/or
(ii) the actual Forced Outages that have occurred exceed the Full Load Equivalent Forced
Outage Allowance Days, Power Supplier shall procure such quantities of electrical energy
from the WESM to satisfy the relevant day ahead nominations of MERALCO. MERALCO
shall pay Power Supplier the price for such replacement power, which shall be equivalent
to the Fuel Payment computed in accordance with Appendix D. Power Supplier shall
indemnify and hold MERALCO harmless from any loss, cost, expense or penalty incurred
or paid by MERALCO as a result of Power Suppliers failure to so procure such quantities
of electrical energy for MERALCO.
7.3 Scheduling Outages
By no later than October 31 of every year, Power Supplier shall inform MERALCO of the Scheduled
Outages of the Plant for the succeeding calendar year as submitted to the System Operator.
Power Supplier shall keep MERALCO informed of any revisions thereby approved or initiated by
the System Operator at least thirty (30) Days prior to the start of such revised Scheduled Outage.
xxx
Article 8 Implementation of Open Access and Retail Competition
8.1 Commencement of Open Access and Retail Competition
The Parties acknowledge that Open Access and Retail Competition shall be implemented in phases
in accordance with the guidelines to be issued by the ERC, and upon implementation, the amount
of Contract Capacity and Associated Energy may be adjusted for each phase in accordance with
the terms hereof.
xxx
8.3 Assignment or Transfer of Contract Capacity Due to Open Access and Retail Competition
Upon the implementation by the ERC of Open Access and Retail Competition, MERALCO shall
also be entitled to assign, transfer, designate, delegate or allocate (as determined by MERALCO)
to any of its Affliates, or to any of its business segments, to the extent allowed by Law, or to any
third party acceptable to Power Supplier (which express written consent shall not be unreasonably
withheld), its right to purchase such portion of Contract Capacity and Associated Energy reduced
as a result of Open Access and Retail Competition.
For the avoidance of doubt, in no case shall the reduction contemplated in Article 8.2 or the
assignment or transfer contemplated in Article 8.3 relieve or otherwise excuse MERALCO from
payment for the full Contract Capacity and Associated Energy except as otherwise assumed by
the assignee or transferee. MERALCO shall then be relieved from paying for, and from any liability
pertaining to, such portion of the Contract Capacity and Associated Energy assigned, transferred,
designated, delegated or allocated.
8.4 Any capacity that the Power Supplier reacquires from any Affliate or business segment of
MERALCO shall be taken by MERALCO under the same terms and conditions (including the Price)
as contained in this Agreement for the unexpired portion of the Term. This portion of capacity that
MERALCO takes shall be added to, and treated as Contract Capacity for the purposes of this
Agreement.
Article 9 Billing and Payment
xxx
9.2 Payments
9.2.1 MERALCO shall pay the entire amount indicated in the Final Invoice (subject to Section 6
of Appendix G) when due and payable, provided that MERALCO shall not be required to
make payment on any Invoice that is manifestly in error or apparently invalid.
9.2.2 If MERALCO disputes all or any portion of a Final Invoice for a reason other than a manifest
error in, or the apparent invalidity of, such Final Invoice, MERALCO shall nonetheless
pay the full amount of such Invoice (subject to Section 6 of Appendix G). Any payment
by MERALCO under this Section 9.2.2 is without prejudice to MERALCOs right at a later
date to dispute, protest or question any amount so paid.
xxx
Article 12 Covenants
12.2 ERC Approval
12.2.1 MERALCO shall use reasonable best efforts to secure ERC Final Approval in form and
substance satisfactory to the Parties on or before the Longstop Date.
12.2.2 If the ERCs Final Approval requires an amendment of any provision herein, including
provisions on amounts payable under this Agreement, or subjects such approval to any
material term or condition that is not acceptable to either Party, acting reasonably (ERC
Conditional Approval), the Parties shall cooperate in good faith to resolve the required
ERC amendment(s) or to address the material term or condition. The Parties may:
(a) Within ffteen (15) Days after the receipt by the Parties of the ERC Conditional Approval,
seek a reconsideration of the ERC Conditional Approval; or
(b) Within sixty (60) Days after receipt by the Parties of the ERC Conditional Approval,
revise and fle an amended Agreement for approval by the ERC, or if the Parties fail
to agree on the amendment of this Agreement within the period prescribed in this
Section 12.2.2, terminate this Agreement;
provided that if the motion for reconsideration is denied by the ERC, or the amended
Agreement is disapproved by the ERC, or approved by the ERC but still with any material
term or condition that is not acceptable to either Party, acting reasonably, either Party may
terminate this Agreement upon thirty (30) Days prior written notice to the other Party.
6. The Payment Structure, as provided in Appendix D of the PSA, shall be as follows:
2 PAYMENT STRUCTURE
The payment to be made in each Billing Period during the Term for Contract Capacity and
Associated Energy shall consist of a Capacity Payment and Energy Payment. The Capacity
Payment consists of Component A1 (MCP
USD
), Component A2 MCP
PHP
), Component B
(MFOM), and Component C (Administration Fee), and the Energy Payment consists of
Component D (FP). Thus, the payment for Contract Capacity and Associated Energy for
each Billing Period shall consist of:
MCP
USD
+ MCP
PHP
+ MFOM + MAF
USD
+ MAF
PHP-a
+ MAF
PHP-b
+ FP
6.1 The Capacity Payment (Components Ato C) consists of the Capacity Payments in Philippine
Peso and US Dollars, the Fixed Operations and Maintenance Cost (MFOM) and the
Administration Fee;
6.2 The Energy Payment (Component D) shall be based on the cost of the fuel utilized by SPPC
to generate the energy provided to it during the relevant period;
7. As such, a sample calculation of the contract price under the PSA, under given assumptions,
is shown below:
Sample Calculation of Contract Price per kWh under the PSA between MERALCQ and SPPC
(February 2012 Supply Month)
BILLING COMPONENT UNIT BILLING RATE CPI Adj Factor BILLING DETERMINANT AMOUNT (PHP)
A. Capacity Fees

US Dollar Portion (USD/kW-yr)
Philippine Peso Portion (Php/kW-yr)
B Fixed O&M Fees (Php/kW-yr)
C. Administration Fee
USD Portion (C1) (USD/kW-yr)
Peso Portion - Fixed Portion (C2a) (Php/kW-yr)
Peso Portion - Escalating (C2b) (Php/kW-yr)
D. Energy Payment (Php/kWh)3
59.7894
2,858.4350
423.7288
11.9579
966.7282
84.7458
4730
1.0000
1.0000
1,180,000
1,180,000
1,180,000
1,180,000
1,180,000
1,180,000
702,336,000
(kW)
(kW)
(kW)
(kW)
(kW)
(kW)
(kWh)
285,851,533.63
317,816,271.06
41,666,666.71
57,170,306.73
107,486,066.93
8,333,333.36
2,439,227,425.14
TOTAL PAYMENT (Php)
Effective Rate at Plant Gate (Php/kWh)
3,257,551,603.56
4.6382
Effective line Rental Rate (Php/kWh) 0.0806
Effective Delivered Rate (Php/kWh) 4.7188
Effective Rate at NPC TSC* (Php/kWh) 5.3909
Savings over NPC TSC (Php/kWh) 0.6721
Savings / (Increase) in Generation Cost, PHP 472,055,922.20
Meraleo Energy Requirement, kWh 2,844,643,192.10
Generation Cost Reduction, PHP/kWh 0.1659
Assumptions:
(1) Gas Price as of February 2012
(2) Contract Capacity of 1,180 MW
(3) Effective Line Rental rates based on actual Feb 2012 WESM Preliminary bill.
(4) *NPC TOU rates Inclusive of DAA, FPPCA, FxA and FBHC Adjustments based on Feb 2012.
(5) 80% Plant Capacity factor
(6) Forex rate at PHP43.0/USD
8. The resulting average rate under the PSA is PhP4.6382 per kWh;
9. For the simulated month of February 2012, the effective rate under the Transition Supply Contract (TSC) would be
PhP5.3909 per kWh. Should its PSAwith SPPC be approved, resulting in the corresponding reduction of the contracted
energy under its TSC with the National Power Corporation (NPC),
1
its generation charge for said simulated month
is expected to be reduced by about PhP0.1659 per kWh. Thus, it is essential and urgent that the instant application
be approved in order to immediately afford end-users the benefts resulting from implementation of the PSA;
10. lt bears emphasis that the PSA provides for a longstop date of December 25,2012, within which the fnal approval
of the Commission should be secured; otherwise, the PSA may be terminated;
11. There is a paramount relevance and necessity to implement the subject PSA in time for the termination of the TSC
on December 25, 2012 in order to ensure continuous and reliable electricity for its customers. The implementation
of the subject PSA will clearly redound to the beneft of the end-users as it will shield them from the detrimental
impact of the expiration of the TSC;
12. ln support of the instant application, the Judicial Affdavit of Mr. Ciprinilo C. Meneses, its Senior Manager and Head
of Energy Sourcing Offce, was attached to the Application as Annex C; and
13. lt prays that, after hearing on the merits, a Decision be rendered approving its PSA with SPPC.
The Commission has set the application for initial hearing, expository presentation, pre-trial conference and
evidentiary hearing on June 7, 2012 (Thursday) at two oclock in the afternoon (2:00 PM) at the ERC Hearing
Room, 15th Floor, Pacifc Center Building, San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City.
All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the proceeding may become a party by fling, at least
fve (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements in the ERCs Rules of Practice and Procedure, a
verifed petition with the Commission giving the docket number and title of the proceeding and stating: (1) the petitioners
name and address; (2) the nature of petitioners interest in the subject matter of the proceeding, and the way and manner
in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and (3) a statement of the relief desired.
All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the
proceeding may fle their opposition to the application or comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before the
applicant concludes the presentation of its evidence. No particular form of opposition or comment is required, but the
document, letter or writing should contain the name and address of such person and a concise statement of the opposition
or comment and the grounds relied upon.
All such persons who may wish to have a copy of the application may request the applicant, prior to the date of
the initial hearing, that they be furnished with a copy of the application. The applicant is hereby directed to furnish all
those making a request with copies of the application and its attachments, subject to reimbursement of reasonable
photocopying costs. Likewise, any such person may examine the application and other pertinent records fled with the
Commission during the usual offce hours.
WITNESS, the Honorable Chairperson, ZENAIDAG. CRUZ-DUCUT, and the Honorable Commissioners, MARIA
TERESAA.R. CASTAEDA, JOSE C. REYES, ALFREDO J. NON, and GLORIA VICTORIA C. YAP-TARUC, Energy
Regulatory Commission, this 11th day of May, 2012 at Pasig City.
ATTY. NOEL J. SALVANERA
Director III
__________________________
1
The 10th Whereas clause in the Memorandum of Agreement (for the Extension of NPC/PSALM-MERALCO Transition Supply Contract (TSC)
and Memorandum of Agreement for the Customer Choice Program) provides that the volume of contracted energy under this extension will be
reduced by the volume allocated to a SGC upon the effective date of the PSA between MERALCO and such SGC
(MST-May 17 & 23, 2012)
Brillantes
Opinion Adelle Chua, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
mst.lettertotheeditor@gmail.com MAY 17, 2012 THURSDAY
A4
IT ALWAYS has to be somebody, at
some point.
These days its world-class boxer and
Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao who
has earned the ire of the lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgendered community
when he said that same-sex marriages
violated the law of God.
Later, Pacquiao claried his position,
saying he was not against gay people
in general because he himself had gay
relatives and they were born that way.
Weeks ago, former beauty titlist
Miriam Quiambao was vilied on the
Internet over the remarks she made in
a television show where she implied
that one of the guests, a gay man, was a
mistake. She later posted on Twitter that
homosexuality is a lie from the devil
and warned the LGBT of impending
judgment. She later apologized.
But these two celebrities are only the
more visible among the many others
who adopt a holier-than-thou posture
in viewing those who do not conform
to what we, priding ourselves as a
predominantly Catholic nation, deem
proper.
We are just too far behind. In other
shores, for instance, reproductive health
and divorce are commonplace notions in
society. Here, the debates continue to
rage. In the meantime, millions of women
are denied access to services that could
enable them to care for their families
and themselves better, and many couples
choose to stay in a rotten or loveless
marriage because of the stigma attached
to the so-called broken families. We
wonder, though: How could families be
whole when the individuals in them are
broken, in the rst place?
And now United States President
Barack Obama has unequivocally
expressed support for same-sex
marriages, again stirring debates. Of
course it is an election year, and Obama
felt he had to clarify his stand on the
controversial issue. He has wafed in
the past, nding nothing wrong with
unions but stopping short of supporting
marriages.
Immediately, President Benigno
Aquino III and congressional leaders
shot down the idea. Nobody ever really
expected them to follow suit. If at all,
they must rst clarify their stand on
reproductive healthor responsible
parenthood, which is the sameand
translate their vague promises into
concrete action. Only after we have seen
our leaders stand by their word could
we even think of taking the arguments
further and introduce new concepts that
may take decades to get used to.
In the meantime, the rest of us have
no choice but to live with the double-
speaking, hypocritical few who proclaim
that only they know the best way to get
to heaven, even when their own actions
belie the moral high ground they claim
to have.
Tolerating the intolerant
The enemy-killing
machine
SOME people are planning to launch a
betting Web site where each senators
vote in the Corona impeachment trial
will be guessed at. The bettor wins
points for every senators vote that is
correctly predicted out of the 23.
Bettors who correctly guess all 23
votes will win a grand prize. Bets can
be placed on predicting the eventual
verdict, as well as for guring that
senators long perceived to have made
up their minds either way but who
have decided to cast a vote against that
perception in the
end.
Since online
polls are always
asking the same
questions, the
people behind
the betting site
are wagering that
those who feel so
strongly about how
the Senate vote will
go should be given
a chance to put
their credit cards
where their mouths
and Facebook
prole pictures
already are. The makers of proposed
site expect the bets to start pouring
in right after impeached Chief Justice
Renato Corona takes the stand in his
own defense next week.
* * *
The testimony of self-proclaimed
good governance advocate Harvey
Keh yesterday hewed to a familiar
pattern that has distressingly
informed the campaign in and out
of the Senate to remove impeached
Chief Justice Renato Corona.
And given the belief amongst its
implementors of the strategys
efcacy, its reasonable to expect that
it will be employed again and again
against the perceived enemies of the
Aquino administration.
The pattern is simple: anonymous
or unidentiable persons would
appear with voluminous documents,
deliver these to prosecutors from the
House or palace-friendly groups like
Kehs Kaya Natin or Risa Hontiveros
Akbayan, who will then seek to
inuence the court to convicting the
chief justice. In the meantime, the
same allegations are peddled to media
outlets known to be sympathetic to
President Noynoy Aquino and his bid
to oust the chief justice, who trumpet
these unveried and anonymously
delivered documents ahead of
testimonies presented based on them.
In at least two previous instances
when the strategy was used, through the
House-led prosecution, the campaign
to convict the chief justice was not
helped as much as its implementors
had hoped. The little lady of
Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali and the
unidentiable messenger who dropped
off papers to Rep. Jorge Banal were
eventually so thoroughly discredited
that even the people who follow the
trial cannot seem to remember what
their deliveries contained.
A parallel strategy of the
instigators of the impeachment, its
prosecutors and its allies has been
to use documents obtained from
government agencies such as the
Land Registration Authority, the
Ofce of the Ombudsman and the
Anti-Money Laundering Council.
Again, the media outlets known to be
allied with Aquino rst drumbeat the
coming game-changing contents
of the papers and the testimony
to buttress them ahead of their
presentation and followed up in
similar fashion after the fact.
As Senators Miriam Defensor
Santiago and Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
wryly noted yesterday, there seems
to be no end to
the parade of
anonymous sources
from which the
people who want
Corona out get their
documents.
* * *
Why Keh
decided to attempt
to inuence a judge
in the trial, instead of
just the prosecution,
is unknown.
Perhaps he and
his confederates
thought that,
given the sorry record of the House
prosecution in using such papers of
unknown provenance in the past, it
was time to go direct to the judges
themselves.
But Senator Juan Ponce Enrile,
Kehs intended recipient, was not
pleased. In keeping with his oft-stated
position that the senators will not be
inuenced by anything that is not
presented in court, Enrile did not even
bother to look at Kehs papers and, at
the trial, ordered Keh to show why he
should not be cited for contempt for
trying to inuence a judge.
In the meantime, Senator Jinggoy
Estrada was able to prove that Keh
tried to sell his story to media outlets
perceived to be friendly with Aquino.
Keh even convinced ABS-CBN network
to send a TV crew to cover his delivery
of the papers to Enriles ofce.
But Kehs embarrassment in the
Senate should ultimately be placed
in the context of how the Aquino
administration orchestrates the use
of its resources, its allies in and out
of Congress and its media supporters
to get what it wants. It is truly a
fearsome juggernaut that can make
anyoneeven the highest and most
legally protected ofcials who refuse
to kowtow to Aquinosurrender even
before the rst salvo is red.
If only because Corona has decided
to ght the awesome state-civil
society-Congress-media apparatus
that Aquino has assembled to ruin his
enemies, he deserves support. And
regardless of the outcome of the trial,
the chief justice will have already won
the hearts of those who understand that
no ones name, rights, reputation and
dignity deserve to be trampled upon
so unfairly by such powerful forces
just to satisfy the need of one man for
vengeance.
EDITORIAL
The defenses debacle
THE prosecutors in the on-going
impeachment trial of Chief Justice
Renato Corona owe the defense a
mountain of gratitude. After all, it
was the defense that proved what the
prosecutors could not: That the chief
justice has dollar deposits in the amount
of at least$12 million, which he
failed to disclose in his Statement of
Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.
What on earth was the defense
thinking when it called on the
Ombudsman as its own witness?
Perhaps they thought that the
Ombudsman would not honor the
subpoena sent to her to testify in the
Senate. But why would she ignore
such a subpoena when as a retired
Supreme Court magistrate, she knows
all too well that unlike contempt issued
by the courts, a contempt imposed by
the legislature may be for a lifetime.
Did they think that the Ombudsman
would not disclose details of her
ongoing investigation, or at least not
the documents tending to show the
existence of the CJs dollar deposits,
because to disclose these would be
to violate the existing law protecting
the condentiality of dollar deposits
without a court order?
But why would the Ombudsman
not disclose this? To begin with, the
secrecy of dollar deposits is only
provided for by a law, while the duty of
the Ombudsman to investigate public
ofcial for illegal, unjust, improper,
or inefcient acts and its power to
request any government agency for
assistance and information necessary
x x x and to examine, if necessary,
pertinent records and documents are
both provided for by the Constitution.
Pursuant to the principle of hierarchy
of laws, the Constitutional provisions
on the Ombudsman prevail over the
prohibition of the FCDU law.
What makes the defense act even
more perplexing is that from the
declarations of the Ombudsman
herself, she apparently had no intention
of taking the stand in the ongoing
trial. When asked by Senator Miriam
Defensor Santiago to what purpose
the Ombudsman could investigate
an impeachable ofcer such as the
CJ, the Ombudsman responded
that is was only for the purpose of
recommending to Congress the ling
of an impeachment complaint after
the one-year ban in December of
this year. Ergo, her investigation, if
warranted, would have resulted only
in a letter to the Speaker of the House
perhaps recommending a second
impeachment proceeding against the
chief justice. This implies that she did
not see taking the stand as an option.
So the question is: Why did they do
it?
Lawyer Jose Roy III said it was upon
the express order of Corona himself, to
know what the Ombudsman has. I guess
the defense achieved its purpose
except that in the process, they crucied
their client.
The defense, after realizing that the
Ombudsman dropped a bomb shell
against the chief justice, is now saying
that the information divulged are: one,
not accurate, because the amounts were
not veried by the Ombudsman herself;
and two, in any case, illegally obtained
and hence inadmissible.
Such are admirable attempts to
contain the consequences of their self-
inicted damage. But these are utterly
bereft of merit. To begin with, the
Ombudsman divulged the documents
only insofar as it forms part of her
ongoing investigation about an alleged
dollar deposit undeclared by the chief
justice in his SALN. Certainly, this was
what complainants Rissa Hontiveros-
Baraquel et al alleged in their complaint.
Moreover, although she has not
personally veried the accuracy of the
accounts, she is still entitled to presume
that a very specialized agency such as
the Anti-Money Laundering Council
would be discharging its functions
regularly. If at all, the AMLC cannot be
faulted for heeding the constitutionally
mandated power of the Ombudsman to
solicit its assistance. Instead, it should
perhaps be faulted for not conducting
its own investigation even before the
impeachment trial.
Moreover, the chief justice himself,
in the form prescribed for the SALN,
has expressly authorized the obtain
and secure from all appropriate
government agencies, x x x such
documents that may show my assets,
liabilities, net worth, business interests
and nancial connections. How can
he now complain about the acts of the
Ombudsman?
With the testimony of the
Ombudsman, Corona has put the last
nail in his own cofn. Ironically, we
have the defense to thank for this.
JOJO
A. ROBLES
LOWDOWN
The parade of
anonymous sources
from which the
people who want
Corona out get
their documents
continues.
ATTY. HARRY
ROQUE JR.
VIEW FROM MALCOLM
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TODAY
CLIMACO E. CALIWARA Controller
ANITA F. GREFAL Treasury Manager
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ROGELIO C. SALAZAR President & CEO
A5 Opinion Adelle Chua, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
mst.lettertotheeditor@gmail.com
I CANNOT believe that President
Benigno Aquino III knows more about
the debilitating ailment of former
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
more than doctors and specialists do.
The President does not believe
that Mrs. Arroyos condition, which
is causing her pain, numbness
and shortness of breath, is so life
threatening that only surgery done
abroad can cure it. The Commission
on Elections also swears it would
oppose any attempts by the former
President to go abroad for treatment.
I say thats their call. But if
anything untoward happens to Mrs.
Arroyo, God
forbid, they will
carry that in their
conscience.
***
Ye s t e r d a y
I asked: How
far will the
Ombudsman go to
have Chief Justice
Renato Corona
convicted? She
also said that even
if Corona gets
acquitted, another
impeachment case will be led against
him in December. Ombudsman
Conchita Carpio-Morales alleges
that Corona has unexplained wealth
amounting to over $12 million in ve
banks.
I also asked: To what extent will the
Anti-Money Laundering Council go to
do the same?
The 23 senator-judges must, by
now, have an idea how they will take
the revelations of Morales since the
charge of ill-gotten wealth has been
stricken out from Article 2 of the
Articles of Impeachment.
This article is on the subject
of Coronas non-disclosure of his
Statement of Assets, Liabilities and
net Worth. Evidence of the alleged
dollar accounts may be submitted
since the chief justices SALN does
not contain them. Thus, the burden of
proof is now on Corona. This is why
I believe that nobody else but Corona
himself must explain.
***
When Senator-Judge Miriam
Santiago stood up to ask questions
from the Ombudsman, I knew she
had something important to say. And
indeed, Santiago said that the law
on the AMLC is clear that it could
not make public foreign exchange
deposits unless there is a waiver or a
predicate crime in court, and that only
the court can issue an order to make
the deposits public.
I was disturbed by Morales answer
she said that the Ombudsman can
seek the assistance of the AMLC to
investigate and seek the impeachment
of an ofcial, if warranted.
In effect, Morales is saying that
the law creating the Ombudsman is
superior to the Congress-approved
law on the condentiality of foreign
exchange deposits. My gulay, even
senators and congressmen can be
subjected to a similar investigation
by the Ombudsman by seeking the
assistance of the AMLC without a
predicate crime and a court order.
Such interpretation of the powers of
the Ombudsman may have dangerous
consequences!
But as I said, it is up to Corona
to defend himself. I think the non-
disclosure of, say, a few thousand
pesos could be called inadvertence.
Thats forgivable. But $12 million
in ve banks? That demands an
explanation.
I look forward to hearing what
the chief justice has to say about all
this. To the Presidents lapdogs, dont
celebrate just yet.
***
The standoff between the state-
owned Bases Conversion Development
Authority and the private lessee of
the 247-hectare Camp John Hay in
Baguio City (which used to be the
summer camp of the US military),
the Camp John
Hay Development
Corp., is a test
of the efcacy
of what the
Aquino calls its
publ i c - pr i va t e
p a r t n e r s h i p
program.
The BCDA-
C J H D e v c o
c o n t r o v e r s y
over the twice-
r e s t r u c t u r e d
Me mo r a n d u m
of Agreement for the development
of Camp John Hay as a tourist
destination in the North is an acid test
on the sincerity of the government to
protect a noteworthy project. In this
case, the lessee had already invested
P5 billion and paid BCDA a total of
P1.4 billion in lease payments, despite
being given permits to only 20 percent
of the developable areas in the last 15
years.
Instead of helping CJHDevco
achieve its goal of developing the
camp to its full potential, BCDA is
now sabotaging the project, coming
out with full-page advertisements
about unpaid lease rentals.
Among the lies peddled by BCDA
is that the existing lease agreement
is good only for 25 years, despite the
fact that during the privatization of
the project with then President Fidel
V. Ramos, the award was for 50 years
ending in 2046. This was the aftermath
of failure of the Manuela Consortium,
the winning bidder, that backed out
due to issues on the delivery of the 247
hectares.
Another lie being peddled by
BCDA is an alleged double sale of a
log cabin. The truth is that the buyer
backed out and the cabin was paid as
dacion en pago later to BCDA. Then
came BCDA advertisements warning
residents, locators and prospective
investors against investing in Camp
John Hay.
This is just unthinkable.
Would you believe that BCDA even
wants to take over the Camp John Hay
project by force? When the case was
brought to court for arbitration, BCDA
refused.
Thus, the issue is not about unpaid
rent. Its about government trying to
sabotage the potential of Camp John
Hay. If theres no development, theres
no revenue. If theres no revenue, how
can the lessee pay the rent? Its as
simple as that.
Questionable
powers
Its more waiting in the Philippines
NO, IT is not more fun in the Philippines,
dammit.
I spent the last three weeks abroad
visiting family and friends in the United
States, chronicling in this space my
impressions of three different areas
the East Bay Area and Los Angeles in
California, and Waukee and Des Moines
in Iowa.
But with all the charms and attractions
of other spaces, of all the places theres
nothing like home. I counted down the
days till my ight back, eager to feel the
warm tropical sun on my skin and my
childrens arms around me.
Checking in at the San Francisco
international airport, I found that our
Philippine Airlines ight to Manila was
delayed by two hours. The staff apologized.
The runway in Manila is closed for repairs
until ve-thirty in the morning.
Everyone groaned in dismay, but given
$15 vouchers for dinner at the airport
restaurants, shrugged in resignation and
waited.
The moment our plane landed at
the Ninoy Aquino International Airport
terminal 2, I raced the other passengers off
the jetway and sped off to the immigration
counters
and was smacked by a wall of dense,
moist heat.
Thats supposed to happen outside
the airport, not in. What happened to the
airconditioning? That tired old excuse of
But its a very hot summer, hindi kaya ng
aircon is unacceptable. We have some of
the best engineers in the world. Surely they
can design a cooling system for the airport
that can handle the load?
Bear in mind as well that passengers
from chillier climes are arriving, and the
sudden change in temperature can lead to
snifes or u. Illness will put a damper on
anyones vacation, and thats not fun.
I peeled off my light hoodie and got
in line for Immigration. A very long line.
An Im-having-fun-yet queue mirrored
multiple times right and left in a cramped
space, which added to the feeling of being
hot and crowded.
A worse ordeal followedthe claiming
of the luggage. First, there were no clear
signs indicating which carousel passengers
are supposed to go to. You have to check
all the monitors to nd which one displays
your ight.
In our case, the monitor showed four
indicated ights. One carousel to handle
the baggage from four airplanes? The area
cannot accommodate the number of people
waiting for their bags, crammed four
deep around the carousel, which snakes
in S-curves against the wall to maximize
space.
At the San Francisco and Los Angeles
airports, Ive never had to wait longer than
15 minutes for my checked-in luggage
to appear on a roomy long carousel
dedicated to only one ight. Here, long
minutes crawled by. No luggage. Others
who arrived on later ights got theirs rst.
Unfair! people muttered. After an hour
of fruitless waiting, I was hot, annoyed,
and close to tears.
A Customs ofcial told me brusquely,
You are at the correct carousel. Just wait.
A friendlier baggage handler assured me
my bags were not mislaid. They radioed
us that two more container vans of luggage
have just been ofoaded, he explained. It
took an hour to ofoad our bags? And this
carousel is not handling four ights. Only
two.
He moved aside the plastic strips
that cover the hole from which the bags
emerge. See here, he said, as I bent down
and peeked. I saw a small gray room.
There isnt enough space in there for all
the luggage. Thats the reason for the wait.
After 15 more minutes, my luggage
popped out. I left NAIA sweaty and upset.
My daughters who were waiting outside
were worried, wondering what kept me.
I cant help comparing the difference
between our airports and the ones Ive
seen abroad. Its no wonder that last year
NAIA terminal 1 was judged the worst
airport in the world, according to a Web
site survey.
In reaction to that, last January President
Aquino promised a P1 billion revamp.
Some money should go to improving
the runways, immigration queues,
airconditioning, and luggage handling of
the other terminals too.
The airport is the rst impression that
travelers get of our country. Fix it, to whom
it may concern. Make it truly more fun in
the Philippines. Make the reality match the
slick expensive advertising-agency slogan.
Dammit.
E-mail: jennyo@live.com, Blog: http://
jennyo.net, Facebook: Gogirl Caf,
Twitter: @jennyortuoste, Radio: DWIZ
882kHzAM 730-9pm Saturday
EVERYMAN
By William Pesek
THE iPhone has become a symbol of
something Steve Jobs never envisioned:
Chinese sweatshops.
Were the late Apple Inc. co-founder
still with us, he would surely dispute
that. But facts are facts, and any of us
(full disclosure: this includes me) who
use one of Apples smartphones, iPads
or iPods is, at least indirectly, supporting
the exploitation of electronics factory
workers in China.
Yet what if the iPhone is a key to ending
the poverty that forces so many Asians to
toil in such abhorrent conditions?
The buzz phrase nancial inclusion
is getting increasing attention these
days. It refers to the worlds unbanked
masses, what bankers like to call the
other 3 billion. Thats the estimated
number of people who lack access to
the most basic of nancial services.
And in nations such as India and the
Philippines, a key answer may be
mobile phones. Poor Asians who lack
bank accounts often have one.
That has banks turning to experts on
mobile-device networking systems, such
as Jay Collins. Working for Citigroup Inc.
inNew York, Collins is one of modern
nances true alchemists, endeavoring to
nd ways for the poor to move, pay, collect
and store money on mobile devices.
No more wasting an entire day at
the bank or paying various bills in
person. No more being scammed when
remitting cash to families overseas. No
more getting robbed while carrying your
weekly wages. No more public ofcials
skimming money off the top. No more
black-market money changers. No more
turning to loan sharks.
Cutting out middlemen
That also goes for small and midsize
enterprises, which account for almost
half of all employment in developing
Asia. Owners and managers could make
payments to suppliers and employees
directly into accounts connected to
mobile-phone SIM cards, eliminating
any number of middlemen all looking
for their cut. The more cash and credit
these businesses get their hands on, the
more Asians they can hire.
We view this as our killer app that
could transform banking and reduce
poverty and corruption at the same time,
Collins says.
Citigroup isnt an altruistic venture.
Its championing this revolution because
of the potential prots: loads of new
customers, deposits and, of course, fee
income. Just as George Soross Quantum
Ltd., Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and
Nomura Holdings Inc. invested in
micronance, Citigroup realizes theres
money to be made even from those with
little of it.
The potential of mobile banking
deserves far more attention than its
getting from governments. It could
enable billions to leapfrog from no
connection to the global nancial
system to becoming productive
participants. Asias poor would
suddenly have a way to manage income,
build assets, invest in the future and buy
insurance to prepare for risks like health
crises or natural disasters.
Political leaders should facilitate the
technologys growth with regulations
and oversight to ensure security against
hacking and scams. They should commit
to distribute certain salaries, benets and
subsidies on mobile systems. They should
step up efforts to raise nancial literacy in
the region.
The perfect-world, mobile-nance
ecosystem would sound like a symphony
orchestra, where the various industry and
government participants show up at the
same time, with the same sheet of music,
and play in harmony, Collins says. That
is not todays reality. Currently, players
appear at different times and places with
their own music and tempo.
Big benets
There are big benets here for
governments. Phone transactions create
a cyber trail to give tax authorities and
national-security ofcials greater insights
and inuence over the movement of
money. It adds a level of transparency that
Asias current cash-based environment
doesnt.
Indias potential is a great
example. Boston Consulting
Group reckons increased mobile
nance would be a boon to growth. In a
2011 report, it predicted a 5 percent jump
in gross domestic product, a $50 billion
increase in tax revenue annually and the
creation of 600,000 new businesses by
2020. Were not talking sweatshop jobs,
but decent-paying ones in air- conditioned
buildings.
The Asian Development Banks
experience in Afghanistan also is
instructive. Since the middle of the last
decade, the Manila- based lender has
made more than $100 million in loans
to help mobile-phone providers extend
coverage to parts of the nation with no
telecommunications infrastructure. The
nancing also supported the creation of
mobile-phone banking services.
It had a couple of unanticipated
consequences, both for the better. First,
fewer government soldiers were going
AWOL. It was feared that they were
conspiring with local tribal leaders who
might be supporting terrorism. It turned
out that they had been disappearing
to take their pay back to their home
villages. Second, soldiers suddenly
were getting more money. Superiors
could no longer pocket big chunks of
their wages.
Mobile phones are hardly a quick
x. The causes of poverty, and the ways
to address it, are as diverse as they are
complicated. For many, though, exclusion
from the banking world is a formidable
barrier to better lives. Imagine the ripple
effects should mobile-phone consumer
nance take hold.
Banks once gave out toasters to new
customers. Free iPhones, anyone?
Bloomberg
Killer apps and iPhone sweatshops
EMIL
P. JURADO
TO THE POINT
By Val Abelgas
THE declaration of support by US
President Barack Obama for gay
marriage last week has revived the long-
drawn controversy over unions between
two persons belonging to the same
sex. For almost two years now, the gay
marriage debate has been eerily quiet
while both sides awaited the decision
of the US Court of Appeals for the
Ninth District on the constitutionality of
Californias Proposition 8.
North Carolinas voters approved
Tuesday last week an amendment to the
state constitution afrming that marriage
may only be a union between a man
and a woman. Earlier, Vice President
Joe Biden said in a Sunday talk show
that he was completely comfortable
with gay marriages, forcing Obama to
categorically support gay marriages.
The debate over same-sex marriage
rst stirred the Americans consciousness
in 1993 when the Hawaii Supreme Court
ruled that denying licenses to same-sex
partners violated the Hawaii constitution
unless there was a compelling state
interest. In 2004, Massachusetts
became the rst state to legalize same-
sex marriage. Now, six states allow
gay marriages: Connecticut, Iowa,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New
York, and Vermont, plus Washington,
D.C. and Oregons Coquille and
Washington states Suquamish Indian
tribes. Washington and Maryland have
also passed laws allowing gay marriages,
but both are awaiting approval by voters
in the November election.
Worldwide, ten countries have begun
allowing same-sex couples to marry:
Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland,
the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,
Spain, South Africa and Sweden.
I dont see the Philippines catching
up on gay rights. The country has
remained centuries behind in its
cultural and religious beliefs because
of the stranglehold of the Roman
Catholic Church. In fact, President
Aquino, through spokesman Edwin
Lacierda categorically stated that his
administration is not ready to accept
the concept of gay marriage. Speaker
Sonny Belmonte also said the House of
Representatives is not keen on passing a
law that would allow same-sex marriage.
They would rather allow ignorance,
inequality and bigotry to prevail over the
country than offend the Church.
In November 2008, while America
was upholding the result of decades of
battle for civil rights by electing Obama,
an African American, to the presidency,
tens of thousands of Californians were
institutionalizing inequality, injustice
and bigotry by passing Proposition 8,
which sought to ban gay marriages in
California. They wanted to include in the
state constitution a provision that would
deprive a group of people of their right to
happiness and equal protection, and on
the same breath would rather protect the
rights of chickens, pigs and cows than
those of their fellow human beings.
Californians voted 52 percent to 47
percent to pass Proposition 8. Sixty-three
(63) percent of these same Californians
voted to mandate proper handling of
farm animals through Proposition 2.
Proposition 8 sought to include in
the state constitution the words: Only
marriage between a man and a woman is
valid or recognized in California.
The framers of the constitution of
both the state and the United States of
America, included the protection of
individual rights precisely to ensure that
such rights could not be taken away by
legislative or administrative action, or
even by the tyranny of the majority.
In a ruling that revoked an earlier
proposition to ban gay marriage, the
California Supreme Court correctly
pointed out that the right to marry is one
such constitutional right that must be
provided equally to all people desiring
to marry.
Those who oppose gay marriages
claim that the union of same-sex couples
undermines the traditional denition
of marriage and thus poses a threat to the
institution of marriage. In March 2005,
US Judge Richard Kramer noted that a
violation of individual rights could not be
justied by its historic acceptance. It must
also be pointed out that more than 18,000
same sex marriages have been legalized
in the US for years, but the traditional
institution of marriage has not been put in
peril, nor has society collapsed. Nor have
these marriages degrade the marriage of
traditional man-woman couples.
The legalization of gay marriages
does not require those who have moral
objection to them, to recognize or
approve of these marriages. Neither does
it require priests or church ministers to
perform or bless such marriages. Neither
does it require schools, as falsely claimed
by gay marriage opponents, to teach that
there is no difference between the
traditional man-woman marriages and
same-sex marriages.
Many proponents cite the Bible
saying that the Holy Scriptures describes
marriage as that between a man and a
woman. These religious fundamentalists
tend to forget that gays are Gods creation,
too, so why treat them differently? Why
deprive them of their right to be happy,
to spend their life with the person they
love, and experience the joys of having
a family while enjoying the benets and
protection of the law? Can they honestly
say that God feels differently about gays?
Many gay couples have been together
for 20, 30, even 40 years, far longer than
many traditional marriages. As correctly
pointed out by the San Jose Mercury
News in an editorial: All couples who
exchange vows know, in their own
hearts, the depth and spiritual meaning of
their union. That is for them, not others,
to determine.
I say, amen.
Mr. Abelgas is a former managing
editor of Manila Standard.
Same-sex marriages
JENNY
ORTUOSTE
POP GOES THE WORLD
The Ombudsman
would go to great
lengths to have
Corona convicted.
News
ManilaStandardToday
mst.daydesk@gmail.com MAY 17, 2012 THURSDAY
A6

IN BRIEF
Water rms get $275-m loan
Manila standard manila standard
Erap, Lim visit 2,000
victims of Tondo re
Claudine testies
for amparo order
By Othel Campos
THE World Bank has approved a
$275-million loan to nance the
construction of wastewater treatment
facilities in several catchment areas of
Metro Manila that will help improve
Manila Bays water quality.
The Metro Manila Waste-
water Management Project will
support investments of Metro
Manilas two water conces-
sionaires, Manila Water Com-
pany Inc. and Maynilad Water
Services Inc., in implementing
a 25-year program for ensuring
100 percent wastewater collec-
tion and treatment.
Under the program, Manila
Water may get $193.4 million
for a sewage treatment plant and
associated sewage lines in North
and South Pasig while Maynilad
$178.3 million for similar treat-
ment plants and lines in Quezon
City, Pasay, Alabang, Muntin-
lupa, Valenzuela, and a septage
treatment plant in the southern
part of Metro Manila..
World Bank Country Direc-
tor Motoo Konishi said the proj-
ect is part of the banks broader
program of support for Metro
Manila urban renewal, includ-
ing work on ood management,
disaster risk management and
slum upgrading.
Konishi said that inadequate
sanitation imposes severe costs
on the economy and the popula-
tion. Economic losses from in-
adequate sanitation nationwide
due to health costs and impacts
on water quality, tourism, and
welfare of the population are
estimated to be around 1.5 per-
cent of gross domestic product
(GDP).
The Land Bank of the Phil-
ippines acted as the local con-
duit by the World Bank and will
make available the loan pro-
ceeds to the two water conces-
sionaires.
MWMP will help both con-
cessionaires embark on this am-
bitious program by supporting
investments in selected catchment
areas, thus addressing the grow-
ing needs for improved wastewa-
ter management and sanitation in
Metro Manila, said Land Bank
president and chief executive of-
cer Gilda E. Pico.
With a total population of al-
most 12 million people, Metro
Manila is located in the Laguna
Lake-Pasig River-Manila Bay
corridor. Interconnected with
more than 30 tributaries, most
of which are highly polluted.
Restoring the quality of
Metro Manilas bodies of wa-
ter and eventually Manila Bay
is going to be a long process
but I believe this project is one
huge step towards achieving
this goal, said Pico.
Finance Secretary Cesar
Purisima said that the project
will boost the countrys efforts
to clean up the bodies of water
around Metro Manila.
Water quality improvements
in rivers and other water chan-
nels in and around the metropo-
lis including Laguna de Bay and
Manila Bay will help to improve
the environment, and eventually
enhance recreational and tourism
opportunities, he said.
Metro Manila generates
about 2 million cubic meters of
wastewater every day. Without
adequate sewerage facilities,
only around 17 percent of this
volume gets treated before being
discharged into water channels in
and around the metropolis, which
end up mostly in Manila Bay.
Erap para sa mahirap. Echoing his presidential slogan Erap for the poor, former President Joseph Estrada speaks to thousands of Tondo
residents at the Del Plan Sports Complex where they were billeted after the big re that destroyed their homes on May 11. SONNY ESPIRITU
Writ of amparo. Actress Claudine Barreto (left) and her parents
Miguel and Inday Barreto head to the courtroom of Regional Trial
Court Branch 219 Judge Bayani Vargas to testify why she should be
granted a writ of amparo, or special protection order, against the
brothers of newspaper columnist Ramon Tulfo. MANNY PALMERO
QC plans to install 4,000
cameras over 6 months
By Rio N. Araja
QUEZON City plans to install over a
period of six months 4,000 closed-circuit
televisions in key areas around the city to
monitor vehicular trafc, help in disaster
response and help solve crimes, a top aide of
Mayor Herbert Bautista said yesterday.
Aldrin Cua, Mayor Herbert Bautistas
chief of staff, said the city has allocated a
budget of P100 million to buy the security
cameras that city ofcials hope will help
deter criminality, monitor trafc ow and
provide time information during disasters,
such as earthquakes, strong typhoons and
oods.
Cua said they would bid out the
acquisition contract for the 4,000 cameras
which should be able to capture images at
night, rotate to 360 degrees and zoom into
record faces and important details.
In six months time, we hope that our
new four- to ve-story public safety building
is completed to house the command center,
a one-stop shop that could provide real-
time road situation, he told the Manila
Standard.
The cameras were supposed to be
installed next month, but the installation
appears to have been delayed because of the
uncompleted command center.
Quezon City has already passed an
ordinance mandating establishments to
have their own security cameras, while
the Department of Interior and Local
Government is also promoting the use of
CCTV systems.
The CCTVs will be installed at crime-prone
areas that have been identied by the Quezon
City Police District, school zones, ood-prone
areas, and other danger zones, he said.
Tomasito Cruz, chief of the City Planning
Division, said the mayor has created a
technical working group composed of various
city hall departments to study, validate,
assess and implement the preparatory work.
We are now coordinating with the
Philippine National Police, and even
the Department of Interior and Local
Government for a holistic approach, he told
the Manila Standard.
But experience with similar CCTV
systems in other areas are not promising.
The PNP installed 42 cameras, worth
P60 million, around Metro Manila in 2009,
but most of the cameras later broke because
vehicles bumped into the posts where the
cameras were installed or they were exposed
to too much rain or too much water.
Taguig also used to have 50 cameras, but
only 10 remain operational.
The only effective security camera system
appears to be that operated by the Metro
Manila Development Authority.
By Rey Requejo w
SHOWBIZ personality Claudine Barretto on Wednesday took the
witness stand before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to ex-
plain why the court should issue a write or amparo, or special pro-
tection order, against the brothers of newspaper columnist Ramon
Tulfo who threatened her and her family on national television.
Barretto was accompanied by her parents to QCRTC Branch 219
where she asked Judge Bayani Vargas to issue the protection order
after Erwin, Raffy and Ben Tulfo, hosts of the T3 Kapatid, Sagot
Kita television program, threatened the Barreto family during the
program that aired on May 7.
The 32-year-old Barretto through her lawyers Jennifer Jimeno
and Alex Avisado told the judge they have a video, certied true
and correct by the Movies and Television Review and Classication
Board, to present as evidence.
Tulfos lawyer, Nelson Borja, tried to bar Barretto from testify-
ing, because they were purportedly not informed by the courts of
the proceeding, but the court proceeded with the hearing anyway.
After the late afternoon court hearing, Barretto and her lawyers
issued an ofcial statement, offering a reward money to anyone who
could provide a video of the events that led to the scufe between
Ramon Tulfo, her actor-husband Raymart Santiago, and friends at
the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on May 6.
The laywers said concerned parties may call the Gana Atienza
Avisado Law Ofces at 880-4263 to 65. All communication ex-
penses will be reimbursed, they said.
Meanwhile, the MTRCB lifted its preventive suspension order
against the TV5 program T3 after the television network assured
the incident will not happen again.
Lawyers of MTRCB from the Ofce of the Solicitor General
and counselof TV5 reached the agreement during a hearing at the
Court of Appeals yesterday afternoon, making moot and academic
the prayer in the petition of the network for issuance of temporary
restraining order against the suspension order.
Belmontes offer P30,000
aid to female students
QUEZON City Vice Mayor Joy
Belmonte on Wednesday announced
full college scholarship grants to
empower poor, but deserving female
high school students.
At a news brieng, Belmonte said
she and her father, Speaker Feliciano
Belmonte Jr., through the Congressional
Spouses Foundation Inc. are awarding
P30,000 to 100 female high school
graduates per semester to enable them
pursue a college education of their
choice starting this June.
According to economists, educated
women can better look after the welfare
of their children and husbands as well
as their community, she told the Manila
Standard.
Women must be given an equal
opportunity to education, she stressed.
The program is part of the
governments Millennium
Development Goal to involve women
in nation-building, she said.
The project aims to empower
young women and prepare them to
become active partners in nation-
building by helping them pursue
higher studies.
To ensure the success of her project,
she said those who will nish their
collegiate studies will have to work
in the country for at least a year after
graduation to guarantee that the
education they have attained will not
be put to naught, Belmonte said.
Rio N. Ar aja
Customs seizes P25-m
fake footwear in Pasay
THE Bureau of Customs on Wednesday
seized approximately P25 million
worth of imported counterfeit footwear
stored in a warehouse in Pasay City.
Customs agents, headed by
Bienvenido Entico Jr., and policemen
from the Tactical Operations Center
at the Pasay City Hall and barangay
authorities, raided the warehouse,
purportedly owned by one Marilyn
Santos.
The lawmen found imported fake
footwear under the brand name such
as Adidas, Sport, Moda, Nike, Crocs,
Vans, Converse, and Havaianas stocked
in a room in the warehouse.
Upon initial inventory of the
impounded items, they found that the
goods were imported without proper
payment of duties and taxes and a
warrant of seizure was immediately
issued against the items.
Following the operation, Customs
commissioner Runo Biazon ordered
all BOC ofces to redouble efforts in
examining cargo manifests and other
pertinent documents of all incoming
shipments to prevent any illegal entry
of counterfeit goods.
Mar ia Ber nadette Lunas
By Macon Ramos-Araneta
FORMER President Joseph Estrada, who
has declared his intention to run for mayor
of Manila, went to Isla Puting Bato in the
citys Tondo district to distribute relief to the
victims of the re that razed the shantytown
and left some 2,000 families homeless on
May 11.
Accompanied by Vice Mayor Isko More-
no and a large entourage, Estradas arrival
caused confusing excitement among the res-
idents who were temporarily housed at the
Del Pan Sports Complex.
Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and other city
ofcials had already paid the re victims
earlier and also distributed used clothes,
mats and blankets.
The mayor also directed the local social
welfare department to ensure that the vic-
tims of the re are fed three times a day.
Manila arson investigators are trying to
track down the owner of a hovel where the
re supposedly started but re investigators
have not yet determined the cause of the re
which also drew reghting units in other
cities of Metro Manila.
Fire investigators said the re started at
around 4:10 p.m. Friday and was completely
put out at 10:49 p.m. after injuring ve peo-
ple, including a reman and three minors.
The Philippine Coast Guard also helped
in the rescue as some residents of the com-
pound, estimated to to house up to 3,000
families, jumped into makeshift boats on
Manila Bay to escape from the ames.
Meanwhile, Lim visited ofcers and
members of the United Federation of Tri-
cycle Operators at the Freedom Triangle
beside the Manila City Hall to sticking anti-
smoking stickers on tricycles operating in
the area.
Ofcers of the Manila Anti-Smoking
Task Force distributed anti-smoking stick-
ers to members of the different tricycle op-
erators and drivers in the city.
The stickers for the tricycles are aimed
at strengthening information dissemina-
tion of existing anti-tobacco smoking cam-
paign of the city as well as in educating
the riding public of the health risks posed
by smoking.
You should lead the anti-smoking cam-
paingn and show an example to your passen-
gers, said the mayor who was accompanied
by chief of staff and media bureau chief Ri-
cardo E. de Guzman, who is also the chairman
of the Manila Anti-Smoking Task Force.
Manila Ordinance 8092 prohibits smok-
ing in public places, including public utili-
ty vehicles. Violators of the ordinance may
be ned P1,000.00.
A7 Sports Riera U. Mallari, Editor
ManilaStandardToday
sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
Everyone saw what damage
Commissioners Cup Best
Import Denzel Bowles did last
conference as he spearheaded
B-Megs path to the title. Cone
is optimistic that their third
Nickell wins the US
Team trials
Cone pins championship
hopes on B-Meg import
By Jeric Lopez

AFTER having a superb import that was
able to bring B-Meg to a championship last
conference Llamados coach Tim Cone sees
another successful conference for his squad
because he has another gem of a reinforce-
ment for the upcoming PBA Governors Cup.
IN BRIEF
Lady Stags eye semis
SAN Sebastian battles Ateneo today,
seeking at least a playoff for a seminal
berth even as two struggling teams try
to stay in the hunt in the quarternal
round of the ninth Shakeys V-League
Presented by Smart at The Arena in
San Juan.
Toting a 2-1 card, the Lady Stags
duel the defending champions at 4 p.m.,
hoping to dish out their best against the
leagues best in an explosive match
expected to go down to the wire.
Although assured of a Final Four spot
with an unbeaten 5-0 mark, the Lady
Eagles are also expected to go for a win
in their determined bid to go all the way
to another championship in the league
sponsored by Shakeys Pizza.
Jeng Bualee of SSC and Ateneos
Phee Nok Kesinee are likely to
neutralize each other in a duel of Thai
imports, leaving the ght for the local
crew of both squads to decide.
Ateneo has the slight edge with
Alyssa Valdez, Dzi Gervacio, Fille
Cainglet, Gretchen Ho and Jam Ferrer
playing cohesive ball since the elims.
But Joy Benito is expected to step up
for SSC in this key match along with
Dafna Robinos, Karen Bernano, Rubie
de Leon and Ara Mallare with support
from Mae Crisostomo, Joy Corpuz, Bea
Uy and Jolina Labiano.
TEAM Nickell won
the right to represent
the United States at
the 2012 World Mind
Sports Game in Lillle
France in Aug. 9-23.
The members are the
following: Frank
Nickell, Capt., Ralph Katz, Robert Hamman, Zia Mahmood,
Jeff Meckstroth and Eric Rodwell.
Prior to the Finals I emailed Fred Gitelman of Team
Diamond and Bridge Base Online founder my best wishes
for him and his team. Gitelman so kindly replied and
thanked me and said appreciate your support.
After a tight ght Nickell won with 267-251 against
Diamond. BBO reported: It was an exciting nish in the nals
of the USBC. Nickell had a 30 IMP lead going into the last
set. Diamond fought valiantly and had the lead down to 12
IMPs with two boards to go, but they came up just short,with
Nickell emerging with a 267-251 victory. Congratulations to
the Nickell team.
I feature two deals which gave the swing to Nickell as
reported from the Daily Bridge Bulletin:
Board 4 North
Dealer: W 83
All Vul. AKQT7
AQ2
A73
West East
7542 AKQT9
86 J93
98 J764
Q9854 2
South
J6
542
KT53
KJT6
AS the traditional powers in the
country continued to hold sway for
the last 10 years, defending champion
Cotabato Region shared the top honors
with Davao at the end of the secondary
schools boys boxing competitions of
the recent 2012 Palarong Pambansa in
Lingayen, Pangasinan.
The Cotabato Region picked up
a gold and silver, courtesy of light-
yweight Jade Bornea and Esneth Ray
Domingo respectively.
The Davaoenos were not to be
outdone, snatching a gold in the light-
mosquitoweight category after Ven
Joshua Vanguardia bested Erwin Jay
Campaner.
They then settled for a silver in the
light-yweight action after Bornea
prevailed over Philip John Fuentes.
Three silvers came Davaos way in
the mosquitoweight, light-paperweight
and the pinweight categories.
Overall, the National Capital Region
emerged as overall champions again
with 733 points, and after topping the
secondary division with 415 points and
the elementary side with 318 points.
NCR, which had 11 golds, eight
silver and three bronzes in athletics,
and came away with a 24-8-9 gold-
silver-bronze nish in swimming,
tallied 236 points in the boys division,
and 179 in the girls action.
Western Visayas, eased out Southern
Tagalog from overall second this year
with 452 points, and after it came up
with strong showings the secondary
boys and girls athletics, where it had a
10-11-7 nish to tally 221.5 points in
the high school level.
Southern Tagalog settled for third
with 335.5 points, with 158 points
coming from the secondary division,
after it placed runner-up to NCR in
girls swimming meet with a gold,
seven silvers and three bronzes.
A total of 11 meet records fell, with
seven in athletics and four in swimming.
The 19-year meet record in the
4x400 meter relay in athletics was
bettered ve times. Lorenz Navarro,
Renmark Dela Cruz, Rowell Alameda
and Julius Berona of the Western
Visayas region clocked 3:31.7.68 in
the elimination heat.
Cotabato, Davao continue to hold sway in boxing
Obosa tops 7-Eleven Tour
FORMER national team standout
Ericson Obosa beat V-Mobiles
Oscar Rindole and Nicanor Guanzon
in a scrambling nish to rule the
100-kilometer pro division of the well-
attended 7-Eleven Tour 700 that began
and nished inside the Clark Freeport
Zone in Angeles City, Pampanga last
weekend.
All three riders peeled away from
the seven-man lead pack in the last
10 kilometers before the Roadbike
Phils. mainstay and pride of Manaoag,
Pangasinan banked on his sprinting
skills to win the race in two hours and
16 minutes at.
Rindole nished second in 2:16.02
while Guanzon third in 2:16.04 in
the bike-for-a-cause organized by
Philippine Seven Corp. that drew a huge
eld of 3,700 riders, more than double
the 1,500 cyclists who took part in the
7-11 Tour 500 in 2010.
Malaking yong tulong ni Macmac
(Galedo) at Baler (Ravina) para
panalo, said Obosa of his teammates
after pocketing the top pot of P25,000
in the event held in cooperation with
the Bases Conversion and Development
Authority, Tollways Management
Corporation, SCTEX, Clark Freeport
Philippines, Solar TV and Talk TV.
AND then there were four.
Chiang Kai Shek College,
Ama Computer University,
Ateneo-Team A and La Salle-
Greenhills advanced to the
Final Four after hurdling their
respective rivals recently in
the Elite Eight of the Seaoil-
NBTC Elite Basketball
League at the Xavier
University Gym.
Jeric Ang nished with
23 points and led Chiang
Kai Shek to a thrilling 64-
56 overtime win over San
Sebastian.
Ama Computer and De La
Salle-Zobel also engaged
in a tightly fought battle in
this event organized by the
National Basketball Training
Center and supported by
Purefoods, Star Margarine
and Magnolia.
In the end, Ama, handled by
Mark Herrera, prevailed over
De La Salle-Zobel, 62-59.
Billy Tonedo erupted
for 30 points and nearly
single-handedly carried
Ama Computer to a gripping
victory.
Ateneo and La Salle-
Greenhills easily dispatched
their respective foes. The
Eaglets ran roughshod over
Lourdes School, 56-42, while
the Junior Archers dumped
the San Beda Red Cubs-
Rizal, 71-50.
Joel Santos led the way for
the Green Archers with 17
points.
Smart to hold environment
run for Sarangani Bay Fest
LEADING wireless services provider
Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart)
is bringing to the province of
Sarangani its annual pro-environment
running event.
Held in Davao City last year,
this years edition of Run for the
Environment is being hosted by the
local government of Sarangani and
will coincide with the celebration of
Sarangani Bay Festival. The fun run,
which opened 5k and 10k categories to
running enthusiasts, will be held Friday,
May 18, 2012.
Assembly time is 4:30 a.m. at the
Sarangani Bay Festival site between
White Haven and Rosal Beach Resort
in Gumasa, Glan, Sarangani. The 10k
race will start at 5:30 a.m. and the 5k
race will follow at 5:45 a.m. The unique
fun run course will cover both paved
and dirt areas, as well as the Sarangani
Bay shoreline allowing participants to
appreciate the view of the famous bay.
conference import Marqus
Blakely will likewise have the
same impact.
Were very pleased with our
import, said Cone of his new
recruit. Marqus (Blakely) is a great
guy and he wowed us in practice.
Blakely came in as early as
B-Megs nals war against Talk
N Text in the Commissioners
Cup and he immediately joined
the team in practice and even
helped the Llamados prepare in
the nal two games of that series.
The former Vermont standout
has blended well with the
champion team. Cone said that
his locals are excited to have
Blakely and he sees no problem
heading into the third conference.
He said his team is ready to
compete for yet another title.
I think the players are all kilig
about him and theyre all ready to
go with him so I dont think theres
any doubt that they can compete
during the next conference with
this young man.
Bowles and Blakely are both
talented but raw and young.
Bowles was just 22 when B-Meg
got him last February and was
23 when they won the title two
weeks ago. Blakely is coming in
at only 23 years of age as well.
Another thing that impressed
Cone about Blakelys game is his
versatility on the oor. He can
play whatever position there is
to ll depending on the needed
combination at the moment.
Hes a great athlete. He plays
small forward and power forward
and can even play center as well.
Hes pretty versatile.
SYLVIA LOPEZ
ALEJANDRO
Vivas routs rival but Babad falls
TOP seed Paul Vivas outclassed Rusty
Rodriguez, 21-10, 21-10, to lead the national
players into the third round of the mens Open
singles yesterday in the Philippine National
Open-Ming Ramos Youth Camp Badminton
Championships at the Rizal Memorial
Badminton Hall.
Vivas, a veteran of the national team, took
just 17 minutes to dispose of his opponent and
set up an encounter with fellow Philippine
team mainstay Kevin Alfred Dalisay, who
advanced with a 21-6, 21-12 rout over
Kingsley Go of Escoses Training Camp.
With new Indonesian head coach Rexy
Mainaky monitoring their performances, the
Filipino shuttlers are hard-pressed to show
their wares in the tournament sponsored by
Victor/PCOME, Bingo Bonanza, Sun Cellular
and the Philippine Sports Commission.
They should be able to show they are worthy
to be in the national team, said Mainaky, the
top-caliber coach who is also conducting a
search for new members of the national pool.
He said the 20-plus Phl squad is too small
to make a difference in the powerhouse
Southeast Asian region.
Second seed Andrei Babad was rst to
wilt under pressure as he suffered a shocking
defeat at the hands of Alex Borromeo of
Escoses Training Team.
Open Room
West North East South
Katz Gitelman Nickell Moss
Pass 2NT Pass 3NT
All Pass
Closed Room
Hampson Zia Greco Hamman
Pass 1 1 2
Pass 2 Pass 3
Pass 4 All Pass
The rst major swing of the Final Match came on Board 4.
There was much controversy among the BBO commentators
about Freds 2NT opening holding ve solid hearts and two
small spades. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt.
He was most unlucky to have Nickell on lead holding :
AKQT9. Had Katz been on lead, he might have led a spade
but he also might had led from his ve card club holding.
As it was, Nickell led his spades and the contract failed
by a trick.
In the other room, Zia chose to open 1. Greco
overcalled 1 and now there was no danger of Hamman/
Zia falling into the NT trap.
Greco led the king of spades against 4. He cashed a
second spade and Zia quickly claimed 11 tricks.
The results: 13 IMPs to Nickell
The second major swing in the match also went to
Nickell. Without Cohler here, the Diamond team had no
eld protection.
Board 9 North
Dealer: N A6
E/W Vul. Q32
KT854
T97
West East
KJ4 QT8
A8765 KJ
AQ7 962
QJ AK864
South
97532
T94
J3
532
Open Room
West North East South
Hampson Zia Greco Hamman
Pass 1NT Pass
3 (puppet) Pass 3 (no 5 crd maj) Pass
3 (5+3) Pass 3NT Pass
4NT All Pass
Closed Room
Katz Gitelman Nickell Moss
Pass 1 Pass
1 Pass 1NT Pass
2 Double Pass Pass
Redouble All Pass
Redoubled hands: The dream of every newsletter
editor on the planet! Thanks guys!!
Katz was checking back for three card hear
support, showing his game forcing values, when
Gitelman stopped off to double. When Nickell
passed, Katz put Gitelmans feet to the fire. He
redoubled! Gitelman, having nowhere convenient to
go, passed and Nickell made the right call. He,
too, passed. Nick had only three diamonds but he
had trick takers in his hand and only two hearts, and
a world class declarer across the table. What could
be better?
Most trusted his partner and hoped for the best. He was
looking at a near Yarborough. He had no defense, but he
also had no offense.
The opening lead was the CT which rode to Katzs
queen. Katz led a spade toward the board and Gitelman
won his ace. A second club went to the jack and Katz
led spade to the dummy. He cashed the club ace,
pitching a heart. Katz played king of hearts, a heart to
the ace and ruffed heart in dummy. He played the ten
of spades, ruffed by Gitelman, and it was all over but
the shouting. Katz claimed 9 tricks and the little seen
score of +1160.
At the other table, Greco opened a weak NT and
played 4NT after a slam try by partner. Hamman led
a spade and Greco took ve clubs, one diamond, three
hearts and two spades making ve.
The result: 11 IMPs to Nickell.
Comments to: sylvia@globelines.com.ph.
CKSC, Ateneo
advance
to Seaoil
NBTC Final 4
San Miguel
Corporation president
and chief operating
ofcer Ramon S.
Ang receives the
Philippine Basketball
Association (PBA)
Commissioners Cup
championship trophy
from San Miguel
Purefoods Company,
Inc. president
Francisco S. Alejo III
and San Miguel Foods
Company, Inc. vice
president and general
manager Norman
C. Ramos during the
B-MEG Llamados
victory party recently
at the SMC head
ofce. The Llamados,
led by grandslam
coach Tim Cone, beat
the Talk n Text team
in the best-of-seven
series.
Members of the national badminton team prepare for the start of
the Philippine Open-Ming Ramos Youth Cup at the Rizal Memorial
Badminton Hall.
Donaire told the Manila
Standard he went four rounds
because I trained on Monday
and I felt good so I wanted to
see how Id do with sparring. I
did four rounds (with a Mexican
junior lightweight whose rst
name is Jesus) and I feel great. I
could have done more.
Donaire is likely to face
former two division world
champion Cristian Mijares
at the Home Depot Center in
Anaheim, California on July
7 which was the information
provided to the Manila Standard
by Top Rank promoter Bob
Arum, recently.
Donaire told the Standard I
really dont know until I see the
contract but they told me to train
just in case anything happens so
Im here training.
He said training camp has been
so far, so good. I didnt lose
myself in my rest. I kept training
and my body is cooperating
well.
Donaire said he is about
136 pounds right now but is
really big for the weight with
more muscle than anything.
NBA RESULTS
UST Salinggawi tops cheerleading as gymnastics open PNG
THE celebrated University of Santo Tomas
Salinggawi troupe captured two cheerleading
titles as gymnastics ofcially ushered in the
POC-PSC Philippine National Games last
Tuesday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The multi-titled UST cheerleaders
copped the all-female group stunts and
cheerdance golds in the event backed by the
Philippine Sports Commission, organized
by Cheerleading Philippines and sanctioned
by the Gymnastics Association of the
Philippines.
Arellano University bested a eld of
seven teams in ruling the group stunts
mixed competition with top score of 115
points, followed by UST (110). University
of the East took the bronze (97.50) in the
event graced by GAP president Cynthia
Carrion, POC treasurer Julian Camacho
and PSC commissioner Akiko Thomson-
Guevarra
Polytechnic University of the Philippines
tallied 103.5 points in bagging the partner
stunts gold while Club Gymnastica (87.5) and
the Iloilo Shakers, carrying the colors of the
Concepcion National High School, took the
silver and bronze, respectively.
Holy Trinity College from far away
General Santos City scored 100 points in
capturing the cheerleading competition
with Arellano University securing the silver
(185), narrowly relegating the all-female
San Beda College Alabang squad to the
bronze medal (183.5).
Endearing themselves to their rivals
and the crowd were the Iloilo Shakers
bankrolled by Concepcion Mayor Milliard
Villanueva, who went by land and suffered
two vehicle breakdowns just to compete in
the event.
Action resumed yesterday in the ve-day
meet with the two-day mens and womens
artistic gymnastic competitions featuring
Palarong Pambansa elementary standouts
Carlos Adriel Yulo and Katrina Mae
Evangelista, who won four and three golds,
respectively, in the sportsfest held last last
week in Lingayen, Pangasinan.
Seeing action in the MAG and Wag are
entries from the cities of Iloilo, General
Santos, Zamboanga, Mandaue, Bacolod,
Manila and the provinces of Bukidnon,
Laguna, Batangas, Cebu and the town of
Pililla.
The rhythmic gymnastics contests were set
tomorrow while the aerobics competitions
close out the competition on Saturday.
Manila Standard TODAY
Sports
Riera U. Mallari, Editor sports@manilastandardtoday.com sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
WORLD Boxing Organization super
bantamweight champion Nonito The
Filipino Flash Donaire sparred for the
rst time yesterday (Tuesday in Las
Vegas) since he opened training camp
at the start of the week at the Top Rank
Gym in Las Vegas.
LOTTO RESULTS
6/55 000000000000
6/45 000000000000
4 DIGITS 00000000
3 DIGITS 000000
2 EZ2 0000
P0.0M+
P0.0M+
MANNY Pacquiao has atly de-
nied he ever quoted the book of
Leviticus from the Bible which
condemned gays and said they
should be killed for which some
segments of the US media have
taken him to task.
The verse in question from Le-
viticus states if a man lies with
a man as one lies with a woman,
both of them have done what is
detestable. They must be put to
death. Their blood will be on their
own heads.
In a telephone conversation
with ABS-CBNS Dyan Castille-
jo, Pacquiao said I dont even
know that verse from Leviticus
because I never read Leviticus.
Pacquiao whose comments
were in a response to a question
on his reaction to US President
Barack Obamas support for gay
marriages said my opinion is that
same sex marriages are against
the law of God.
He added that the reporter iden-
tied as a certain Granville Am-
pong did not even ask me for a
verse from the Bible. But if he did
I would have given him 1st Cor-
inthians 6:9 which lists activities
(including homosexuality) that
will prevent people from entering
the Kingdom of God.
Pacquiao accused the reporter
who claimed he quoted Leviticus
of lying.
Pacquiao stressed I am not
angry with gays but I dont want
them to sin against the law of God
because homesexual offenders
cannot inherit the Kingdom of
God. I was talking about same sex
marriages.
He stressed I am not against
gays and I have relatives who are
gay. There is nothing we can do
about having such relatives but
what I dont want is for them to
disobey what God has ordered.
Ronnie Nathanielsz
Pacquiao denies
quoting Leviticus
MIAMIThis does not sound
like a winning formula. Miss 24
of 29 shots in one stretch, on the
road. Watch an 11-point second-
half lead turn into a decit. Have
your entire team get outscored by
two players in the fourth quarter.
Somehow, it worked for the
Indiana Pacers.
And with one part of the Big
Three gone, the Miami Heat might
have a very big problem.
David West scored 16 points and
grabbed 10 rebounds and the Pacers
took home-court advantage away
from Miami by beating the Heat 78-
75 in Game 2 of the Eastern Confer-
ence seminal series after LeB-
ron James and Dwyane Wade both
came up short on key opportunities
in the nal minute.
Defense and rebounding, In-
diana coach Frank Vogel said. We
built this team, we started talking
about smash-mouth basketball about
winning the war in the trenches, and
thats with defense and rebounding.
Thats what I grew up watching East-
ern Conference basketball being like.
We understand offense is going to
come and go, especially with a great
defensive team like these guys . . . but
were pretty good too.
The series is tied at 1-1, with
Game 3 in Indianapolis.
James scored 28 points for
Miami and Wade nished with
24, though both failed to convert
big chances late. James missed
two free throws with 54.3 seconds
left and Miami down one, and
Wade was short on a layup that
would have tied the score with
16 seconds remaining. Moments
later, a few of the Pacers were
leaping in celebration at midcourt
of Miamis oor, something that
Wade said was noticed afterward.
The game is not lost or won
with two free throws, James said.
But I denitely want to come
through for my teammates. So Ill
get an opportunity again. I know Ill
be at the line again in that situation.
Just go up and make èm.
SPURS 108, CLIPPERS 92
SAN ANTONIOSo much
for getting rusty: The San Antonio
Spurs didnt miss a beat after
a weeklong break, extending a
winning streak that few NBA teams
have ever sustained in the playoffs.
The weary Los Angeles Clippers
looked just beaten and making
matters worse, theyre even a little
more beat-up than when they got here.
Tim Duncan had 26 points and
10 rebounds following an eight-
day layoff for the top-seeded
Spurs, who wore down Los
Angeles in the Clippers sixth
game in 11 days and won Game
1 of their Western Conference
seminals series, 108-92.
Its hard to tell if they were
tired or not. If we were rusty or
not, Spurs guard Manu Ginobili
said. The game just developed
that way it did.
By that, he meant the latest
Spurs blowout.
The Spurs have won 15 in a
row, havent lost in more than
a month and are winning by an
average margin of nearly 17 points
during that span. Its the longest
winning streak sustained in the
NBA playoffs since the 2004
Spurs carried 17 straight wins into
the second round that season. AP
Pacers cool Heat to tie series 1-1
A8
Donaire begins
sparring in Vegas
PACERS 78, HEAT 75
SPURS 108, CLIPPERS 92
So by the end of this year I
will be ready for 126 pounds
(featherweight.) He said, Im
really excited about ghting at
122 and then 126 afterwards.
He explained he is acquiring
muscle by weight lifting
which Ive done for about two
months which has strengthened
my legs, arms, shoulders and
all around.
Donaire said it was hard for
him to gain weight because my
body is not as big as a lot of
people thought.
The four division world
champion said he had been
watching ghts of the late, great
Nicaraguan world champion
Alexis Arguello and how he
fought and the way he punched
and I think thats the way I
throw my punches but I have a
little more speed.
Donaire revealed that
Arguello was someone he
looked up to while growing up
adding he was a skinny guy
with a lot of power.
JESON Patrombon pulled
off a 6-3, 7-6 (10-8) win over
six-foot-ve German rival
Dominik Schulz at the start
of the $10,000 Thailand F2
Futures Tennis Tournament
at the Rama Garden Sports
Complex in Bangkok.
It was Patrombons rst
win after recovering from a
recent injury two months ago,
and his stint in Thailand will
enable him to gain points to
move up the mens singles
rankings.
Schulz was a challenge
considering that the German
has a good reputation after
having beaten Bernard
Tomic in the Roland Garros
tournament three years ago.
But, things went according
to plan for Patrombon, who
played solid tennis and
immediately jumped to a
5-0 lead to the surprise of
the Germans coach and his
teammates.
After Schulz rallied and
threatened at 3-5, Patrombon
stood rm and slowly worked
himself to the net and was able
to claw back to deuce in the
ninth game.
After 10 deuces, Patrombon
nailed a big rst serve at set
point to take the set at 6-3.
As they fought it out to a
deciding 13th game, Patrombon
kept attacking his rivals
groundstrokes and after 20
rallies, the Filipino slammed in a
backhand down- the-line winner
to take the match at 10-8.
Peter Atencio
Patrombon
jumps off
to good start
Los Angeles Clippers Blake Grifn, left, blocks San Antonio Spurs Tony Parker (9), of France,during the
fourth quarter of Game 1 of an NBA basketball Western Conference seminal playoff series, in San
Antonio. San Antonio won 108-92. AP
THE future looks bright for local football with the involvement of English
Football Club, Chelsea, in helping kids learn the sport of football.
Azkals booter Phil Younghusband said this as Chelsea Football
School conducted clinics last Tuesday at the SM Mall of Asia in
Pasay City.
The clinics were held with the support of the The Younghusband
Football Academy.
For over a month now, Chelsea FC as been conducting clinics
with over a hundred kids at the Alabang Country Club.
This is a milestone for Philippine football. We are proud and
happy of having this opportunity (to have partnered with Chelsea),
and give TYFA a chance to promote football in the Philippines,
said Younghusband. Peter Atencio
Younghusband opens
Chelsea soccer school
Members of the UST Salinggawi troupe are all smiles after
capturing the cheerdance gold at start of the gymnastics
competitions opening the POC-PSC Philippine National Games
last Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. With them is
Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia
Carrion (second from right, standing).
Business
B1
Ray S. Eano, Editor extrastory2000@gmail.com
Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor
IN BRIEF
Xstrata
may miss
target to
open mine
Large banks can now take over rural banks HSBC
bullish on
1
st
quarter
growth
Big firm also eyeing GMA-7
Jollibee forms unit to expand to Singapore
PSE COMPOSITE INDEX
Closing May 16, 2012
4,864.23
113.22
OIL
PRICES
TODAY
P780-P895.00
LPG/11-kg tank
P54.55-P61.02
Unleaded Gasoline
P46.10-P49.90
Diesel
P52.34-P57.85
Kerosene
P38.50-P39.20
Auto LPG
FOREI GN EXCHANGE RATE
Currency Unit US Dollar Peso
United States Dollar 1.000000 42.7480
Japan Yen 0.012463 0.5328
UK Pound 1.599600 68.3797
Hong Kong Dollar 0.128748 5.5037
Switzerland Franc 1.059659 45.2983
Canada Dollar 0.993246 45.2983
Singapore Dollar 0.792833 33.8920
Australia Dollar 0.998303 42.6755
Bahrain Dinar 2.652801 113.4019
Saudi Arabia Rial 0.266652 11.3988
Brunei Dollar 0.789702 33.758
Indonesia Rupiah 0.000108 0.0046
Thailand Baht 0.031949 1.3658
UAE Dirham 0.272264 11.6387
Euro Euro 1.272600 54.4011
Korea Won 0.000866 0.0370
China Yuan 0.158273 6.7659
India Rupee 0.018591 0.7947
Malaysia Ringgit 0.324781 13.8837
NewZealand Dollar 0.773575 33.0688
Taiwan Dollar 0033868 1.4478
Source: PDS Bridge
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
PESO-DOLLAR RATE
40
42
44
46
48
P43.045
CLOSE
Closing MAY 16, 2012
5200
4460
3720
2980
2240
1500
1200
VOLUME 932.150M
HIGH P42.780 LOW P43.080 AVERAGE P42.919
By Luzi Ann Javier
XSTRATA Plc, the worlds
fourth-biggest copper producer,
risks missing a 2016 target to
open its $60-billion mine in South
Cotabato because of opposition
from the Catholic Church.
The national government in
January rejected the companys
request for an environmental
compliance certicate for the
Tampakan copper and gold
project, citing a ban by regional
lawmakers on open-pit mining.
With local polls due next year,
South Cotabato legislators are
reluctant to amend the law because
they risk the ire of the Church,
said Gov. Arthur Pingoy.
There are petitions and
resolutions to amend the local
law pending, Pingoy said in
an interview. No one dares
touch them because they fear a
backlash from the Church, with
priests campaigning against
their reelection next year.
Xstrata is running short of
time to bring the copper project
in Mindanao on line by its 2016
target, a feat that would help ease
global shortages of the metal
used in power transmission,
plumbing and autos, as well
as boost economic growth.
Opposition from the Church and
other groups on environmental
grounds is compounded by
threat of attack against mines and
workers by armed communist
and Islamic rebels.
The issues that this
project face are illustrative of
intensifying political, social and
environmental challenges that
miners are facing in growing
production, Gayle Berry, a
London-based metals analyst at
Barclays Plc, said in a May 8
e- mailed response to questions.
There is now a long list of
projects that have been delayed
or faced big increases in capital
costs as a result.
Copper futures traded on the
London Metal Exchange have
gained 2.9 percent this year to
$7,770 a metric ton, rebounding
from a 21-percent slump in 2011
as global production failed to keep
up with demand for a third straight
year. Worldwide copper stockpiles
have fallen to 463,617.8 MT as
of May 15, the lowest since Sept.
10, 2009, according to data from
exchanges tracked by Bloomberg.
Bloomberg
GMA Network ofcials led by (from left) president and chief operating ofcer Gilberto Duavit Jr., chairman and chief executive Felipe
Gozon and executive vice president and chief nancial ofcer Felipe Yalong brief the media about the rst-quarter performance of
the company at the headquarters in Quezon City.
By Lailany P. Gomez
ANOTHER conglomerate
is interested to buy GMA
Network Inc., the chairman of
the broadcasting company said
Wednesday.
Felipe Gozon said other conglomerates, aside from
the PLDT group of businessman Manuel Pangilinan,
or MVP, had expressed interest to acquire the network.
He did not name the interested parties.
When you are attractive and desirable, you attract
not only MVP but others, too. Yes, there were other
conglomerates that expressed interest, Gozon said,
referring to Pangilinan, who is chairman of Philippine
Long Distance Telephone Co., at the sidelines of the
annual stockholders meeting of GMA Network.
Gozon said Pangilinan had not lost interest in
acquiring the broadcast company after the rst
negotiations between GMA Network and the PLDT
group did not push through,
His interest has remained, but its always been the
price that holds up the negotiation. I am just waiting
for an offer that will acceptable. So far, we have not
received any offer that is acceptable. I am not closing
the doors. That is the most I am going to say, Gozon
said.
We are not really for sale, but we are entertaining
offers. As I said before, even if we are not for sale but
for the right price, we might be persuaded, Gozon
said.
MediaQuest Holdings Inc., the media holding
company of the PLDT Benecial Trust Fund, tried
to buy 66.67 percent of GMA Network, which airs
on Channel 7 on free TV, for P8.5 billion a few years
ago, but talks for the stake sale did not prosper.
Gozon, meanwhile, declined to comment when
asked if San Miguel Corp. was one of the interested
parties.
San Miguel president Ramon Ang was earlier
quoted as saying that a deal would not happen
between the group led by Pangilinan and the owners
of GMA Network. San Miguels chief operating
ofcers had also declined to comment when asked if
he or San Miguel would vie for the ownership of the
broadcasting company.
Gozon denied reports that at least P60 billion had
been offered to the major stockholders of the network
by the PLDT group, but conceded there was revised
offer.
Yes, there was a revised offer. But I am not at
liberty to speak. Its condential. However, theres no
such offer as P60 billion. I cannot divulge the price,
but that report is wrong, Gozon said.
Pangilinan was earlier quoted as saying the P60-
billion asking price for GMA7 was too much, or
way above a reported offer of P45 billion.
GMA7 reported a net income of P388 million in
the rst three months of the year, down 27 percent
from P534 million year-on-year.
By Elaine R. Alanguilan
BANK regulators now allow
large lenders such as commercial
and thrift banks to take over
problematic rural banks in the
countryside.
The Bangko Sentral and the
Philippine Deposit Insurance
Corp. have enhanced the
Strengthening Program for Rural
Banks to allow strong and well-
managed commercial and thrift
banks as eligible strategic third-
party investors or white knights
for troubled rural banks.
Only strong rural banks were
allowed to act as white knights
of troubled rural banks under the
original SPRB program.
Bangko Sentral and state-
run PDIC hope the enhanced
version of the program would
encourage faster consolidation in
the banking industry, particularly
among small sub-scale banks
by granting more incentives to
eligible bigger banks.
The SPRB plus program
extends incentives to large banks
when investing in problematic
countryside banks. The program
is seen to further strengthen
the rural banking system, boost
condence, and improve the
delivery of nancial services to
rural communities.
It offers nancial and regulatory
relief and incentives to improve
the prospects for success of new
banking partnerships. Financial
assistance may be granted by
PDIC to augment capital shortfalls
and attract new investors.
The Bangko Sentral also put on
the table an expanded package of
regulatory relief and branching
incentives for commercial, thrift
and rural bank that would step
forward as white knights.
Bangko Sentral ofcials,
however, declined to elaborate
on the expanded package of
perks under the new program.
The SPRB plus is the second
enhancement of the SPRB.
The SPRB Module II or the
Strengthening Program for
Cooperative Banks was launched
in November 2011 to strengthen
cooperative banks.
The SPRB plus expects eligible
strategic third-party investors not
only to sustain and strengthen the
nancial condition of resulting
banks but also to improve their
quality of corporate governance
and management.
THE Philippines gross
domestic product may have
accelerated at a faster pace
in the rst quarter of the year
due to higher public spending
and the recovery of exports,
according to the latest report
of HSBC.
HSBC economist Trinh
Nguyen said the slowdown
in remittance inows and the
probable dampening effect on
private consumption would
likely be offset by stronger
exports growth in the last
quarter.
We expect GDP to
accelerate in the rst quarter
on the back of stronger
growth contributions from
net exports and government
spending. With price pressures
still elevated despite easing
international oil prices, and
growth not a signicant
concern, the Bangko Sentral
will likely hold rates steady
at its next meeting to
continue monitoring ination
conditions, said Nguyen.
Remittance inows
decelerated in March,
according to the latest data from
the Bangko Sentral, reecting
weakening conditions in
countries hosting Filipino
expatriate workers.
Nguyen said the deceleration
in remittance inows was offset
by stronger-than-expected
exports in the rst quarter.
Elaine R. Alanguilan
Investments hit P133b
THE Board of Investments said Wednesday
investment commitments reached P133.18
billion in the rst four months of the year,
up 255 percent from P37.56 billion year-on-
year.
Trade Undersecretary Adrian Cristobal Jr.
attributed the increase in approvals to the two
big-ticket items.
The two power projects were approved
by the BoI in April were those of Masinloc
Power Partners Co. worth P49.45 billion and
Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp.
worth P21.78 billion.
Investment from domestic investors in
April grew 297 percent to P126.72 billion
from P31.909 billion on year.
The major investments were made in
electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning
sector at P84.25 billion; real estate, P20.63
billion; mining and quarrying, P14.59 billion;
accommodation and food service activities,
P6.96 billion; manufacturing, P5.31 billion;
and water supply and sewerage/waste
management, P4.34 billion.
We see rising investor interest in strategic
sectors such as agribusiness, manufacturing,
and tourism. Domestic investors condence
in the economy continues to rise, and the same
goes for foreign investors for the past four
months, Cristobal said.
Lailany P. Gomez
Gramercy claim bucked
THE race for the countrys tallest residential
building has reached the courts with Gramercy
Residences developer being accused of fraud
and misrepresentation for claiming to have 73
oors, although it is allowed to go as high as
68 oors only.
Picar Development Inc., which is building
the adjacent 70-story Stratford Residences
on Kalayaan Ave. in Makati, also asked the
Muntinlupa regional trial court last week to
stop Gramercy from contructing the additional
ve oors.
In its complaint, Picar attached a letter from
the Makati City Hall certifying that the local
government had not received any application
from Century Properties Inc. to raise Gramercy
from 68 to 73 oors.
Picar also asked the court to stop Century
Properties from claiming its project as the
Philippines rst supertall building and will
also be the highest to protect the public who
might buy on the mistaken belief that The
Gramercy Residences has the distinction of
being higher than The Stratford Residences, if
not the highest in the Philippines.
By Jenniffer B. Austria
FASTFOOD giant Jollibee Foods Corp. said Wednesday it is forming
a new company to expand to Singapore.
Jollibee said in disclosure to the stock exchange wholly-owned
subsidiary Golden Plate Pte. Ltd. had signed an agreement with
Beeworks Inc. to form a new company that would own and operate
Jollibee stores in Singapore.
Beeworks is owned by Singaporean businessmen with extensive
presence in the retail and hospitality sector.
GPPL will have 60 percent of the joint venture while Beeworks will
own the remaining 40 percent, under the agreement. The company
will have an initial funding of $1 million.
Jollibee said GPPL would have full management control of the
joint venture while leveraging on Beeworks experience, reputation
and network to establish the Jollibee brand in Singapore.
Jollibee as of March 2012 was operating 2,004 stores in the Philippines
and 509 stores overseas, including China, the United States, Vietnam,
Brunei, Jeddah, Hong Kong, Qatar, Kuwait, Dubai and Indonesia.
Aside from its agship restaurant, Jollibee also owns Greenwich,
Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Burger King and Chowking. The Jollibee
group owns several restaurants in China, including Yonghe King,
Hong Zhuang Yuan, Ping Wang and Chow Fun.
Jollibee earlier reported rst-quarter net income grew 8.2 percent
to P682 million from P631 million a year ago, boosted by strong sales
from domestic and overseas stores.
SAN Miguel Corp.s adventure in the sugar business
is turning sour, with the conglomerate likely to
forfeit all the investments it poured into beleaguered
Hacienda Luisita Inc.
The grapevine said executives of Hacienda Luisita
were weighing the option to declare a force majeure
to free itself from its liabilities with San Miguel and
other creditors. A nal ruling from the Supreme Court
over the break-up and distribution of the nearly 5,000-
hectare sugarcane plantation owned by the family of
President Benigno Noynoy Aquino III to farmers
has doomed the chances of San Miguel to recover its
Hacienda Luisita investment.
Hacienda Luisita found itself in a bind. It
could not repay the debt it owes to San Miguel,
after the High Court, voting 8 to 6, denied
the P5-billion compensation sought by Mr.
Aquinos family based on 1989 valuation. The
Supreme Court, instead, awarded payment of
P200 million based on 2006 rates, a pity sum
compared with the over P1.5 billion lent by San
Miguel to Hacienda Luisita.
The grapevine said Hacienda Luisita was
leaning to declare a force majeure after the nal
court resolution limited its legal options. Even
though the compensation due to the Hacienda
Luisita will still be preliminarily determined by
DAR [Department of Agrarian Reform] and LBP
[Land Bank of the Philippines], the fact that the
reckoning point of taking is already xed at a
certain date should hasten the proceedings and not
further cause undue hardship on the parties, the
resolution says.
The valuation rate used to determine compensation
was pegged in 1989 because it was the year when
the Cojuangco familys Tarlac Development Corp.
lost ownership of the land to Hacienda Luisita,
which was created to comply with the governments
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.
Late stakeholder
San Miguel became a stakeholder in Hacienda
Luisita after the company lent money to the
cash-strapped sugar estate. The largest food
and drinks company, which diversied into the
power, mining, telecommunications, utility and
banking businesses, advanced over P1 billion
to Hacienda Luisita as payment for future sugar
purchases.
San Miguel advanced P300 million each to
Hacienda Luisita in at least two transactions as
payment for the sugar purchases, presumably to meet
the requirements of the formers food, fruit juice and
liquor businesses. San Miguel did not take delivery
of the sugar purchases, preferring to bide its time and
collect the produce at a later period.
San Miguel could not call on the sugar purchases
because the estate has stopped production. Hacienda
Luisita farmers had staged a strike to press their
demand to redistribute the farm to them as part of the
governments land reform program.
With the non-delivery of the sugar at an agreed
price, Hacienda Luisita owes San Miguel at least
P1.5 billion, including interests.
San Miguel has not ofcially disclosed its
investment in Hacienda Luisita to the Philippine
Stock Exchange. The bourse, in turn, has not asked
San Miguel to explain the details of the investment
or loan to the public.
The Supreme Court ruling, meanwhile, has put San
Miguels ambitious plan to convert part of the sugar
estate into a modern logistics hub. A stock distribution
plan would have smoothened the conglomerates
formal entry into Hacienda Luisita.
San Miguel, which is partly owned by chairman
Eduardo Danding Cojuangco, President
Aquinos uncle, was about to gain a foothold in the
the 6,453-hectare sugar plantation before the high
court issued the ruling.
Hacienda Luisita had committed about 1,000
hectares of land to San Miguel to support the
companys plan to build an agro-industrial enclave
right at the heart of Luzon. The site would have
served as the center of the companys Luzon
operations and address San Miguels need to
integrate its agricultural and industrial operations.
Private partnerships
Partnerships like that of rivals Ayala Corp.
and Metro Pacic Investments Corp. should be
encouraged by the Aquino government as they
are clearly borne out of a desire to spend in key
transportation infrastructure that the country direly
needs.
The countrys lagging infrastructure sector badly
needs investment and well-thought of measures
for improvement that will inject momentum
into the economy. How else can the government
boost other components of the economy, such as
tourism, agriculture, industry and job generation,
if our countrys railways, roads, ports, and airports
continue to be clogged by ageing and inefcient
systems?
More private sector players like to follow in the
footsteps of Ayala and Metro Pacic, and fund
vital infrastructure projects in the country. But
their efforts are hampered by red tape that delay
vital projects.
Too much deliberation and analyses on projects
and political posturing should also be avoided.
Relevant government agencies involved with
infrastructure projects should buckle down to work
in the face of a strong, genuine investor interest in
major infrastructure projects.
E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com
or extrastory2000@gmail.com
TRADI NG SUMMARY
SHARES VALUE
FINANCIAL 16,086,846 1,172,574,486.72
INDUSTRIAL 156,285,703 1,628,174,099.86
HOLDING FIRMS 146,374,798 2,749,843,641.29
PROPERTY 436,488,516 1,049,485,300.84
SERVICES 116,567,657 792,932,624.75
MINING & OIL 2,296,637,266 706,713,137.87
GRAND TOTAL 3,168,440,786 8,099,723,291.33
FINANCIAL 1,178.26 (DOWN) 26.15
INDUSTRIAL 7,414.60 (DOWN) 241.79
HOLDING FIRMS 4,256.59 (DOWN) 88.08
PROPERTY 1,758.07 (DOWN) 48.66
SERVICES 1,603.58 (DOWN) 21.02
MINING & OIL 23,078.21 (DOWN) 758.41
PSEI 4,864.23 (DOWN) 113.22
All Shares Index 3,243.76 (DOWN) 53.40
Gainers: 43; Losers: 127; Unchanged: 31; Total: 201
Stock market falls
for 6
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straight day
Business
ManilaStandardToday
extrastory2000@gmail.com
B2
52 Weeks Previous % Net Foreign
High Low STOCKS Close High Low Close Change Volume Trade/Buying
MST BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012
M
S
T
FINANCIAL
70.00 46.00 Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 61.40 62.85 61.50 61.50 0.16 2,901,260 18,640,418.50
76.80 50.00 Bank of PI 69.65 71.00 66.50 66.50 (4.52) 2,927,110 (60,527,514.50)
512.00 370.00 China Bank 533.00 540.00 531.00 531.00 (0.38) 23,450 (7,023,250.00)
23.90 12.50 COL Financial 22.50 22.80 22.00 22.80 1.33 39,300 (22,800.00)
Eastwest Bank 18.54 18.70 18.56 18.58 0.22 1,095,900 6,693,722.00
22.00 7.56 Filipino Fund Inc. 8.63 9.00 9.00 9.00 4.29 1,200
80.00 40.00 First Metro Inv. 67.80 72.00 64.10 70.00 3.24 620
3.26 1.91 I-Remit Inc. 2.19 2.17 2.17 2.17 (0.91) 1,000
29.00 3.00 Maybank ATR KE 28.05 29.00 26.10 26.10 (6.95) 61,700
93.50 60.00 Metrobank 84.00 84.00 81.75 82.80 (1.43) 4,244,870 (17,543,613.00)
3.06 1.30 Natl Reinsurance Corp. 1.75 1.86 1.78 1.81 3.43 250,000
16.85 41.00 Phil. National Bank 70.00 70.00 67.40 67.40 (3.71) 1,039,910 12,966,387.00
85.00 57.70 Phil. Savings Bank 83.00 82.00 81.50 81.50 (1.81) 14,340
539.00 204.80 PSE Inc. 355.00 353.00 350.00 350.00 (1.41) 15,710 874,940.00
44.40 25.45 RCBC À 42.90 43.00 42.25 42.50 (0.93) 506,500.00 1,112,805.00
151.50 77.00 Security Bank 125.10 128.00 120.10 120.10 (4.00) 1,725,150 (77,601,034.00)
1390.00 950.00 Sun Life Financial 990.00 980.00 980.00 980.00 (1.01) 140 (117,600.00)
140.00 58.00 Union Bank 99.15 99.90 98.50 98.60 (0.55) 939,810 (44,409,138.00)
2.06 1.43 Vantage Equities 1.82 1.81 1.80 1.80 (1.10) 298,000
INDUSTRIAL
35.50 26.50 Aboitiz Power Corp. 33.90 33.90 33.10 33.50 (1.18) 5,238,800 (68,796,970.00)
13.58 7.32 Agrinurture Inc. 10.80 10.88 10.50 10.68 (1.11) 65,300
23.50 11.98 Alaska Milk Corp. 23.60 23.75 23.70 23.70 0.42 370,000 (11,875.00)
1.86 0.97 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 1.49 1.50 1.33 1.45 (2.68) 714,000 (681,060.00)
54.90 26.00 Alphaland Corp. 30.00 30.00 26.50 29.00 (3.33) 11,900
1.65 1.08 Alsons Cons. 1.29 1.29 1.27 1.29 0.00 216,000
Asiabest Group 30.50 31.40 28.95 29.65 (2.79) 405,000 (29,800.00)
138.00 45.00 Bogo Medellin 68.00 67.00 67.00 67.00 (1.47) 10
102.80 3.02 Bloomberry 8.46 8.75 8.30 8.45 (0.12) 17,122,300 (31,789,316.00)
2.88 2.24 Calapan Venture 2.28 2.28 2.25 2.25 (1.32) 51,000 (111,750.00)
3.07 2.30 Chemrez Technologies Inc. 2.58 2.56 2.50 2.50 (3.10) 241,000 276,800.00
8.33 7.41 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 8.20 8.20 8.05 8.20 0.00 236,500
7.06 4.83 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.90 5.88 5.60 5.60 (5.08) 37,665,200 (135,769,512.00)
6.28 2.80 EEI 5.90 6.05 5.80 5.80 (1.69) 3,439,100 5,492,460.00
3.80 1.00 Euro-Med Lab. 2.30 2.10 2.01 2.10 (8.70) 4,000
25.00 5.80 Federal Chemicals 12.80 12.80 11.10 12.60 (1.56) 5,300
15.58 12.50 First Gen Corp. 13.80 13.98 13.72 13.84 0.29 1,783,000 8,187,246.00
67.20 51.50 First Holdings A 62.70 62.80 62.00 62.70 0.00 387,190 (5,180,429.00)
31.50 22.50 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 22.50 22.40 22.40 22.40 (0.44) 8,000
0.10 0.0095 Greenergy 0.0150 0.0150 0.0130 0.0140 (6.67) 57,400,000
13.50 7.80 Holcim Philippines Inc. 11.50 11.60 11.30 11.40 (0.87) 269,300 (573,098.00)
9.00 4.71 Integ. Micro-Electronics 4.52 4.60 4.52 4.52 0.00 35,000 (99,660.00)
2.35 0.95 Ionics Inc 1.390 1.430 1.380 1.430 2.88 121,000
120.00 80.00 Jollibee Foods Corp. 105.70 110.00 100.00 100.00 (5.39) 668,310 (13,088,943.00)
8.40 1.04 LMG Chemicals 1.98 2.00 1.80 1.80 (9.09) 986,000
3.20 1.05 Manchester Intl. A 2.09 2.30 2.30 2.30 10.05 1,000
24.70 17.94 Manila Water Co. Inc. 24.00 24.75 23.30 23.50 (2.08) 2,597,200 (33,183,905.00)
15.30 8.12 Megawide 16.70 16.90 15.80 16.56 (0.84) 502,400 (57,960.00)
295.00 215.00 Mla. Elect. Co À 239.00 249.00 218.80 220.20 (7.87) 1,145,550 (96,273,920.00)
6.75 4.50 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 6.40 6.60 3.51 6.60 3.12 12,000
11.00 7.00 Pancake House Inc. 12.20 12.20 9.50 9.50 (22.13) 2,700 1,360.00
3.00 1.96 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 2.79 2.82 2.79 2.80 0.36 6,290,000 1,915,900.00
17.40 9.70 Petron Corporation 10.14 10.20 10.06 10.10 (0.39) 2,088,400 (8,456,466.00)
14.00 10.30 Phinma Corporation 11.00 10.84 10.82 10.82 (1.64) 7,400
15.24 9.01 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 8.82 8.82 8.56 8.81 (0.11) 131,000 858.00
9.50 5.25 Republic Cement À 8.20 8.40 7.18 8.30 1.22 55,500
2.55 1.01 RFM Corporation 2.55 2.55 2.45 2.49 (2.35) 1,330,000 399,920.00
3.49 2.01 Roxas Holdings 2.46 2.85 2.46 2.85 15.85 57,000
6.50 2.90 Salcon Power Corp. 3.40 4.05 3.85 4.05 19.12 8,000
33.00 27.70 San Miguel Brewery Inc. 29.50 29.50 29.40 29.50 0.00 7,100
132.60 105.70 San Miguel Corp À 112.00 112.50 111.40 112.50 0.45 552,540 3,142,535.00
1.90 1.25 Seacem 1.70 1.69 1.65 1.65 (2.94) 130,000 168,950.00
2.50 1.85 Splash Corporation 1.81 1.92 1.80 1.81 0.00 45,000
0.250 0.112 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.126 0.129 0.125 0.126 0.00 3,520,000 (39,060.00)
5.46 2.92 Tanduay Holdings 3.70 3.89 3.76 3.80 2.70 356,000 209,000.00
3.62 1.99 TKC Steel Corp. 2.30 2.22 2.20 2.20 (4.35) 191,000 110,000.00
1.41 0.90 Trans-Asia Oil 1.19 1.20 1.18 1.19 0.00 623,000 59,500.00
68.00 36.20 Universal Robina 65.20 64.40 61.10 61.10 (6.29) 7,828,910 (170,458,377.00)
1.12 0.285 Vitarich Corp. 0.590 0.600 0.580 0.580 (1.69) 751,000
18.00 2.55 Vivant Corp. 9.20 9.50 9.20 9.20 0.00 11,000
1.22 0.68 Vulcan Indl. 0.97 0.97 0.95 0.95 (2.06) 488,000
HOLDING FIRMS
1.18 0.65 Abacus Cons. À 0.69 0.69 0.67 0.69 0.00 152,000
59.90 35.50 Aboitiz Equity 51.00 50.50 48.50 49.50 (2.94) 1,526,600 (34,098,608.00)
0.019 0.014 Alcorn Gold Res. 0.0150 0.0150 0.0150 0.0150 0.00 5,000,000
13.48 8.00 Alliance Global Inc. 12.30 12.46 11.98 11.98 (2.60) 17,811,500 (63,513,642.00)
2.97 1.67 Anglo Holdings A 1.90 1.92 1.90 1.90 0.00 165,000
4.60 3.00 Anscor À 4.30 4.50 4.50 4.50 4.65 24,000
6.98 0.260 Asia Amalgamated A 4.20 4.20 3.80 4.10 (2.38) 444,000
3.15 1.49 ATN Holdings A 1.70 1.75 1.53 1.75 2.94 421,000
437.00 272.00 Ayala Corp À 427.00 428.60 409.00 409.00 (4.22) 398,130 (83,541,436.00)
59.45 30.50 DMCI Holdings 60.80 63.60 58.00 59.00 (2.96) 12,046,070 60,909,911.50
5.25 3.30 Filinvest Dev. Corp. 4.17 4.14 4.04 4.04 (3.12) 267,000
GT Capital 465.60 480.00 467.00 470.00 0.95 232,470 24,096,814.00
34.80 19.00 JG Summit Holdings 32.00 33.60 31.45 31.45 (1.72) 2,983,200 20,433,640.00
6.95 4.00 Lopez Holdings Corp. 5.29 5.26 5.12 5.17 (2.27) 1,176,900 (128,840.00)
1.54 0.61 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 1.11 1.15 1.08 1.10 (0.90) 3,349,000
0.91 0.300 Mabuhay Holdings À 0.510 0.500 0.500 0.500 (1.96) 1,000
3.82 1.500 Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. 2.900 2.970 2.620 2.690 (7.24) 8,986,000 (9,512,020.00)
4.45 2.56 Metro Pacic Inv. Corp. 4.19 4.17 3.85 3.85 (8.11) 78,337,000 (122,089,880.00)
6.24 2.10 Minerales Industrias Corp. 4.90 4.85 4.82 4.82 (1.63) 6,000
0.0770 0.054 Pacica À 0.0520 0.0530 0.0520 0.0520 0.00 3,760,000
2.20 1.42 Prime Media Hldg 1.450 1.470 1.450 1.450 0.00 36,000 37,700.00
4.10 1.56 Republic Glass A 2.00 2.01 2.00 2.00 0.00 26,000
0.490 0.285 Sinophil Corp. 0.340 0.325 0.310 0.310 (8.82) 2,600,000
699.00 450.00 SM Investments Inc. 666.00 690.00 670.00 678.50 1.88 1,439,830 461,850,485.00
1.78 1.00 Solid Group Inc. 1.40 1.44 1.34 1.39 (0.71) 365,000
0.620 0.056 Wellex Industries 0.3800 0.3850 0.3650 0.3700 (2.63) 3,910,000
1.370 0.178 Zeus Holdings 0.540 0.540 0.480 0.490 (9.26) 402,000 8,520.00
P R O P E R T Y
39.00 11.00 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 33.55 46.45 46.45 46.45 38.45 200 9,290.00
2.82 1.70 A. Brown Co., Inc. 2.50 2.50 2.46 2.46 (1.60) 53,000
0.75 0.31 Araneta Prop À 0.720 0.740 0.710 0.710 (1.39) 333,000
0.218 0.150 Arthaland Corp. 0.164 0.164 0.164 0.164 0.00 20,000
22.40 13.36 Ayala Land `B 19.74 19.72 19.00 19.00 (3.75) 9,050,000 (62,040,034.00)
6.12 3.08 Belle Corp. À 4.77 4.78 4.65 4.68 (1.89) 2,755,000 1,978,880.00
9.00 2.26 Cebu Holdings 6.30 6.60 6.20 6.30 0.00 236,400 1,192.00
5.60 2.00 Cebu Prop. À 4.91 4.90 4.90 4.90 (0.20) 44,000
5.66 0.26 Century Property 1.52 1.52 1.47 1.50 (1.32) 789,000 (26,860.00)
2.85 1.20 City & Land Dev. 2.52 2.53 2.53 2.53 0.40 1,000
1.65 1.07 Cityland Dev. À 1.24 1.25 1.18 1.25 0.81 52,000 (2,500.00)
0.127 0.060 Crown Equities Inc. 0.080 0.080 0.079 0.080 0.00 1,010,000
1.16 0.67 Cyber Bay Corp. 0.79 0.78 0.76 0.76 (3.80) 661,000
0.90 0.54 Empire East Land 0.710 0.700 0.670 0.670 (5.63) 6,370,000
3.80 2.90 Eton Properties 3.35 3.55 3.30 3.53 5.37 9,000
0.310 0.10 Ever Gotesco 0.165 0.160 0.160 0.160 (3.03) 10,000
3.06 1.76 Global-Estate 1.94 1.98 1.85 1.85 (4.64) 12,349,000 (5,387,470.00)
1.35 0.98 Filinvest Land,Inc. 1.31 1.32 1.23 1.26 (3.82) 46,089,000 (23,805,440.00)
3.80 1.21 Highlands Prime 2.00 2.00 1.81 2.00 0.00 49,000
2.14 0.65 Interport À 1.11 1.15 1.09 1.09 (1.80) 325,000
2.48 1.51 Megaworld Corp. 2.07 2.09 1.88 1.90 (8.21) 188,799,000 (33,606,930.00)
0.80 0.215 MRC Allied Ind. 0.1800 0.1810 0.1730 0.1730 (3.89) 2,250,000
0.990 0.072 Phil. Estates Corp. 0.7500 0.7600 0.6900 0.7100 (5.33) 24,307,000 (95,990.00)
4.77 1.80 Polar Property Holdings 3.50 3.53 3.25 3.50 0.00 640,000
18.86 10.00 Robinsons Land `B 16.18 16.24 15.92 15.98 (1.24) 1,577,600 3,989,140.00
Rockwell 3.05 3.30 2.60 2.60 (14.75) 2,546,000 (7,520.00)
2.70 1.74 Shang Properties Inc. 2.60 2.56 2.52 2.52 (3.08) 533,000
9.47 6.50 SM Development À 6.78 6.78 6.68 6.69 (1.33) 3,020,000 (6,121,509.00)
18.20 10.90 SM Prime Holdings 15.54 16.00 15.50 15.56 0.13 12,233,200 (34,246,014.00)
1.14 0.64 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.70 0.70 0.67 0.67 (4.29) 795,000 67,000.00
0.80 0.45 Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 0.530 0.520 0.520 0.520 (1.89) 75,000
4.30 2.60 Vista Land & Lifescapes 4.150 4.150 3.990 4.100 (1.20) 3,882,000 (3,958,890.00)
S E R V I C E S
2GO Group 1.94 1.96 1.95 1.96 1.03 8,000
43.00 28.60 ABS-CBN 35.00 35.00 34.00 34.00 (2.86) 66,500
14.76 1.60 Acesite Hotel 6.98 7.20 6.99 6.99 0.14 4,000
0.80 0.45 APC Group, Inc. 0.640 0.670 0.630 0.670 4.69 52,000
9.30 7.30 Asian Terminals Inc. 9.00 8.80 8.80 8.80 (2.22) 2,000
0.5300 0.0660 Boulevard Holdings 0.1560 0.1600 0.1500 0.1580 1.28 28,630,000 (58,140.00)
98.15 62.50 Cebu Air Inc. (5J) 67.00 68.00 66.80 67.40 0.60 323,400 (3,547,542.00)
9.70 5.40 DFNN Inc. 6.10 6.10 5.96 6.00 (1.64) 271,900 84,000.00
5.90 1.45 Easy Call Common 3.35 3.40 3.40 3.40 1.49 1,000
1750.00 765.00 FEUI 941.00 965.00 965.00 965.00 2.55 10
1270.00 825.00 Globe Telecom 1050.00 1050.00 999.00 1000.00 (4.76) 60,510 (12,264,710.00)
10.34 6.18 GMA Network Inc. 9.40 9.40 9.18 9.18 (2.34) 247,600
69.00 43.40 I.C.T.S.I. 70.50 70.50 67.90 68.15 (3.33) 2,479,680 (17,912,537.00)
0.98 0.34 Information Capital Tech. 0.400 0.420 0.400 0.420 5.00 220,000
6.00 4.00 IPeople Inc. À 6.10 6.50 5.90 5.90 (3.28) 163,500
4.29 2.20 IP Converge 3.48 3.95 3.50 3.75 7.76 929,000 (37,300.00)
34.50 0.123 IP E-Game Ventures Inc. 0.048 0.051 0.046 0.048 0.00 57,200,000 489,500.00
3.87 1.16 IPVG Corp. 1.02 1.05 1.02 1.03 0.98 561,000 320,320.00
5.1900 2.900 ISM Communications 2.6800 2.7700 2.6000 2.7500 2.61 164,000
3.79 1.58 JTH Davies Holdings Inc. 2.35 2.35 2.32 2.32 (1.28) 40,000
11.68 5.90 Leisure & Resorts 6.85 6.90 6.71 6.71 (2.04) 688,400
4.28 2.65 Liberty Telecom 2.80 2.82 2.80 2.82 0.71 101,000
3.96 2.70 Macroasia Corp. 2.88 2.85 2.78 2.78 (3.47) 129,000 (330,300.00)
0.84 0.57 Manila Bulletin 0.69 0.69 0.69 0.69 0.00 19,000
3.00 1.00 Manila Jockey 1.54 1.54 1.51 1.51 (1.95) 685,000 121,660.00
21.00 17.20 Pacic Online Sys. Corp. 20.40 19.80 19.70 19.80 (2.94) 39,900
8.58 4.50 PAL Holdings Inc. 7.43 7.37 7.22 7.28 (2.02) 30,100 1,446.00
3.32 1.05 Paxys Inc. 2.62 2.70 2.58 2.61 (0.38) 1,966,000
10.00 4.60 Phil. Racing Club 9.48 9.20 9.20 9.20 (2.95) 30,000 9,200.00
60.00 17.02 Phil. Seven Corp. 44.00 44.00 44.00 44.00 0.00 10,000 440,000.00
17.18 14.50 Philweb.Com Inc. 16.60 16.54 15.50 16.50 (0.60) 329,500 271,984.00
2886.00 2096.00 PLDT Common 2396.00 2396.00 2370.00 2386.00 (0.42) 140,160 (83,356,120.00)
0.48 0.23 PremiereHorizon 0.320 0.340 0.310 0.310 (3.13) 1,810,000
23.75 10.68 Puregold 21.90 23.50 21.00 21.60 (1.37) 3,017,700 (15,575,765.00)
Touch Solutions 3.52 3.53 3.52 3.52 0.00 14,000
0.79 0.26 Waterfront Phils. 0.375 0.380 0.375 0.375 0.00 960,000
MINING & OIL
0.0083 0.0036 Abra Mining 0.0051 0.0050 0.0048 0.0050 (1.96) 26,000,000
6.20 3.01 Apex À 4.90 4.91 4.90 4.90 0.00 236,000
6.22 3.00 Apex `B 4.90 4.90 4.90 4.90 0.00 90,000
25.20 14.50 Atlas Cons. À 18.00 17.82 17.66 17.70 (1.67) 1,332,200 6,332,618.00
31.00 20.00 Atok-Big Wedge À 28.00 31.00 26.55 31.00 10.71 24,300
0.380 0.148 Basic Energy Corp. 0.265 0.260 0.250 0.250 (5.66) 10,350,000
30.35 15.00 Benguet Corp À 25.05 25.45 24.00 24.00 (4.19) 18,600
34.00 14.50 Benguet Corp `B 25.50 25.05 24.80 24.80 (2.75) 5,500 (85,170.00)
2.51 1.62 Century Peak Metals Hldgs 1.60 1.60 1.53 1.53 (4.38) 915,000 155,000.00
50.85 4.35 Dizon 42.70 43.10 37.00 38.50 (9.84) 1,034,400 269,065.00
1.21 0.50 Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. 0.78 0.78 0.74 0.74 (5.13) 4,803,000 112,500.00
1.82 0.5900 Lepanto À 1.250 1.250 1.140 1.190 (4.80) 68,918,000
2.070 0.6700 Lepanto `B 1.320 1.290 1.200 1.200 (9.09) 21,878,000 (742,320.00)
0.085 0.035 Manila Mining À 0.0620 0.0620 0.0570 0.0600 (3.23) 211,610,000
0.087 0.035 Manila Mining `B 0.0610 0.0610 0.0580 0.0600 (1.64) 39,980,000
34.80 15.04 Nickelasia 27.30 28.10 27.25 27.25 (0.18) 1,104,600 (6,110,210.00)
12.76 2.08 Nihao Mineral Resources 10.20 10.36 9.47 9.47 (7.16) 3,405,900 (1,956,927.00)
8.40 2.12 Oriental Peninsula Res. 5.710 5.940 5.280 5.300 (7.18) 4,496,400 1,235,070.00
0.032 0.012 Oriental Pet. À 0.0180 0.0190 0.0180 0.0190 5.56 42,300,000
0.033 0.013 Oriental Pet. `B 0.0190 0.0200 0.0200 0.0200 5.26 100,000
7.14 5.10 Petroenergy Res. Corp. 6.07 6.04 6.00 6.00 (1.15) 56,500
28.95 17.08 Philex À 23.00 24.50 22.60 22.75 (1.09) 6,033,800 (7,527,910.00)
14.18 3.00 PhilexPetroleum 24.50 28.50 25.40 27.60 12.65 3,897,500 13,718,330.00
0.058 0.013 Philodrill Corp. À 0.040 0.042 0.038 0.039 (2.50) 1,798,400,000 789,000.00
252.00 161.10 Semirara Corp. 248.00 247.80 244.00 245.00 (1.21) 402,020 (51,969,626.00)
0.029 0.013 United Paragon 0.0190 0.0180 0.0180 0.0180 (5.26) 49,200,000
PREFERRED
47.90 27.30 ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. 34.00 33.10 32.00 32.00 (5.88) 74,500 (2,009,000.00)
109.80 100.50 First Phil. Hldgs.-Pref. 105.20 105.00 105.00 105.00 (0.19) 1,600
11.02 6.00 GMA Holdings Inc. 9.40 9.30 9.12 9.12 (2.98) 274,600 (993,084.00)
116.70 106.20 PCOR-Preferred 113.10 115.00 113.00 115.00 1.68 13,900
80.00 74.50 SMC Preferred 1 75.10 76.00 75.00 75.10 0.00 48,690 9,012.00
1050.00 990.00 SMPFC Preferred 1031.00 1040.00 1035.00 1039.00 0.78 600
6.00 0.87 Swift Pref 1.10 1.00 1.00 1.00 (9.09) 34,000
WARRANTS & BONDS
1.35 0.62 Megaworld Corp. Warrants 1.12 1.09 0.98 1.00 (10.71) 14,704,000 12,716,620.00
1.38 0.67 Megaworld Corp. Warrants2 1.10 1.10 1.10 1.10 0.00 100,897,000 109,300,400.00
0.210 0.00 Omico Corp. Warrant 0.0710 0.0710 0.0710 0.0710 0.00 30,000
RAY S. EANO
Hacienda Luisita may declare
force majeure vs. San Miguel
STOCKS fell for the sixth straight
session Wednesday, dragging down the
benchmark index to its lowest level in 10
weeks, as the possibility of Greece leaving
the euro and a territorial dispute between
the Philippines and China reduced
investor appetite for local equities.
The Philippine Stock
Exchange index, the 30-company
benchmark, lost 113 points, or
2.3 percent, to close at 4,864.23,
its lowest since Feb. 28, when the
gauge nished at 4,828.48. The
index has fallen 8.2 percent since
the start of its six-day losing
streak on May 4.
The standoff between
Philippine and Chinese vessels
near the disputed Scarborough
Shoal in West Philippine Sea
has weighed down on tourism-
related stocks, which bet on the
growth of visitor arrivals from
China in the coming years.
The heavier index representing
all shares also tumbled 53 points,
or 1.6 percent to 3,243, as losers
outnumbered gainers, 127 to 43,
with 31 issues unchanged. Some
P8.1 billion worth of shares were
traded Wednesday.
Investors are going defensive
with cash and xed-income
assets because they are worried
about the situation in Europe
and China, said Paul Joseph
Garcia, who helps manage about
$16.7 billion at the Bank of the
Philippine Islands. There are
fears that Greece will not uphold
its bailout plan and China is in
for a hard landing.
Companies with large
exposures to property
developments led losers
Wednesday. Megaworld Corp.
was down 8.2 percent to P1.90
while DMCI Holdings Inc. fell 3
percent to P59. Ayala Land Inc.
shed 3.8 percent to P19.
SM Investments Corp. bucked
the downtrend when it advanced
1.9 percent to P678.50. The
company is closely monitoring
the situation in China, where
some groups have called for a
boycott of Philippine-owned
establishments because of
tension sparked by a territorial
dispute between the two nations,
senior vice president Corazon
Guidote said.
Trafc of shoppers in the
companys malls has not
dropped, she said. SM Prime
Holdings Inc., a unit of the
company that owns four malls
in China, rose 0.1 percent to
P15.56.
Atlas Consolidated Mining
and Development Corp.
decreased 1.7 percent to P17.70.
The companys rst-quarter
prot dropped about P1.04
billion from a year earlier to
P298 million, a stock-exchange
ling showed.
Meanwhile, Asian stocks
dived Wednesday after a failure
by Greeces political leaders to
form a coalition government set
the stage for new elections next
month, keeping Europes debt
crisis center stage.
Japans Nikkei 225 index
dropped 1.5 percent to 8,771.60
amid discouraging economic
news. Core private-sector
machinery orders fell 2.8 percent
in March, the rst drop in three
months, Japans Cabinet Ofce
said.
With Bloomberg, AP
Business
ManilaStandardToday extrastory2000@gmail.com MAY 17, 2012 THURSDAY
B3
BCDA junks Sobrepeas plan
First Gen sees profit
hitting over $100m
Globe-BanKo
partnership. Globe
Telecom signed a
memorandum of
understanding with
BPI Globe BanKo,
the countrys rst
mobile-based savings
bank, to empower
rural communities
with their own bank
accounts through
the countrys rst
mobile-based savings
bank. Shown are (from
left) BPI Globe BanKo
vice president for
community banking
group Jose Raul Jereza
IV, BPI Globe BanKo
president Teresita
Tan, Globe president
and chief executive
Ernest Cu, and Globe
corporate social
responsibility head
Rob Nazal.
THE state-run Bases Conversion and
Development Authority has turned
down the proposal of Sobrepea-led
Camp John Hay Development Corp. for
a lease payment plan for being grossly
disadvantageous to government.
The company submitted a
proposal on May 14 for a joint
venture with BCDA on future
projects. This includes the
remaining developable area at
the John Hay special economic
zone.
CJHDevco proposed to pay
P100 million upon signing of
a new agreement, calling it
advance rental.
BCDA president and chief
executive Arnel Casanova said
the proposal seemed to imply
that the lessee was up to date with
its payments up to 2011.
The BCDA, in a special board
meeting on Tuesday, rejected the
proposal, since it does not show
how the P3-billion arrears will be
settled and it seeks to change the
bid terms and extend the contract
until 2061.
This is in violation of the
original lease agreement, said
Casanova.
The extension they are
asking is contrary to law. Other
conditions they are asking are
also beyond the control of BCDA,
such as DENRs [Department
of Environment and Natural
Resources] granting of permits,
he said.
The proposal is CJHDevcos
latest offer in a history of
restructuring agreements
undertaken to save the project at
the John Hay Special Economic
Zone. However, it is now
evident that this is just another
ploy of CJHDevco to delay or
even evade compliance of its
obligations, Casanova said.
Casanova said CJHDevco had
already been given opportunities
to settle their arrears as far back
as December 2011. But instead
of paying, they arbitrarily
rescind the 2008 restructuring
memorandum of agreement and
threw out the BCDA directors
from their board, he said.
He said there was no
indication how the funds will
be sourced to pay the P3-billion
obligation and CJHDevco had
been secretive through the years
of revenues generated from
John Hay.
Based on the narrative, it
even seems that its arrears are
no longer being recognized by
CJHDevco, Casanova said.
This is farthest from the truth,
he said, adding that CJHDevco
has acknowledged its billions of
arrears during the signing of the
2008 restructuring memorandum
of agreement.
The alleged better revenues
for BCDA that CJHDevco
proposed will come from the
proposed new joint venture and
extension of the lease period up
to 2061.
Casanova said, however,
CJHDevco had a history of
defaulting on its obligations
and engaging in fraudulent
transactions of which BCDA was
a victim.
By Alena Mae S. Flores
LOPEZ-CONTROLLED First
Gen Corp. on Wednesday said
it expects net income to triple in
2012, from $35 million in 2011
to more than $100 million this
year, following the strong rst-
quarter prot.
First Gen president and chief
operating ofcer Francis Giles
Puno told reporters following
the companys stockholders
meeting rst-quarter net income
reached $52.1 million, up 171.4
percent from $19.2 million a
year earlier.
Last year was a situation
when we bit the bullet in
Northern Negros, specically
the impairment of P5 billion
which affected earnings.
What we see as we improve
the operational performance
of the power plants of EDC
specically, then what we will
show is improved recurring
earnings being generated from
EDC and across our portfolio
like gas and hydro, Puno
said.
Energy Development Corp. is
the geothermal afliate which
First Gen acquired from the
government in 2007.
We are already triple-digit
growth [for the rst quarter].
Because of the one-time write
off from last year. I think
this year, we will be able to
continue that momentum,
Puno said.
The company expects higher
income from operations of
the 130-megawatt Bac-Man
geothermal power plant and
the contracts of First Gen
Hydro Power Corp. with
National Grid Corp. of the
Philippines.
First Gen executive vice
president Richard Tantoco
conrmed the company may hit
a net income of $110 million this
year as projected by analysts.
Analysts consensus is around
$110 million, Tantoco said.
First Gen chairman Federico
Lopez said most of the P5 billion
impairment from Northern
Negros power plant would
be reversed as the company
redeploys the 40-MW power
plant to the Southern Negros
geothermal complex and
commence operations some
time in 2014.
Lopez said the companys
long-term prospects were
focused on Chile, Peru and
Indonesia geothermal prospects,
which are expected to start
commercial operations towards
the end of 2019.
By Jenniffer B. Austria
GOLD and copper miner Atlas
Consolidated Mining and
Development Corp. reported
Wednesday rst-quarter prot
fell 77.6 percent to P298 million
from P1.33 billion a year ago, on
lower copper prices and higher
operating costs.
Atlas said in a disclosure to
the stock exchange consolidated
revenues in the rst quarter were
at at P3.2 billion, despite higher
copper output.
The signicant decline in
consolidated net income was
primarily attributable to higher
costs and operating expenses
amounting to P2.57 billion,
which is approximately P700
million more than what was
recorded during the rst quarter
of 2011, the company said.
The company said despite
the decline in copper prices,
revenues from copper concentrate
produced by wholly-owned
subsidiary Carmen Copper Corp.
did not reect a signicant dip on
account of improved production
levels.
Carmen Coppers operations
in the January-March period
resulted in a net income of P332
million while revenues from sale
of copper reached P3 billion.
Carmen Copper completed
seven shipments of copper
concentrates to smelters in China
in the three-month period. The
company targets to make 30
shipments this year, up from 24
in 2011.
The increase in Carmen
Coppers production, however,
pushed up operating expenses
while the more intensive
exploration activities by Atlas
exploration subsidiary also
contributed to the buildup of
expenses during the period.
Atlas income down 78% to P298m in 1
st
quarter
City Government of Cavite
BIDS & AWARDS COMMITTEE
INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID
The City Government of Cavite, through its Bids and Awards Committee
(BAC), invites contractors registered with and classified by the
Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) to apply for eligibility
and if found eligible, to bid for the hereunder contract:
Project # : 2012-5-30
Project Name : Construction of New City Hall Building
Location : San Roque, Cavite City
Barangay # :
A.B.C. : P 100,000,000.00
Source of Fund : LBP Loan
Duration : 360 Calendar Days
Prospective bidders should possess a valid PCAB License category
of AAA Large B Size Range, have completed a similar contract
with a value of at least 50% of the ABC, Net Financial Contracting
Capacity at least equal to the ABC, and have key personnel and
equipment (listed in the Eligibility Forms) available for the prosecution
of the contract. The BAC will use non-discretionary passed / failed
criteria in the Eligibility Check/Screening as well as the Preliminary
Examination of Bids. The BAC will conduct pot-qualifcation of the
lowest calculated bid.
All particulars relative to Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid
Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference, Evaluation
of Bids, Post-Qualifcation and Award of Contract shall be governed
by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules
and Regulation (IRR)
The schedule of BAC activities is as follows:
BAC Activities Schedule
1. Receipt of letters of intent including
Application for Eligibility
17-May-12 24-May-12
2. Issuance of eligibility Forms 25-May-12- 01-Jun-12
3. Last Day of receipt of Eligibility
Requirements
07-Jun-12 10:00AM
4. Notice of Results of Eligibility
Check
14-Jun-12 14-Jun-12
5. Issuance of Bid Documents 18-Jun-12 20-Jun-12
6. Pre-bid Conference 20-Jul-12, 10:00AM
7. Deadline of Receipt of Bids and
Opening of Bids
02-Aug-12 , 10:00AM
The BAC will issue to prospective bidders Eligibility Forms at Bids
and Awards Committee, Ofce of the City Engineer, Cavite City
upon their submission of a LOI and upon their payment to the Cashier,
Offce of the City treasurer of a non-refundable amount of FVE
THOUSAND PESOS (P5, 000.00) as eligibility fee. Contractors with
valid Registration certifcate issued by the City Government of Cavite
BAC is waived from payment of the eligibility fee. Prospective bidders
shall submit the Eligibility Requirements to the BAC at the address
mentioned above. They may also obtain the results of the Eligibility
Check by the BAC at the same address.
The BAC will issue Bidding Documents ONLY to all ELIGIBLE
contractors only upon payment of a non-refundable amount of P60,
000.00 to the City Government of Cavite Cashier.
The City Government of Cavite assumes no responsibility whatsoever
to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the
preparation of their bids.

Approved by:
(Sgd.) Danilo D. Camposanto
City Engineer
B A C Chairman
(MST-May 17, 2012)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS
NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION
SOUTH MANILA ENGINEERING DISTRICT
8
th
Street, Port Area, Manila
I NVI TATI ON TO BI D
(MST-May 17, 2012)
The DPWH South Manila Engineering District, through its Bids and Awards Committee
(BAC) invites the contractors to bid for the aforementioned projects;
1. Contract I.D. N0. 12OH0068
Contract Name: Proposed Repair/Maintenance of Department of Labor &
Employment Bldg.
Contract Location: Intramuros, Manila
Scope of Work: Bldg. Repair/Maintenance
Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC): Ph P 9,708,737.88
Contract Duration: 270 cal. days
Bid Documents: Ph P 10,000.00
The BAC will conduct this procurement process in accordance with the Revised
Implementing Rules & Regulations (IRR) of the Republic Act 9184. Bids in excess of the
Approved Budget for the Contract shall be automatically rejected at the opening of bid.

To apply and to bid for this contract, a contractor must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI)
signed and submitted by the person authorized in the Contractors License issued by PCAB.
Upon submission of the LOIs, the interested Contractor must also submit the photo copy
and original (for authentication purposes and issuance of Bid Documents) of the following
documents: 1. Class "A Documents (Contained in the Contractor's Registration Certifcate)
(CRC), 1.1 Legal Documents: a) Department of Trade and Industry Business Name
Registration (DT) or SEC Registration Certifcate or CDA; b) Valid and Current Mayor's
Permit/Municipal License; 1.2) Technical Documents; a) Valid Joint Venture Agreement, in
case of (J.V.) and Eligibility Docs for each member; b) Valid PCAB License and Registration;
c) Certifcate of Materials Engineer Accreditation duly certifed by the Authorized Managing
Offcer (AMO) d) Latest copy of Authorizing Managing Offcer e) Certifcate of Safety Offce
Seminar from DOLE f) Phil-GEPS Order Form (Document Request List) g) CPE's rating
for the 1st Quarter; 1.3) Financial Documents; a) Prospective Bidders Audited Financial
Statement for the preceding calendar which should not be earlier than 2 years from the
date of bid submission; b) Prospective bidders computation of its NFCC. The LOIs shall
be submitted by the Authorized Liaison Offcer as specifed in the Contractor's nformation
(CI). Submission of LOIs by persons with a Special Power of Attorney shall not be allowed.
The contractor must purchase bid documents and must meet the following major criteria:
(a) prior registration with the DPWH & PHILGEPS (b) Filipino citizen of 75% Filipino-owned
partnership, corporation, cooperative, or joint venture, (c) with PCAB license applicable to
the type and cost of this contract, (d) completion of a similar contract costing at least 50%
of ABC within a period of 10 years, and (e) Net Financial Contracting Capacity at least equal
to ABC, or credit line commitment at least equal to 10% of ABC. The contractors submitted
proof of required equipments for the project are subject for inspection. The BAC will use
non-discretionary pass/fail criteria in the eligibility check and preliminary examination of bids.

Unregistered contractors, however, shall submit their applications for registration to the
DPWH-POCW Central Offce before the deadline for the receipt of LO. The DPWH-POCW
Central Offce will only process contractor's applications for registration, with complete
requirements, and issue the Contractor's Certifcation of Registration (CRC). Registration
Forms may be downloaded at the DPWH website www.dpwh.gov.ph.
The signifcant times and deadlines of procurement activities are shown below:

Issuance of Bidding Documents - - - - - - - - - - - - - - May 16-June 5, 2012
Pre-Bid Conference - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10:00 A.M. June 25, 2012
Deadline of LOI Receipt from Prospective Bidders- 12:00 Noon May 30, 2012
Deadline of Bid Receipt - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12:00 Noon June 05, 2012
Opening of Bids - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 02:00 P.M. June 05, 2012
Prospective/invited bidders may download the LOI Forms from DPWH website:
www.dpwh.gov.ph (allowing the fling of Letter of ntent free of charge and prescribing fxed
costs of bidding documents as per D.O. No. 52 dated October 3, 2011).
The BAC will issue hard copies of Bidding Documents (BDs) at South Manila
Engineering District, upon payment of a non-refundable fee as stated above for bid
documents. Prospective bidders may also download the BDs from the DPWH website,
if available. Prospective bidders that will download the BDs from the DPWH website
shall pay the said fees on or before the submission of their bid documents. The Pre-Bid
Conference shall be open only to interested parties who have purchased the BDs. Bids
must accompanied by a bid security, in the amount and acceptable form, stated in Section
27.2 of the Revised IRR.
Prospective/invited bidders shall submit their duly accomplished forms as specifed in
the BDs in two (2) separate sealed bid envelope to the SMED-BAC Chairman; otherwise, it
will be a ground for an outright disqualifcation. The frst envelope shall contain the technical
component of the bid, which shall include a) copy of the CRC; b) if a propose Key Technical
Personnel is an employee of the bidder and working on another project at the time of the
bidding, the bidder shall submit a certifcation that (1) the personnel will be pulled out
from the on-going project once the bidder is awarded the contract, and (2) he/she will be
replaced with another person with equal or better qualifcations, as certifed by the head of
the implementing offce and c) The bidder may propose a Key Technical Personnel who is
not its employee provided that the said personnel is required to submit a certifcation that he/
she will work for the bidder if it is awarded the contract under bidding. The second envelope
shall contain the fnancial component of the bid. Contract will be awarded to the lowest
Calculated Responsive Bid as determined in the bid evaluation and the post-qualifcation.
The South Manila Engineering District reserves the right to accept or reject any or all
bid to annul the bidding process any time prior to Contract Award, without thereby incurring
any liability to the affected bidder/s.
A P P R O V E D:
(Sgd.) ERNESTO P. LEONES
Chief, Planning & Design Section
BAC Chairman
N O T E D:
(Sgd.) MIKUNUG D. MACUD
District Engineer
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS
ILOCOS SUR FIRST DISTRICT ENGINEERING OFFICE
Bantay, Ilocos Sur
I NVI TATI ON TO BI D
(MST-May , 2012)
The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Ilocos Sur First District
Engineering Offce, through FY 2011 GAA, RA 10147 WITH SARO-A-12-00087,
invites contractors to bid for the aforementioned project:
1. Contract ID : 12AC0030
Contract Name : Concreting of Mindoro Airport Road
Contract Location : Vigan City
Scope of Work : Concrete paving
Approved Budget for the Contract: Php7,391,651.73
Contract Duration : 60 CD
The BAC will conduct the procurement process in accordance with the Revised
IRR of R.A. 9184. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically
rejected at the opening of bid.
To bid for this contract, a contractor must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI),
purchase bid documents and must meet the following major criteria: (a) prior
registration with DWPH, (b)Filipino citizen or 75% Filipino-owned partnership,
corporation, cooperative, or joint venture, (c) with PCAB license applicable to
the type and cost of this contract, (d) completion of a similar contract costing at
least 50% of ABC within a period of 10 years, and (e) Net Financial Contracting
Capacity at least equal to ABC, or credit line commitment for at least10% of
ABC. The BAC will use non-discretionary pass/fail criteria in the eligibility
check and preliminary examination of bids.
Unregistered contractors, however, shall submit their applications for
registration to the DPWH Central Procurement Offce (CPO) before the
deadline for the receipt of LO. The DPWH Central Procurement Offce
(CPO) will only process contractors applications for registration, with
complete requirements and issue the Contractor's Certifcate of Registration
(CRC). Registration Forms may be downloaded at the DPWH website
www.dpwh.gov.ph.
The signifcant times and deadlines of procurement activities are shown below:
Activities Schedule
1. Issuance of Bidding Documents May 15-June 15, 2012
2. Pre-Bid Conference June 4, 2012
3. Deadline of Receipt of LOI
from prospective Bidders
June 8, 2012
4. Receipt of Bids June 15, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.
5. Opening of Bids June 15, 2012 @ 2:00 p.m.
The BAC will issue hard copies of Bidding Documents (BDs) at Offce of the
BAC Chairman, DPWH, Ilocos Sur First District Engineering Offce, Bantay,
Ilocos Sur, upon presentation of two (2) valid IDs and payment of a non-
refundable fee of Ten Thousand Pesos (Php10,000). Prospective Bidders may
also download the BDs, from the DPWH website, if available. Prospective
bidders that will download the BDs from the DPWH website shall pay the
said fees on or before the submission of their Bid Documents. The Pre-Bid
Conference shall be open only to interested parties who have purchased
the BDs. Bids must be accompanied by a bid security, in the amount and
acceptable form, as stated in Section 27.2 of the Revised IRR. Mailed intents
shall not be entertained.
Prospective bidders shall submit their duly accomplished forms as specifed in
the BD's in two (2) separate sealed envelopes to the BAC Chairman. The frst
envelope shall contain the technical component of the bid which shall include a
copy of the CRC. The second envelope shall contain the fnancial component
of the bid. Contract will be awarded to the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bid
as determined in the bid evaluation and the post-qualifcation.
The DPWH, Ilocos Sur First District Engineering Offce, reserves the right to
accept or reject any or all bid, to annul the bidding process any time prior to
Contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidders.
Approved:
(Sgd.) RAYNALDO R. ABLOG, MAPA
BAC Chairman
The Polytechnic University of the Philippines, through its GOP Funds chargeable
against the Equipment Outlay (Fund 164) intends to apply the sum of Two Million
Five Hundred Twelve Thousand Two Hundred Fifty Pesos (Php 2,512,250.00)
being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract
for Supply of Tablet Chairs, Teachers Tables and Chairs. Bids received in
excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.
The Polytechnic University of the Philippines now invites bids for the Supply of
Tablet Chairs, Teachers Tables and Chairs. Bidders should have completed,
within three years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar
to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding
Documents, particularly, in Section II, Instructions to Bidders.
Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using
a non-discretionary "pass/fail criterion as specifed in the mplementing Rules
and Regulations (RR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the
"Government Procurement Reform Act.
Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or
organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital
stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations
of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to
Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.
Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Polytechnic University
of the Philippines and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below
during 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders
on May 17 to June 6, 2012 from the address below and upon payment of a
nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of fve thousand
pesos (Php 5,000.00).
The Polytechnic University of the Philippines will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on
May 24, 10:00 am at Dr. Mateo Conference Room, 2
nd
foor, South Wing, Main
Building, Mabini Campus, Sta. Mesa, Manila which shall be open only to all
interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.
Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before June 7, 9:30 am. All
Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and
in the amount stated in ITB Clause.
Bid opening shall be on June 7, 10:00 am at Dr. Mateo Conference Room. Bids
will be opened in the presence of the Bidders representatives who choose to
attend at the said venue. Late bids shall not be accepted.
The Polytechnic University of the Philippines reserves the right to accept or
reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time
prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected
bidder or bidders.
For further information, please refer to:
Engr. Antonio Y. Velasco
Bids and Awards Committee
3
rd
foor, South Wing, Main Building, Mabini Campus, Sta. Mesa, Manila
716-7832 local 397
713-1488
Approved by:
(Sgd) Atty. Estelita Wi-Dela Rosa
Chairman
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Bids & Awards Committee
Mabini Campus, Sta. Mesa, Manila
Tel. No. 716-7832 loc. 397
INVITATION TO BID FOR SUPPLY OF TABLET CHAIRS, TEACHERS TABLES & CHAIRS
(MST-May 17, 2012)
Depar t ment of Tr anspor t at i on and Communi cat i ons
CVL AERONAUTCS BOARD
OLD MA ROAD, PASAY CTY,
Metro Manila
IN RE: PETITION FOR RENEWAL OF FOREIGN AIR
CARRIERS PERMIT (FACP) TO OPERATE
INTERNATIONAL SCHEDULED AIR
TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
CAB Case No. EP-38388/HED052012-231
KUWAIT AIRWAYS CORPORATION,
Petitioner.
X----------------------------------------------------------------------x
NOTICE OF HEARING
(MST-May 17, 24 & 31, 2012)
ATTY. ANTHONY T. ZAMORA
Counsel for Petitioner
THE LAWFIRM OF ZAMORA MIRAFLOR
BRAVO AND ASSOCIATES
Suite 707 Cityland 10 Tower 1
H.V. dela Costa cor. Ayala Avenue North
Salcedo Village, Makati City
ATTY. ENRIQUE ANTONIO J. ESQUIVEL, III
Assistant Corporate Secretary and
Head of Aeropolitical Division
Philippine Airlines, Inc.
PNB Financial Center
Pres. Diosdado Macapagal Avenue
CCP Complex, Pasay City
ATTY. JONATHAN ANDREWD. LIM
Counsel for Airphilexpress
Legal Department
Air Philippines Corporation
APC Gate 1, Andrews Avenue
Pasay City
ATTY. PATERNO S. MANTARING, JR.
Director for Legal
Cebu Air nc. (Cebu Pacifc Air)
Airline Operations Centre
Domestic Road cor. Andrews Avenue
Pasay City
ATTY. MAILA ROBERTA A. PADPAD-BANAAG
Counsel for Zest Air
Zest Airways, Inc.
Domestic Road cor. Andrews Avenue
Pasay City
ATTY. CELINA ESTHER V. CUA
Counsel for SEAR
Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAR), nc.
Unit 404 La O' Centre, 1000 Arnaiz Ave.
Makati City
MS. MARIA INEZ F. JOSE
Strategy, Airport and planning
ARASA, NC.
8th Floor, DPC place
2322 Chino Roces Avenue
Makati City
Pursuant to the provisions
of RA776, as amended,
Not i ce i s hereby gi ven
that KUWAIT AIRWAYS
CORPORATION has filed
with the Civil Aeronautics
Board a petition for renewal
of its Foreign Air Carriers
Permit (FACP) to operate
international scheduled air
transportati on servi ces.
The above-entitled case is
scheduled for hearing on
June 11, 2012 at 2:00PM at
the CAB Conference room,
Old MA Road, Pasay City
before the undersigned,
wherein the applicant shall
present relevant evidence.
The applicant is hereby
r equi r ed t o have t hi s
Notice of hearing and the
Application be sent to all
Philippine carriers, either
by personal service or by
registered mail with return
card at least fve (5) days
bef or e t he schedul ed
hearing.
Parties opposed to the
granting of this application
must f i l e t hei r wr i t t en
opposition on or before the
date of hearing, furnishing
a copy of the same to the
applicant or appear at the
hearing with such evidence
as may be proper under the
premises. Failure on the part
of any interested party to fle
their opposition on time or
appear at the hearing shall
be construed as a waiver of
their right to be heard and
the Civil Aeronautics board
shall proceed to hear and
decide the application on
its merits
Let a copy of the petition
and this Notice be posted
at the CAB Bulliten Board
beginning today.
7 may 2012
Pasay City, Philippines
(Sgd.) MARIA ELBENSL. MORO
Hearing Offcer
(MST-May 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17 & 18, 2012)
Before the court is a
verifed petition fled by the
petitioner through counsel,
praying that after notice
and hearing, an order be
issued declaring JOSE
NONO REYES absent or
presumptively dead for all
legal intents and purposes,
and ordering such other
relief and remedies, just,
necessary and equitable
under the premises.
Finding the petition to
be suffcient in form and
substance, the hearing of
the same is set on May 23,
2012 at 8:30 o'clock in the
morning at which date, time,
and place, all interested
person may come and show
cause, if there be any why
the petition should not be
granted.
Let copies of this petition
be furnished the National
Statistics Offce, the local
Civil Registrar of Porac,
Pampanga, the subject
person of the petition Jose
Nono Reyes c/ /o his father,
Pio Reyes, of M. Pagalaya,
Porac, Pampanga, the
petitioner and Atty. Jose
Eduardo B. Narciso.
Let copies of this Order
be likewise published at the
expenses of the petitioner
for one week in a newspaper
of general circulation in the
Philippines.
SO ORDERED.
Tarlac City, April 12,
2012.
(SGD.) LI LY C. DE VERA-VALLO
Presiding Judge
REGONAL TRAL COURT
Third Judicial Region
Branch 64
Tarlac City
N THE MATTER OF THE PETTON FOR
DECLARATOND OF PRESUMPTVE DEATH OF
JOSE NONO REYES,
SPEC. PROC. NO. 4840
JULETA N. SANTOS-REYES,
Petitioner.
x-------------------------------x
O R D E R
B4
Provinces
Edited by Leo A. Estonilo leoestonilo@gmail.com
Choice nut shines across Bicol peninsula
Baguio
from trail
to rail
John Hay developer gets court relief
Best warehouse award
By Dexter A. See
TUBAA train to Baguio City about
1,500 meters above sea level was meant
to be the ultimate railway travel in the
archipelago envisioned by the American
colonial regime at the turn of the century.
Following negotiations between the Philippine Commission
and Manila Railroad Co., work began in 1911 to link Benguet and
Dagupan through a line extending from Aringay, La Union.
Pricilla Camdas-Balacio, 89, of Asin, said upland townsfolk
were hired to do the roadbed on a route up the Cordillera range
that included digging five tunnels.
My relatives who worked for the project told me that the tracks
were already in Asin where the last station was supposed to be
built prior to moving up to Baguio, she told Manila Standar d.
Authorities at the time placed the cost of labor, construction
materials, right of way, shops, rail and rolling stock at $2.6
million on an alignment between Naguilian road, Bauang, and
Kennon Road, Rosario, before the opening of Marcos Highway
originating in Agoo.
Mu cousins and uncles worked under American engineers,
she said, adding that workers were issued certificates to show
they were recognized by the colonial government.
Butg after three years, the project was terminated in 1914
about 16 kilometers to its planned railhead. The government
apparently opted to build Kennon along the Bued river,
which ironically was the orginal alignment proposed for the
railway.
Tracing the route along the Baguio-Asin road, one can sill
nd two completed tunnels which served as garrisons and bomb
shelters by the Japanese occupation forces during World War II.
Tourists book reservations at eight hot springs resorts for therapeutic
baths amid a rejuvenating climate as well as a panoramic view of the
Ilocos province and the expanse of the West Philippine Sea.
Balacio said while a rain experience to the highlands remained
a dream, the prject gave rise to Barangay Nangalisan in Tuba,
By Jessica M. Bacud
TUGUEGARAO CITY
Director Ruben Reside, of
National Food Authority
Region 2, said one of its
facilities in Cagayan Valley
has being pick among
the nalists for Best
Maintained Warehouse in
the country.
We inspected the San Mateo
warehouse, in Isabela and found
it in top form, he said.
According to Recide,
the region has won the title
for Gamu and Allacpacan
warehouses in 2010 and
2011, respectively.
He said cleanliness and
orderly operations are
principal qualities that made
NFA warehouses in Cagayan
outstanding.
There are no insects,
no wastes and unnecessary
materials anywhere, Recide
said. Palay stocks are neatly
piled up and buildings are
well designed to withstand
severe weather.
He said region 2 never
had a case of overstocking
that led to stored grains being
spoiled and unt for human
consumption.
Maintaining the
warehouses isnt only for
awards but to maintain the
quality of palay and rice
stocks for the people,
Reside said. The region
has two million bags of
storage capacity in different
provinces.
A BAGUIO City Regional Trial Court has issued a writ
of preliminary injunction stopping Bases Conversion and
Development Authority from entering the former American rest
and recreation base leased to Camp John Hay Development Corp.,
a private developer.
Branch 6 RTC Judge Cleto
Villacorta said he found
sufficient basis to prevent a
grave and irreparable injury
arising from such takeover of
the leased property in John Hay
Special Economic Zone.
With my ndings of a clear
and legal right against a unilateral
take over xxx I am compelled
to grant the application for a
writ of preliminary injunction,
Villarcorta ordered. The writ is
effectively only until a decision
in this case is reached.
Villacorta enjoined the parties
to abide by his directive while
the court has yet to rule on the
case.
xxx until a decision is reached, respondent BCDA, its
subsidiaries, ofcials, employees, agents and other third parties,
are restrained from committing any act tending to wrest control
and/or possession of the leased property, i.e. 247-hectare parcel of
land in the John Hay Special Economic Zone, or portion thereof,
from petitioner, including any forceful occupation and/or ejectment
from the leased premises and/or the award of the rights in the
leased property to a new entity,
his directive said.
The case was rafed last April
26 to Villacorta after Judge
Tabora inhibited herself on
April 18.
The court order also prohibits
BCDA from awarding the
disputed leased property to a
new entity.
Citing BCDAs failure to
comply with its contractual
obligation under the
Restructuring Memorandum
of Agreement, particularly
the setting up of a One-
Stop Action Center over
the processing of permits
and licenses among others,
CJHDevCo sued BCDA to
prevent a forcible takeover and to compel arbitration to resolve
their dispute.
Dexter A. See
By Oliver Samson
SORSOGONBicol pili industry is
proicessing more pulps and kernels to keep
up with the demand of the market.
The sector was pioneered by an
agriculturist and entrepreneur, the
provincial high-value crop commodity
coordinator, said.
It was started by a colleague, Ms. Minda
Yee, who is known for the Leslie Pili
Products, Narciso Cayetano, agriculturist,
said, noting that production of pili oil grew
in the last two years.
We produced 300 liters of pulp oil per
month in 2010 and increased to 400 liters
this year and may double or triple our
production if machine will process, Minda
Yee told Manila Standar d.
She began producing pili delicacies in
1995 and extracting pili oil in 2000.
Bicol represents 61 percent of raw pili
produce in the country, Dolores Ricafranca,
Department of Agriculture-Regional Field
Ofce Superintendent, said.
The demand for pili oil is expected to rise
as virgin coconut oil has been observed to
be wqeakening in the market.
Typhoons, drought, and pest that paralyzed
production of coconut in large volume may
have affected virgin coconut oil, according
to Philippine Coconut Authority.
Reming, Milenyo, drought, and
brontispa have caused 50 percent drop in
the coconut yield and might have affected
virgin coconut oil, Alejandro Olaguera,
PCA division chief, said.
Yee said her clients consist of makers of
health and vanity products led by Rosalina
Tan, even as the oil is nding its way into
spas and therapeutic salons in the national
capital region, Iloilo and Baguio.
Only last December, Tan bought 1,000
liters of pili oil, Yee said, which was
conrmed by Trade department ofcer
here.
Pili oil sells at P600 per liter. It is also
packed in bottles--150 ml at P100, 250 ml
for P200, and 500 ml at P350.
Scented pili oil is also available in mint
and aroma of owers and favored for its
anti-oxidant effects and to restore color of
graying hair, remove dandruff, moisturize
skin, and has curative effects on skin
disorders.
It can be also be be used for salad dressing,
manufacture of sardines, shortening, baking
of cakes, and other food preparations.
A research program on pili was funded
by the Bureau of Postharvest Research
and Extension in the late 1990s, said
consortium director, Dr. Ninfa Pelea
of BCARRD Albay in an e-mailed
message.
Festive visit. House Assistant Minority Leader and Leyte 1st distict) Rep. Ferdinand Martin FM Romualdez (3rd right) is joined by former
Mayor Al Lloren (right) and wife Dra. Janice Lloren during esta of Inopacan together with (from left) Hindang Councilor Roy Jumao-As, former
Mayor Pepe Lloren, and Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy of Cebu. VER S. NOVENO
a place meaning
in Ibaloi language
a relocation
referring to the
railway workers
from the lowlands
who resettled
here.

Manila Standard Today - May 17, 2012 Issue

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