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Dissenterin Poe caseopts out ofen banc

VOL. XXIX NO. 306 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 TUESDAY : DECEMBER 15, 2015 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

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700,000flee homesas Nonahits land

LETS SLAP IT OUT,MAR DARES RODY

Then slap me! Administration presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II tells reporters at UP Diliman that he had urged Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to slap him after Duterte threatened to do so. JOHN PAOLO BENCITO

By John Paolo Bencito and Rio N. Araja

LIBERAL Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas II said Monday that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Du-terte, his opponent for the presidency, could slap him in the face if he could prove his claim that Roxas never graduated from the Whar-ton School of Economics.

Lets have a slapping match, a visibly irked Roxas challenged Du-terte in Filipino. If my Wharton degree is not real, you can slap me in the face and I wont dodge it. But if the degree is real, then Ill slap you.

Responding to the remarks, Du-terte called Roxas an idiot who deserved to be slapped for his poor performance in the wake of Ty-phoon Yolanda two years ago.

If he gets mad at me, Ill slap him, Duterte said in Filipino. Ill slap that idiot if I chance upon him on the campaign trail.

Duterte also urged people not to vote for Roxas because he could not handle stress.

Will you make him your presi-dent? he said.

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

THE only elections commis-sioner who has voted in favor of Senator Grace Poe so far will inhibit himself from the en banc hearing of petitions seeking her disqualification from next years presidential race, a spokesman for the Commission on Elections said Monday.

In an interview, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez con-firmed that Commissioner Christian Robert Lim would in-hibit himself from the en banc hearing because the petitioner, Estrella Elamparo, used to be an associate in his law firm.

Last week, Lim had voted

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news

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Nona forces 700,000 to evacuate

Early Christmas. President Benigno Aquino III leads Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., Quezon City and Education Department officials in gift-giving at the Quezon City Memorial Multi-Purpose Hall on Monday. MalaCaang Photo BurEau

Nona brushed the northern tip of Samar early Monday, with winds gusting at 185 ki-lometers per hour, the state weather bureau said. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damages.

Upon making landfall, Nona swept through the towns of Batag, Laoang and Rawis, uprooting coconut trees and inundating low-ly-ing areas, said Edgar Posadas, director of the Office of Civil Defense for Region VII.

The wind was very strong and was felt all over Samar and Biliran provinces. Co-conut trees were felled, roofs were blown off and there has been reported flooding, Posadas said.

Storm signal no. 3 was raised over Sorsogon; Mas-bate, including Ticao and Burias islands; Albay; South-ern Quezon; Camarines Sur; Camarines Norte; Catan-duanes; Marinduque; Rom-blon, and Northern Samar.

Signal no. 2 remained in effect over Batangas, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, the rest of Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Samar and Biliran.

Metro Manila; Bulacan; Bataan; Pampanga; South-ern Zambales; Southern Au-rora; Coron; Leyte; Northern Cebu, including Bantayan and Camotes islands; Aklan; Capiz; Northern Antique; Northern Negros Occidental, and Northern Iloilo were un-der signal no. 1.

The weather bureau warned of possible storm surges of up to four meters in coastal areas of Luzon and the Visayas.

Posadas said after hit-ting Northern Samar, Nonas strong winds and rains were felt in Eastern Samar, prompt-ing disaster workers to imple-ment life-saving measures to prevent a repeat of the devas-tation left by Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

Nonas strong winds even hit the OCDs Operation Cen-ter in Catarman, Samar and there was zero visibility all over, said Posadas.

Disaster officials said 161,014 families or 724,839 people were moved to higher ground in parts of Albay and Sorsogon in Region V, and Northern Samar in Region VIII, ahead of Nonas arrival.

The pre-emptive evacu-ation started 7 p.m. Sunday in 112 barangays in Sor-sogon with a total of 26,972 families or 134,870 people. In Albay, a total of 133,905 fam-ilies composed of 589,235 peo-ple were also moved to shelters. Samar was among areas dev-astated in 2013 by Typhoon Yolanda, when giant waves wiped out entire communities, leaving 7,350 people dead or missing.

Authorities warned that Nonas powerful winds had

the potential to whip up four-meter high waves, blow off tin roofs and uproot trees while heavy rains within its 300-ki-lometer diameter could trig-ger floods and landslides.

Provincial and local gov-ernment units in Eastern Vi-sayas suspended classes at all levels.

In Albay province alone, almost 600,000 people were evacuated due to fears that heavy rains could cause mud-slides on the slopes of nearby Mayon Volcano, according to the national disaster monitor-ing office.

Residents carrying bags of clothes and water jugs clam-bered onto army trucks in Albays Legazpi City, as au-thorities sounded an evacua-tion alarm, the French news agency AFP said. Huge waves crashed into the citys desert-ed boulevard as palm trees swayed amid strong winds.

An additional 130,000 people were also evacuated in nearby Sorsogon. The lat-est typhoon is expected to cut across the countrys central heartlands in the early hours of Tuesday before heading out to the South China Sea in the west.

In Tacloban City, ground zero for Super Typhoon Yolanda two years ago, class-es were suspended as Nona slammed into the northern part of Eastern Visayas.

Tacloban City Mayor Al-fred Romualdez met with various department heads to discuss the citys preparations.

At least 42 domestic flights were cancelled Monday be-cause of the bad weather.

An advisory from the Ma-nila International Airport Authority said these included Cebu Pacific flights to and from Tacloban, Manila and Legazpi City; Philippine Air-lines (PAL Express) flights in Naga, Basco and Legazpi, and Zest Air flights in Manila and Tacloban.

Weather bureau officials said Nona made landfall over Batag Island, Northern Samar, at 11 a.m., then made its sec-ond landfall in Bulusan, Sor-sogon at 5 p.m.

Packing maximum sus-tained winds of 150 kilometers an hour near its center, Nona had gusts of 185 kph. It was forecast to move west at 17 kph.

In Metro Manila, opera-tions of the Pasig River Ferry System were suspended and billboard owners were told to roll up their tarpaulins to pre-vent road accidents.

The government had pre-pared more than 200,000 food packs and other emergency items ahead of the storms landfall, Social Welfare Sec-retary Corazon Soliman told DZMM radio. rio n. araja, Mel Caspe, Joel E. Zurbano, Sandy araneta, Francisco tuyay, ronald o. reyes, aFP

MORE than 700,000 people fled their homes in the Visayas amid threats of giant waves, floods and landslides as powerful Typhoon Nona (international name Melor) ap-proached the country, officials said Monday.

The word war between the two candidates erupted after Roxas said Davaos reputa-tion as a city that was safe from crime was a myth.

On his own radio talk show, Duterte said Roxas Wharton degree was a myth.

Roxas, a former investment banker in New York before entering politics, got his B.S. Economics degree from the Wharton School of Econom-ics at the University of Penn-sylvania in 1979.

An official university ar-chives web page lists him among the schools notable alumni who have served in notable positions in foreign governments, along with the late Senator Raul Roco, who completed his Masters of Laws in the same university in 1975.

Id like to ask [him], you claim that you have graduat-ed from the Wharton School of Economics, that is a myth, Duterte said on his radio show. You did not graduate from the Wharton School

of Economics, Mr. Roxas. Your name is not on the list of those who graduated from the four- or five-year degree courses. Ask Wharton. Show me [a photo] of you wearing a toga at Wharton, with your mother at the graduation, he added.

Roxas, who oversaw the Philippine National Police as Interior secretary before he resigned to campaign for the presidency, slammed Du-tertes autocratic tendencies.

Whats wrong with May-or Digong Duterte [is] hes used to one-man rule If he doesnt get what he wants, or someone tells him the truth, hell just slap someone.

Then addressing Duterte directly, he said: You know Digong, I value you as a friend, I respected our friend-ship. But its good that weve seen your [true] character.

Roxas insisted that the sta-tistics he cited about crime in Davao were real, and chided Duterte for trying to cover up the true situation in his city.

The statistics I mentioned came from the PNP. In fact, Mayor Digong is the chair-man of the Regional Peace

and Order Council. Maybe he forgot thathes the one in charge of the peace and or-der situation in Davao region. Hes the one who chooses the regional director and even the chief of police of Davao City.

Those statistics came from the PNP and they are the ones who count the crimes from their own blot-ters. This is the truthcant he accept that?

Does this mean that if he becomes the President, if theres something nega-tive about him, hell just slap someone? Is that his kind of leadership? At least by now we already know who he re-ally is.

In a statement on Sunday, the Davao Police Regional Office refuted Roxas claims, saying that the crime index in the Davao region went down by 28.38 percent with 13,476 incidents recorded between January and August this year, compared with last years 18,936 for the same period.

Duterte ally former North Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Piol scored Roxas as being two-faced.

Just a few months ago when he was courting Du-terte to agree to be his vice presidential running mate, he was singing praises to the peaceful paradise that is Davao City, Piol said.

Today, as Duterte stands as the major obstacle to his dream of becoming presi-dent, Roxas says that Davaos claim to being one of the saf-est cities in the world is noth-ing but a myth.

Roxas allies in Congress questioned Dutertes claim that he had killed more than 1,000 criminals, and chal-lenged him to name names.

I dont know if he killed 1,700 or one or two, to be very frank, maybe I havent heard a single complaint from any relative, said House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. Maybe its all image-making. I would like to dare our very brave may-or, name names.

Another staunch Roxas supporter, Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, dared Duterte to go to Caloocan and slap someone and see where that gets him. With Maricel V. Cruz

against the disqualification of Poe when the 1st Division he heads heard three separate petitions filed against Poe. Two other commissioners in the division, however, voted to disqualify her and can-celled her Certificate of Can-didacy for the presidency.

Earlier, the 2nd Division heard Elamparos petition and voted unanimously to disqualify Poe as well on the basis of her residency and sta-tus as a natural-born citizen.

Poe has filed a motion for reconsideration to the Come-lec en banc to reverse the 1st and 2nd Division decisions.

Jimenez said the Comelec en banc might consolidate all four petitions filed by Elamparo, former Senator Francisco Tatad; De La Salle University professor Antonio

Contreras; and University of the East Law Dean Amado Valdez, as soon as they re-ceive the motion for recon-sideration from Poes camp.

It might also decide the two cases separately, he added.

Thats really the call of the en banc, he said.

The Comelec commission-ers conducted a special en banc session Monday after failing to reach a decision on Wednesday.

On Monday, Comelec chairman Andres Bautista said that the commission en banc has yet to come up a de-cision about Poes case.

But in a radio interview, Bautista said they may release a partial list of candidates to be included from the official ballot for the election next year.

He said that from the original Dec. 15 deadline, the Comelec may release the final list of candidates in the first

week of January.He also said there would be

no decision on the Poe cases until Tuesday.

Bautista also said he has not voted on any of the Poe cases yet, because these were heard by the 1st and 2nd divisions.

Before setting up his own firm, Lim was with the Car-pio Villaraza & Cruz Law Of-fices.

He was also one of the lawyers of the 2010 Aquino-Roxas team, and some re-ports suggested that the Lib-eral Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas II had pushed for Lims appointment to the Comelec.

Two weeks ago, Poes run-ning mate, Senator Francis Escudero, said Elamparo had links to Roxas because she handled the case of Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, a friend of the LP standard bearer.

Escudero also said

Elamparo was also connected with a firm, which he said was used by Cruz when he filed a case against former associate Pancho Villaraza.

Elamparo denied the accu-sations, however, and said she did not know Cruz.

A top Liberal Party official Senate President Franklin Drilon urged the Comelec to quickly decide the pending disqualification cases against Poe and another presidential candidate, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

Chairman Bautista should fulfill his patriotic duty and lead the Comelec in immediately providing a fair resolution to the petitions, Drilon said.

The early resolution of the petitions at the Come-lec would give the Supreme Court enough time to review the cases and render a final verdict, Drilon added. With Macon ramos-araneta

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Interiorofficialinjuredin attackBy Joel E. Zurbano and John Paolo Bencito

THE regional chief of the Department of Interior and Local Government of-fice in Southern Tagalog was critically injured af-ter he was shot in front of his office in Calamba City Monday morning.

DILG Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento con-demned the attack against Renato Brion and ordered the National Police to in-vestigate the case and hunt down those responsible for what he described as an atrocious act.

The DILG is deeply sad-dened by this violent act per-petrated against a loyal and dedicated public servant who is due to retire in the next few months after several years of committed service to the people, the department said in a statement.

Rest assured that the DILG will leave no stone unturned until the perpe-trators will be brought to justice. We would like to as-sure our countrymen that the DILG will not be fazed by this challenge and we shall continue to put the in-terests of our people on top of our priorities, it added.

Brion is now recuperat-ing at the Calamba Medical Center after he was shot as he was alighting his vehicle in front of his office at Ca-lambas Barangay Parian around 7:30 a.m. The Ca-lamba police are now con-ducting a dragnet operation to catch Brions attackers.

Brion, who hails from San Pablo City, was designated regional director of DILG of Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Batangas and Quezon last May 21. He was the DILG-National Capital Region chief prior to his assignment in Southern Tagalog.

Train firm official flees after courts hold order

BI spokesperson Elaine Tan said Wilson de Vera, one of the five incorporators of the Philip-pine Trans Rail Management and Services Corp., left the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for San Francisco, California in the United States last Dec. 7, 2015.

Also placed in the hold depar-ture list were Arturo Soriano, Vi-

tangcols uncle-in-law; Marlo de la Cruz, Manolo Maralit, and Fe-derico Remo, all incorporators of PH Trams.

Tan said the bureau only received a copy of the court order Monday morning. The court has also ordered the ar-rest of the respondents except for Vitangcol and De Vera who

By Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz

ONE of the principal suspects in the allegedly anomalous Metro Rail Transit maintenance deal has already fled the country, three days after the Sandiganbayan issued a hold departure order against former general manager Al Vitangcol and five others.

had earlier posted bail worth P90,000 each.

The court said that Vitangcol and the five other accused alleg-edly conspired with each other to award the multi-million peso MRT-3 maintenance contract to the firm allegedly owned and managed by his uncle-in-law.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales said Vitangcol used his power and authority being the MRT-3 general manager/ chief end-user, head of the negotiat-ing team, member of the Bids and Awards Committee, all in one, to dictate the proponents invited for the preliminary negotiations of the maintenance services.

Vitangcol intentionally hid his affinitive relationship with Soriano, which would have automatically dis-

qualified PH Trams, said Morales.Meanwhile, Malacaang on

Monday denied reports that the new light rail vehicles for the MRT had no engines.

Presidential Spokesperson Ed-win Lacierda and Communica-tions Secretary Herminio Colo-ma Jr. both forwarded messages from the Department of Trans-portation and Communications denying allegations that the agency was involved in fundrais-ing for the Liberal Party.

Heres [DoTC] Sec. [Joseph Emilio] Abayas reply to questions on MRT trains: The contract for the new 48 LRVs provides for com-plete operational trains. No one in his right mind will buy train bodies only, then have the engines procured separately, read the message.

Homeowners appeal to SCBy Rey E. RequejoTHOUSANDS of homeowners of two Globe Asiatique subdivisions in Pampanga have asked the Supreme Court to intervene and help immediately the cases involving the al-leged housing anomaly against their devel-oper that has put in peril the ownership of their homes.

In a four-page letter to Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno on Monday, the homeown-ers associations of GAs Xevera projects in Mabalacat and Bacolor appealed to the high court to look into their plight after losing, in effect, their appeal with the Pag-IBIG Fund.

According to them, it was Pag-IBIG it-self that admitted to them that they got caught in the middle of the lengthy court proceedings in a letter sent early this month, prompting them to bring the mat-ter to the SC.

Through Rolando Santos, president of the Xevera Mabalacat Homeowners As-

sociation, the homeowners lamented that they have already suffered injuries because of the cases against the GA and its owner Delfin Lee.

It has been five years since the so-called housing scam erupted in what we believed as a dream community for us and our fami-lies. Today, we continue to live in uncertain-ty and suffer the risk of being dispossessed of homes that we have bought with hard-earned money, the homeowners said.

As buyers of homes, we simply relied on a government housing program that we be-lieved was working to serve the interest of the poor. But it seems we were proved wrong. And now we suffer for having placed our trust in the system, they deplored.

Santos said they elevated their appeal to Sereno as suggested by Pag-IBIG Fund presi-dent Darlene Berberabe, who earlier reject-ed their plea to continue payment of their monthly dues for their housing loans with the state-run agency.

Stranded by Nona. Passengers wait at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after the authorities cancelled 42 flights because of Typhoon Nona, which made landfall in southern Luzon on Monday. ERIC APOLONIO

Gone 11 years. Independent presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe lights up a candle at the grave of her adoptive father Fernando Poe Jr. to mark the 11th death anniversary of the movie star at the North Cemetery in Manila. EY ACASIO

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Empower LGUs, Marcos urges

Binay: Many schools neglected

Let Duterte run for president

Taping. Quezon City Police officials Edgardo Tinio and Benjamin Magalong leads the taping of policemens guns to prevent them from firing them during the New Year celebrations. Lino SanToS

Where shes headed. A weatherman plots the direction of Typhoon Nona at the weather bureaus headquarters in Manila on Dec. 14. aFP (Story on a2)

SENATOR Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Mon-day told the people of Bacoor City in Cavite to choose a new set of national leaders next year who will tap local government units as partners in the delivery of basic services and in nation-building.

Marcos said many LGU officials are com-plaining that they are being given little or no role at all in the big-ticket projects of the national government that are being imple-mented in their areas of jurisdiction.

In the past few years, many LGU officials have complained that the national govern-ment seems to take the attitude that it alone is capable of the task of delivering services to our citizens, said Marcos, chairman of the Senate committee on local government and a three-term governor of Ilocos Norte.

He said such attitude is plainly wrong be-cause local officials are the ones who know the needs of their locality and people.

He said many LGU officials are intelli-gent, hard-working and sincere in their de-sire to improve the lot of their constituents.

He cited Bacoor City which, he said, ex-perienced rapid development under the leadership of Mayor Strike Revilla.

The work of the LGUs is crucial to the growth of a vibrant economy for our towns and cities, the foundation of the economy of the entire country, Marcos said.

If you choose the right candidates, I be-lieve that in the next Administration we will witness a significant shift in the national governments attitude toward the LGUs, and we will see as well a marked improve-ment in the relationship between the local and national governments.

Before his speech, Marcos graced the flag-raising ceremony at city hall on the invita-tion of Mayor Revilla and Cavite Rep. Lani Mercado Revilla.

THE camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay said Monday the schoolchildren in North-ern Mindanao remain ne-glected as 23 public schools there with 3,081 students do not even have toilets.

When toilets are non-existent in schools, open def-ecation becomes a common practice, putting the students at risk for diarrhea and other diseases, Binays spokesman Joey Salgado said.

He said Binay will ensure public school sanitation and health services nationwide, particularly in Northern Mindanao, once he is elected president in next years elec-tions.

Salgado said Binay is dis-turbed by the Commission on Audit findings that there are no janitors or custodial workers in 180 public schools to keep the sanitation facili-ties clean.

Hand-washing facilities in 46 public schools cannot be used, water supply in 38 public schools is not suffi-cient, and there are improp-er hygiene and poor sanita-tion practices that expose students to sickness, Salgado said.

These practices affect the health of the students and their ability to learn, he said.

Vice President Binay asks the [Education Department] to strictly follow the rules on sanitation and health serv-ices in public schools to en-sure school children will stay healthy and well.

To Vice President Bi-nay, any government agency should never put the chil-drens health and safety at risk. Our children should be provided with an environ-ment where they can learn well.

The Audit Commission

has described as weak and inconsistent the implemen-tation in Northern Mindan-ao of some rules and regula-tions on water and sanitation requirements in schools.

Salgado said the commis-sion has noted that the Edu-cation Departments mission is to improve the quality of basic education for all Filipi-nos, which includes provid-ing sufficient water and sani-tation facilities in all public schools. But the department has failed.

In 2010, the department reported that 135,487 public schools in the Philippines ex-perienced water shortage and lacked sanitation facilities.

Vice President Binay plans to identify all health concerns that can affect the quality of life of all Filipino school chil-dren and ensure these are ad-dressed immediately, Salgado said. Vito Barcelo

I hope that doesnt hap-pen. My prayer is he wont be disqualified, said Poe when sought for comment when told that Duterte could be disqualified from the presidential race.

My prayer is that he will be given the chance to run because that is what we are fighting for. Whether he wins or not, we wont know that until we put his name on the ballot, she said.

Poe on Monday also said the life and ideals of her late father, the actor Fernando Poe Jr., continued to inspire her to serve those who have less in life so that they can have a better future.

Ang buhay at simulain ni

FPJ ay ehemplo ng tapat na paglilingkod, na walang hin-ihinging kapalit, Poe said on her fathers 11th death anniversary.

Tahimik siyang tumu-long sa maraming nangan-gailangan, kung kaya siguro marami pa ring nagmama-hal sa kanya hanggang ngayon.

Speaking before support-ers at the Manila North Cemetery, Poe, the leading presidential contender, said her father did not just help people through emergency assistance in times of urgent need, he also provided peo-ple with jobs and livelihood support.

Meanwhile, Poe said she doesnt want to say

INDEPENDENT presidential candidate Grace Poe on Monday said she prays that, like her, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte should be allowed to run for president in next years elections.

shes losing hope on the Comelec, where she is fac-ing four disqualification charges over questions surrounding her citizen-ship and residency.

But she said she had faith in the Supreme Court, where her case will be ulti-mately be decided.

Thats why we will focus our preparation there, the prayer that there will be jus-tice at the Supreme Court, Poe said.

Her running mate, Sena-tor Francis Escudero, said Poe will not be vengeful if she wins the presidency de-spite the harassment she has been suffering.

Poe said her father was also slapped with a disqual-ification case when he ran for president in 2004.

FPJ lost to Gloria Maca-pagal-Arroyo but his camp claimed that Arroyo had cheated in the elections. Macon Ramos-araneta

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Feuding solons spark House tension

MMDA stops road diggings By Joel E. ZurbanoThe Metro Manila Development Authority on Monday started enforcing a moratorium on road repairs and diggings in Metro Manila to ease traffic and provide relief to commuters and motorists during the holiday season.

MMDA chairman emerson Carlos said his agency came up with a 15-day moratorium in coordination with the Department of Public Works and high-ways in anticipation of a monstrous traffic during the holidays because Filipi-nos are flocking to shopping malls and markets.

Vehicular traffic has been growing worse each day because of the more than 100 ongoing road projects in Metro Manila, most of them not due for completion this year.

Based on study, the MMDA foresees a 20-percent increase in traffic vol-ume this Christmas season because of the influx of people and vehicles from Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, and Central Luzon.

The moratorium also covers concrete re-blocking projects and even repairs being conducted by utility companies on power and water lines.

Carlos said the Metro Manila Council, the agencys policy-making body composed of the 17 local government units, passed the resolution for the moratorium.

he, however, said there would be exemptions to the moratorium includ-ing government flagship projects like Ninoy Aquino International Airport expressway project and the Skyway project 3 road works that do not ob-struct or block vehicular traffic.

By Maricel V. Cruz houSe Independent Bloc leader Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romual-dez on Monday egged on Trans-portation Secretary Joseph emil-io Abaya to find a way to solve the worsening traffic in Metro Manila which has resulted in fa-tal road rage cases.

This government especially DoTC Secretary Abaya had be-come so insensitive to what the public feels and experiences be-cause of daily traffic jams that they could not care less whether motorists are already killing each other or not out of frustration Romualdez, a lawyer and presi-dent of the Philippine Constitu-tion Association, said.

Romualdez, a senatorial candi-date, made the statement in reac-

tion to reports that a delivery van driver was shot dead last Thurs-day in Pasig City in what was be-lieved to be a road rage incident.

Police said Richard Tuazon was shot in the head and died while being rushed to a hospital by a gunman who fled on board his black Toyota Innova with li-cense plates APA 9824.

Pasig City police chief Senior Supt. Jose hidalgo Jr. said the shooting happened shortly after Tuazons vehicle nearly hit the suspects car while they were both trying to wiggle out of a heavy traffic jam.

Romualdez also chided Abaya who earlier this year was quoted as saying that being stuck in traf-fic is not fatal by saying that the latest fatal road rage incident was clear evidence that traffic kills.

Secretary Abaya and also Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman emerson Carlos do not deserve to stay a minute longer from their posts if they cannot solve this very seri-ous [traffic] problem, Romual-dez said.

While we can forgive them even if it has been said time and again that daily traffic gridlocks cost the country billions of pesos yearly in terms of productivity and lost opportunities, it is, how-ever, totally unacceptable when lives are being lost as a result of these daily monstrous traffic jams Romualdez said.

Romualdez pointed out the Aquino administrations continu-ing neglect of the traffic problem was a clear case of lack of mala-sakit or genuine concern for the

Aquino administration on why these problems happen and the fact that officials like Abaya and Carlos are not lifting a finger to solve the problem also smacks of inefficiency and insensitivity. They are refusing to talk about the killing of Mr. Tuazon because they want the public to believe that it was just a simple case of homicide. I want to stress that I was not defending the gunman but the truth is the killing was triggered by the anger and frus-tration that built up on both the victim and the suspect because of the traffic that they were experi-encing Romualdez pointed out.

This road rage incident should serve as a red flag for our authorities but it appears that they were taking the same for granted Romualdez added.

Traffic woes lead to road rage cases

A resident runs for safety past big waves spilling over a wall onto a coastal road in the Legazpi City in Albay on Dec. 14, 2015 as Typhoon Melor (Nona) approaches the city. More than 700,000 people fled the central Philippines amid threats of giant waves, floods and landslides. AFP (Story on A2)

By Christine Herrera

TWO lawmakers on Monday exchanged barbs and tension gripped the House hearing after one of them questioned the continued chairmanship of the powerful committee on appropriations although he has reportedly abandoned the ruling Liberal Party and defected to the camp of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

1BAP Rep. Silvestro Bello III questioned Davao City Rep. Isidro ungab why he re-mains the chairman when he has already changed allegiance by shifting support for Duterte and resigning from the ruling Lib-eral Party.

ungab denied leaving the LP and in-sisted it was up to the house leadership to replace him as chairman.

ungab had to suspend the committee hearing several times to stop Bello from badgering him.

The gentleman is out of order, ungab told Bello, who repeatedly argued he want-ed to know why ungab continued to hold the position when he was no longer back-ing the presidential bid of the LPs stand-ard bearer former Interior and Local Gov-ernments Secretary Mar Roxas II.

All major committees in the house are assigned to officers and members of the ruling party or allies of the administra-tion belonging to the majority bloc, led by house Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., vice chairman of the Liberals.

Bello belongs to the minority bloc and is representing the minority during the hear-ing as Deputy Minority Leader.

The ungab panel was discussing several bills such as the Private-Public Property bill and the measure allowing the live cov-erage of the house proceedings, authored by Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza and other members of the Independent Minority Bloc led by Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, who is running for the Senate.

Voting 16-2, the panel approved the PPP bill and Atienzas bill was also carried unanimously.

It has been reported in the papers and television that the chairman of this com-mittee [ungab] has jumped ship and joined the camp of Davao City Mayor Ro-drigo Duterte, Bello said. I want to know if there is a semblance of truth to that.

The gentleman is out of order. I hate to discuss politics in here. This is not the right venue to talk about politics. I dont discuss politics with rude people. The committee does not entertain rude questions, ungab said as he banged the gavel to suspend the hearing for a few minutes.

ungab neither confirmed nor denied reports that he was supporting Dutertes presidential bid.

Mr. chairman Im asking a very valid question, insisted Bello, who also hails from Davao and is supporting Duterte.

At present there is no order from the plenary where I was voted as chairman of the committee on appropriations. I hate to discuss politics here in the committee, ungab said.

Addressing Bello and the panel, ungab said, I did not resign from the LP. I was elected chairman of this committee by the house plenary. It is up to the plenary to re-place me as chairman and elect a new one.

That is what I wanted to find out, Mr. Chairman. You are still the chairman. If its not true, fine, Bello said.

ungab has reportedly enlisted himself in the emerging bloc in the house of Rep-resentatives that will support Dutertes bid to capture Malacaang this May.

Farmers welfare. Senatorial candidate and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez is flanked by Bulacan Gov. Wilhemino Alvarado (right) and Butil party list Rep. Agapito Guanlao during the Butil Farmers Forum 2015 in Baliuag, Bulacan. They all expressed concern for the need of Bulacan farmers to be exempted from payment of irrigation fee. VEr NoVENo

A6

Senate ratifies budget;House wont follow suit

A total of 190 lawmakers in the House responded to the roll call.

House Majority Leader and Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali Gon-zales Jr. said the House will ratify it either Tuesday or Wednesday. The session days are not yet over, Gonzales said.

The House devoted the Mon-day session on the discussion of the Palace-backed Bangsamoro Basic Law.

Congress will go into recess starting December 19 for a Holi-day break. It will resume session onJanuary 19, 2016.

In the upper chamber, Senator Loren Legarda, chair of the com-mittee on finance, expressed con-fidence that the President would be able to sign the proposed 2016 national budget before Christmas.

We are confident that the Pres-ident will be able to sign the pro-posed 2016 national budget into law before Christmas. In a way, this is our gift to the people as we have introduced allocations and provisions that will benefit those who most need government sup-port, Legarda said in a statement last week.

She said among the highlights of the budget was the strong support for quality education with the in-creased allocation for the Depart-ment of Education to support the implementation of the K-12 pro-gram, particularly for the construc-tion of classrooms and hiring of ad-ditional teachers. The total budget of Deped is P411.905 billion under the bill.

She said all state universities

By Macon Araneta and Maricel Cruz

THE Senate ratified on Monday the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed P3.002- trillion national budget for 2016 but the House of Representatives failed to act on it despite the presence of quorum.

Diesel cheaper by P1.45; gas down by P0.60

Support for INC leadership spurs unprecedented growth

By Alena S. Flores THE countrys oil firms reduced pump prices by as much as P1.45 per liter starting 6 p.m. Monday to reflect the movement in world oil prices.

Petron Corp., Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Seaoil Philippines, Phoe-nix Petroleum, Unioil Philippines and Eastern Petroleum issued sepa-rate advisories of the price cut while other oil firms are expected to make their own an-nouncements later.

Eastern Petroleum cut prices starting 6 p.m. Mon-day while other oil firms cut pump prices starting 12:01 a.m. Tuesday followed by other oil firms at 6 a.m. Tuesday.

The price of diesel went down by P1.45 per liter, ker-osene by P1.45 per liter and gasoline by P0.60 per liter.

Fernando Martinez, Eastern Petroleum chair-man and chief executive- attributed the latest price cut in domestic pump prices to the continuous downward trend of prices in the world oil market.

Analysts are expecting the price war to continue up to the end of next year, as Saudi Arabia would not be able to reduce output while Iran continues to increase its production, Martinez said.

Phoenix Petroleum, for its part, said will de-crease the prices of die-sel by P1.45 per liter and gasoline by P0.60 per liter effective 6 a.m. Tuesday to reflect the continued decrease in the prices of petroleum products in the world market.

The oil firms also low-ered pump prices by P0.70 per liter for kerosene and P0.50 per liter for diesel last Dec. 8.

The Philippines im-ports bulk of its fuel re-quirements and is merely a price taker in the global oil market.

and colleges also recei ved addi-tional funding for the Tulong-Dunong program, academic buildings, provision of equipment and other needed facilities. She said the total budget of SUCs is P47 billion.

For the first time, the nation-al budget includes funding for the payment of the total admin-istrative disability pension for surviving spouses of deceased World War II veterans and par-tial payment for TAD pension for living post-war veterans who are at least 80 years of age as of 2016, she said.

Under the proposed 2016 na-tional budget, P2.723 billion has been allocated for the pay-ment of total administrative disability pension for surviving spouses of deceased World War II veterans.

The Senate also approved on third and final reading a bill seeking to protect depositors and creditors from financial ruin while keeping confidence in the banking system.

Senator Serge Osmea, princi-pal author and sponsor of Senate Bill No. 2976, noted that deposi-

tors and creditors of closed banks have to bear the adverse conse-quences of bank closures. He said they experience significant loss of their hard-earned money and dis-ruption of their business.

Osmea said the passage of the bill into law would reinforce the au-thorities of the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation so it could better provide safety nets for the banks financial system.

Under the measure, PDIC would be able to assist banks in danger of closing while they are still operating and not after they have been close by the BangkoSentralngPilipinas.

Osmea said PDIC would also be able to give depositors immedi-ate access to their insured deposits upon closure of their banks and increase their chances of recover-ing uninsured deposits by elevating the status of the claims of unin-sured depositors in the hierarchy of claims against the remaining assets of the banks under liquidation.

He said the bill would also al-low PDIC to sell all the assets and assume the liabilities of a closed bank as a mode of liq-uidation without the need for court approval.

T UESDAY : DECEMB ER 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

NEWSeditorial@thestandard.com.ph

Against phaseout. Operators and drivers of public utility jeepneys hold a protest rally at the foot of Chino Roces Bridge near Malacaan Palace condemning the phaseout of PUJs as proposed by the Department of Transportation and Communications Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board. EY ACASIO

THE Iglesia ni Cristo has experi-enced unprecedented growth in the past six years under the leadership of Ka Eduardo Manalo, with just over 17 chapels built and renovated every month since he took over the reins of the homegrown Church in Septem-ber 2009the result of the outpour-ing of support from INC members who continue to embrace our faith

and believe wholeheartedly in the Churchs evangelization efforts.

This according to INC spokesper-son Edwil Zabala, who on Monday said that 1,091 chapels in the Phil-ippines have been dedicated under Manalo, who took over the leader-ship of the church after his father, Ka Erao Manalo, passed away in August 2009. A significant number

of chapels have also been established abroad.

These new chapels are a concrete manifestation of the support given by our members to the Church, which is at an all-time high, said Zabala.

Among the provinces with new and renovated chapels are Bataan, Benguet, Bulacan, Cavite, Camarines Sur, Cebu, Cotabato, Davao Del Sur,

Davao Oriental, Iloilo, Laguna, La Union, Leyte, Nueva Ecija, Negros Occidental, Palawan, Pangasinan, Rizal, Tarlac, and Zambales.

Chapels in Metro Manila have also been dedicated in several cities, in-cluding Caloocan, Malabon, Manila, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Pasay, Pasig, Taguig, and Quezon City,

According to the minister, all

INC members are free to give what-ever they can to support efforts to strengthen the Church, and seeing firsthand the results of their generos-ity and their sense of community is very encouraging for them; iba kasi talaga pag nakikita mo kung saan napupunta ang tulong mo (its a dif-ferent feeling when you know where your support is going).

Displaced miners observe Human Rights Day

A7editorial@thestandard.com.ph

T U E S D AY : D E C E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

NEWS

CIDG Director Victor Deona identified the arrested suspect as Mary Ann Chee Ruta, 33, a resident of Juan Luna Avenue, Barangay Mabolo in Cebu City.

Police said P1.1 million worth of shabu was taken from Rutas possession.

Deona said Ruta was collared by agents of the CIDG regional

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITYThe Senate committee on energy supports individual and collective ini-tiatives to shift from the use of traditional energy sources to renewable energy like solar, wind and hydro, the committee vice chairman Senator Teofisto Guingona III said as he wit-nessed the installation of stan-dalone solar-powered lamps near the Baguio Cathedral.

This is in order to contrib-ute to overall efforts of both the government and the pri-vate sector to sustain and preserve the state of the en-

vironment in the country.Guingona said the use of

solar-powered lamps in Bagu-io should already jump-start the individual and collective efforts to entice the public to shift from traditional energy sources to renewable energy in order to enhance efforts to preserve and protect the envi-ronment.

Every little step counts, that is why we need the individual and collective contribution of the populace to be able to achieve a bigger goal of con-verting the City of Baguio into the first solar power city in the country, Guingona said.

Senate committee backsrenewable energy projects

Police nab suspecteddrug queen in Cebu

Sight to behold. Two friends watch the sunset along Dominican Hill in Baguio City. DAVE LEPROZO

Christmas is for children. Minxie Romualdez, daughter of Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, distributes food packs and toys to pupils of the Lolita Daycare Center in Barangay Calanipawan, Tacloban City. VER NOVENO

By Butch Gunio

STA. CRUZ, ZambalesJoining the world in observing Human Rights Day, about 500 displaced mine workers belonging to Coa-lition of Mine Workers, Families and Communities and support-ers gathered in front of Sta. Cruz town to air their sentiments on Thursday.

They called the attention of Sta. Cruz municipal officials and other agencies of the government like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to ensure to protect the rights of everyone.

The coalition said they made the call amidst fear that the base-less allegations of some anti-mining groups would affect the impartiality of concerned govern-ment offices to the detriment of their own rights.

We just want to be sure that the government will protect our right, if members of the anti-mining group have right, so us also who are legiti-mate residents of Sta. Cruz, we have right for livelihood and whatever benefits we can get from the indus-try, the coalition said.

We hope that it would be based on scientific study the decisions of the concerned government agen-cies in dealing with the mining issues, the coalition added.

The mine workers are also calling to lift the suspension of the operation of two mining companies Eramen Minerals Inc. and LNL Archipelago Min-erals Inc. in Sta. Cruz.

The DENR Mine and Geo-sciences Bureau already lifted the suspension of Benguet Nickel Mines Inc. and Zambales Diversi-fies Metal Corp.

CMWFC is composed of mine workers in Sta. Cruz and nearby towns and their families adhering to responsible mining.

By Florante S. Solmerin

A SUSPECTED drug queen responsible for the pro-liferation of illegal drugs in Cebu City was arrested during a buy-bust operation last Saturday, accord-ing to a report from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

office and Anti-Illegal Drug Team of Cebu City Police Office at around 1 p.m. in Barangay Capitol Site.

Ruta first handed a medium-size sachet containing shabu to a police poseur-buyer for P10,000. She was immediately hand-cuffed after the transaction.

A further search yielded five medium and two large sachets containing shabu, with an esti-mated weight of 100 grams and a value amounting to P1,180,000.

Also confiscated from Ruta as evidence was the marked money, P4,000 cash, a cellular phone, a Postal and Philhealth IDs, and a black pouch.

Ruta is affiliated with the Jaguar Group involved in illegal drug trade operating in Cebu, Deona said.

He said she has been charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Dangerous Drugs Law) and temporarily detained at the custodial facility of CIDG-Cebu.

A8

[ EDI TORI A L ]

SLAPSTICK POLITICS

AT FIRST blush, it was entertaining to watch pres-idential candidates go at it with their incredible tales, biting commentary and verbal tussles. Mud-slinging is fair game in any Philippine elections, and at least we wont settle for something so dull.

And so we entertained ourselves with the pick-up lines (mostly online) of Senator Miriam Defen-sor Santiago, the suspicious timing of the hearings against Vice President Jejomar Binay and his fam-ily, and the story of the abandoned babywho turned out to be Senator Grace Poeat the door of an Iloilo church. Even the inconsequential early campaigning of the Liberal Party bet, Manuel Rox-as II, despite the full force of the administration machinery behind him, was in itself a sob story.

We were also treated to the will-he-or-wont-he dance of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, which has concluded in his personal visit to the Commission on Elections after being substituted by the PDP-Laban for another candidate who had earlier filed his certificate.

The indecision has affected some peoples esteem of the mayor, and so he tried to make up for it by issuing bold statements that reeked of too much information about his personal life and his history of killing criminals. He even dared admit he cursed the Catholic pope when he found himself stuck in traffic during the papal visit in January.

Then again, nothing comes close to this weeks exchange between Duterte and Roxas who threat-ened to slap each other on the campaign trail.

We wish we were joking, or that this were sat-ire, but noDuterte said Roxas lied about ob-taining a business degree at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Roxas fired back, saying he would let Duterte slap him if the latter could prove he misrepre-sented his education. But if he turned out to be right, Roxas said, then he would fly to Davao and slap the mayor at the airport.

Earlier, the two candidates also had an ex-change about crime rates and the veracity of Dutertes claims that Davao City was one of the safest places in the world.

We laugh at how stupid these people sound and how effortlessly they make fools of themselves. You dont need a business degree from an Ameri-can business school or a reputation as a near-dic-tator to strip yourself of all respect due you.

Legitimate candidates talk about the details of their plans to make life easier for more of their constituents. Jokers talk dirty, ridicule their op-ponents and challenge them to fistfights or slap-ping matches.

In the end, despite our amusement, we realize this is a tragedy. These are people vying to lead us for the next six years. They will make the deci-sions that would improve or worsen our quality of life. They would speak on our behalf in front of the international community.

When we make our decision on May 9, we should ask ourselves this question: Can I in my right mind allow this person to take up my cause, to speak for me, to fight my battles?

They in no way involve slapping a person in the face.

LOWDOWN

JOJO A. ROBLES

ADELLE CHUAE D I T O R

SLAP-HAPPY

A FRIEND asks: Why is it no big deal when Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte promises to slap someone around, but when former Secretary Mar Roxas says the same thing, everyone goes crazy?

Well, thats the differ-ence between Duterte and Roxas right there. One of them comes across as real, while the other one almost always sounds fake.

Like him or hate him, there is an undeniable au-thenticity to the Davao Citys outrageous pro-nouncements. The admin-istration presidential can-didate, on the other hand, always appears to be acting out a script prepared by a not-so-bright committee.

Since he took his unique brand of politicking to the national stage, Duterte has been gaining adherents be-cause he has an undeniable connection with the ordi-nary Filipino. Many pun-dits have likened Duterte to US tycoon Donald Trump, who has emerged as the leading Republican candi-

date in next years elections because of his audacious, soundbite-friendly state-ments, like his recent call to banish all Muslims.

Duterte shares with Trump a quotability that resonates with the people and makes them identify with him immediately. It is this emotional appeal, more than any of the may-ors admittedly outlandish statements, that has made him skyrocket, Trump-like, in the pre-election polls.

As for slapping people around, the tough-guy mayor of Davao seems eminently more capable of doing that than the rich kid from Cubao. And if all those stories about Duterte killing people are true, I guess you should feel lucky that a slapping is all you end up getting, if you get him mad enough at you.

Which is not to say that Roxas is not capable of do-ing things in anger, as the staff of the exclusive Wack-Wack golf club to which he belongs will be the first to tell you. But the truth of the matter is, Roxas always seems to be pretending to be the down-to-earth, spur-of-the-moment guy that he is notand prob-ably never will be.

Thus, over the years, Roxas has been excoriated for his many attempts to be one with the little guy. The photographs of Roxas hoist-ing sacks of rice or garlic, of directing traffic in the rain, of falling off a motorcycle helmet-less and of hammer-ing down a nail like the clue-less, carpentry-challenged haciendero that he really is have made many conclude that this is a politician who will do anything to get your voteand fail all the time

while doing so.If you took the trouble to

watch that much-ridiculed music video Fast Forward extolling Roxas virtues and vision for the country, you would see right away that Mar is still trying too hard at this populist thing. That awkward shoulder bump of his with basketball star James Yap has got to be, to this basketball-crazy country, the lowest point of that video.

If Duterte is faking it, it certainly doesnt show. In like manner, even if Roxas was genuinely angry when he challenged the mayor to a slapping match yesterday, it still comes off as fake.

Rich Wharton grads just dont slap, except when they do it to offending household help, office staff or golf caddies. And if Rox-as still harbors any hope of winning in May, he should abandon the fakery and play to his real strengths, such as they are.

* * *If Roxas wants to copy

another rival, perhaps he should emulate Senator Grace Poe. Poe has never descended to Dutertes level, no matter how many times the mayor has called her an American President.

If Mar is true to himself,

hes already won a victory even if he

still loses horribly in

the coming election.

OPINIONT U E S D AY : D E C E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

Continued on A10

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher Jojo A. Robles Editor-in-Chief Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Managing Editor Chin Wong/Ray S. Eano Associate Editors Francis Lagniton News Editor Joyce Pangco Paares City Editor Adelle Chua Senior Deskman Romel J. Mendez Art Director Roberto Cabrera Chief Photographer

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remains, but will be con-sidered stray ballots if she is eventually disquali ed. My gulay, this would in e ect disenfranchise those who would vote for Grace Poe.

is is why the Supreme Court should rule on the residency and citizenship issues of Mrs. Llamanzares for the presidency.

But, it would be interest-ing to know why Mrs. Lla-manzares decided to run for the presidency in 2016, instead of just waiting for 2022 when her chances to be president are greater. Now she is a neophyte sen-ator with only three years experience in legislation, severely lacking experience in governance.

Who convinced her to run thinking that the over 20 million votes she got

in 2013 would continue to be hers in 2016? Was it her running mate, Sena-tor Chiz Escudero? He must have told her that since he is the frontrun-ner in poll surveys, he will surely win as vice president at the beck and call of the President if he is needed. In e ect, Chiz will be the one running the country if both he and Mrs. Llaman-zares get elected.

For Mrs. Llamanzares to think that the 20 mil-lion votes she got in 2013 will continue to be with her in 2016 is naivete of the highest order. Running for the Senate and topping it is entirely di erent from running for the presidency. Senator Loren Legarda knows this only too well since she ran for the vice

presidency twice and lost despite topping the senato-rial race.

Oh, yes, another thing about Mrs. Llamanzares. She led CoC for the Sen-ate in 2013 claiming that she was a resident of the Philip-pines for only six years and six months. She never cor-rected it, claiming it only as an honest mistake.

Santa Banana, its un-believable for a person like Mrs. Llamanzares not to correct her CoC under oath since shes intelligent enough. My gulay, the only reason I can guess is that she never thought of run-ning for the presidency in 2016 when the Constitu-tion requires 10 years resi-dency in the Philippines. Now, her ambition has got-ten the better of her.

Again, Mrs. Llaman-zares lied when she claimed she was a resident of the Philippines for 10 years and 11 months when she led her CoC for president. e commissioners of the Sec-ond and First Division of the Comelec used misrep-resented. My gulay, thats lying in any language!

* * * is is a caveat for men

and women at shopping malls here in Metro Manila or elsewhere.

Scammers who have been victimizing bank depositors are now using more sophisticated gad-gets. All they have to do is place their gadgets on the bags of the women and on the back pockets of men especially when the eleva-tors are crowded.

OPINIONT U E S D AY : D E C E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

A10

SANTA Banana, I cant believe it!

Mitsubishi Motors keeps on denying more than 100 cases of sudden unintended acceleration of Montero Sport. Adding insult to injury (literally), Mitsubishi has come out with big advertisements in major newspapers extol-ling the amenities of the vehicle.

e controversy may have been investigated by the Department of Trade and Industry, but Mitsubi-shi continues to be in a state of denial, saying that only a reliable third party can put the row to rest. But, my gulay, until then, people may be harmed, even killed!

Isnt it about time that Malacaang stepped into the picture? President Aquino should have all Montero Sport units be recalled.

* * *As I write this column

to beat my deadline, the Comelec en banc has not yet made its nal decision to cancel the Certi cate of Candidacy of Mrs. Mary Grace Natividad Poe Lla-manzares for president.

Logically, since no less than ve Comelec commis-sioners (thats more than the majority out of seven com-missioners) had already dis-quali ed Mrs. Llamanzares for misrepresentation (translated: lying) on her citizenship and residency issues, the Comelec en banc cannot do otherwise but also disqualify her.

Unless, of course, a miracle happens.

When the Comelec rules en banc, thats sup-posed to be nal and exec-utory except if the respon-dent chooses to go to the Supreme Court to claim that the Comelec ruled in excess of its jurisdiction and abuse of discretion, which is a broad claim. us, we go back to the Supreme Court for the -nal adjudication of Mrs. Llamanzares issue on residency and citizenship, according to the Constitu-tion.

Considering the fact that the 15 members of the Supreme Court are all lawyers and know the fun-damental law of the land, we can presume that their decision will be more or less like what the three as-sociate justices of the Su-preme Court said in their minority ruling at the Sen-ate Electoral tribunal: that Mrs. Llamanzares lacked the 10-year residency re-quirement and that con-stitutionally speaking, she is not natural-born.

e three justices of the high court were Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, as chairman, and Associate Justices Arturo Brion and Teresita Leon-ardo de Castro as two of the nine-member SET.

Mrs. Llamanzares and her lawyers may try to disqualify Justices Car-pio, Brion and De Castro or may try to have them inhibited, but theres nothing in law that the respondent can cite for their disquali cation. us, with three Supreme Court justices ruling that Mrs. Llamanzares had failed to prove her 10-year residency and her claim to be natural born, only ve other justices more are needed to disqualify Mrs. Llamanzares.

ere are, however, some questions that have to be answered. Will the name of Mrs. Llaman-zares still be included as candidate for president in the ballot? I can almost predict that the Supreme Court cannot promulgate its decision before the printing of the ballot this coming January. If not, the name of Mrs. Llamanzares as presidential candidate

GOODBYE, MRS.

LLAMANZARES

AFTER PARISTHE GUARDIAN gave a vivid de-scription of what transpired in Paris over the weekend during the conclu-sion of the 21st Conference of Parties.

ere was, rst, an announce-ment that there was no opposition to the nal dra of the agreement. A banging of the gavel. For a moment, silence, as though nobody believed what was happening. And then, ju-bilation: Cheering, crying, hugging, even high- ves among diplomats, negotiators, politicians, academics, civil society, media and everybody else in the hall.

e reason? A landmark 31-page deal had been reached by the community of 195 nations. ey all agreed to do something to cut carbon emissions so that the planet would not descend into worst-case scenari-os brought about by climate change. is was important because in previ-ous climate change conferences, they merely agreed to agree at some later date, to do the same.

Science has told us that the world should not get warmer by more than 2 degrees Celsiusor else the conse-quences would be dire, and accelerat-ed. Actually, 2 degrees is bad enough because what we have been seeing now, in terms of extreme weather pat-terns such as stronger, more frequent and erratic storms on one hand and drought and dry spells on the other, are all already that.

According to reports, the main contention remained to be how much each country was willing to sacri ce in terms of emission cuts given the fact that other countries have more (or less) historical responsibility than they do, or have (or have not) attained a signi cant amount of economic de-velopment as they have.

e Philippine delegation pushed for an ambitious target of capping the warming not just to 2 degrees but 1.5. ey also framed the climate change issue as a human rights issue, argu-ing that the poor and the vulnerable have the right to be protected from the consequences of climate change.

is rings even more urgent as we realize they did not have a hand at all in the situation, that they did not bene t from development, and prob-ably have no idea about the scienti c and diplomatic terms used during the COP talks even as its impacts to them are real, immediate and life changing.

Time to bring out the champagne? By all means. Its been a tough two weeks, and an even more tougher 20 plus years. Everybody who worked towards this goal and who acknowl-edged that a measure of sacri ce has to be taken deserves recognition. Ev-erybody who toiled and spent sleep-less nights during the crucial stretch need to know we appreciate what they have done.

***Lest we think the work is over,

however, lets put a cap on the cel-ebrations, as well.

e agreement has yet to be widely circulated, but at this point, we know as much: at the countries would set their own targets, that there would be regular reviews, that $100 billion would be given to poor countries to adapt to the e ects of climate change, but also that the countries would not be legally bound to their commit-ments if they even make one at all.

ese, among others, has led for-mer Nasa scientist James Hannsen to brand the Paris talks a fraud...a fake, in another e Guardian article. Its just worthless words. ere is no ac-tion, just promises. As long as fossil fuels appear to be the cheapest fuels out there, they will be continued to be burned.

According to Hanssen, the only way to ensure success is to tax green-house gas emissions across the board. He would go as far as calling these a fee instead of a tax because the

mention of taxes scares people o . Alas, even big greenlarge en-

vironment groups he calls themare not sold on the idea, according to him.

Hanssen rst became famous in 1988 when, at a House committee hearing in the US, he talked about the then-unheard of term greenhouse e ect where heat-trapped gases are released into the atmosphere and cause global warming with 99-per-cent certainty. His suggestion was to sharply reduce the burning of coal, oil and other fossil fuels that release car-bon dioxide. He was once a celebrated scientistnow he is an environmen-tal activist.

e work begins, too, according to Pope Francis, who commended the agreement but emphasized that its implementation would require a concerted and generous commitment on the part of each one.

Pope Francis referred to the envi-ronment/the planet as our common home in his recent encyclical, Lauda-to Si. He expressed his hope that the agreement will give special attention to the most vulnerable.

And indeed only conscientious implementation will do justice to the jubilation that took place this week-end in the city of lights. People were emotional then, exuberant even as they were exhausted. But soon they will return to their home countries, be reminded of their economic pri-orities, get confronted by their own realities and the concerns of the pres-ent. ey will be back in their com-fortable o ces and expensive suits and will forget the stories of the poor-est and most vulnerable.

e landmark deal will amount to nothing if all the good things remain on paper. Lets give ourselves and the next generation something to really cheer. Lets continue to watch how nations make climate commitments, and ensure they take these commit-ments to heart.

adellechua@gmail.com

TO THE POINT

EMIL P. JURADO

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

CHASING HAPPY

ADELLECHUA

Misrepresen-tation

is lying in any language.

Slap-happy...From A8Even Senator Miriam Defen-

sor Santiago, who is not known for holding in choice insults, has not challenged anyone to a slapping contest. Perhaps age or illness has slowed Santiago downor per-haps shes just laughing so hard

observing the antics of Roxas and her other rivals that she hasnt been able to lob some of those ver-bal bombs shes famous for.

e sad truth about the Duterte-Roxas hate-fest is that it has caused the level of political discourse in this country, which is not very high to begin with, to descend to new

lows. And the fact that one of the protagonists is a supposedly well-bred, foreign-educated technocrat makes it all a little sadder.

I dont know if Roxas thinks he can gain any votes from pretend-ing to be a tough guy. A er all, his previous attempts at populist posturing havent brought him

the mass appeal that he so des-perately seeks.

But if I were Roxas, Id stick to making claims about fathering the business process outsourc-ing industry and bringing down the cost of medicine. While these claims are probably as fantastic as his previous epal moves, at least

theyre in character.What Roxas shouldnt do is

get down and dirty with Duterte, never mind if he could win in an actual slapping match with the mayor. If Mar is true to himself, hes already won a victoryeven if he still loses horribly in the coming election.

A11T U E S D AY : D E C E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

OPINION

HAIL TO THE CHAIR

VICTOR AVECILLA

A GOOD DAY IN PARISLAST Saturday, Dec. 12, after extending the climate change negotiations for a day, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, president of the 21st Conference of the Parties of the United Na-tions Framework Convention on Climate Change, entered the La Seine plenary hall of the Le Bourget conference center and addressed the thousands of us who were there: I now invite the COP to adopt the decision en-titled Paris Agreement outlined in the document. Looking out to the room I see that the reaction is positive, I see no objections. The Paris agreement is adopted.

A standing ovation, pande-monium and jubilation followed the announcement. At the Philip-pine table, Secretaries Emmanuel de Guzman and Neric Acosta, and diplomat Angele Ponce and I embraced. For me, personally, it was a moment to relish having worked on climate change for 25 years now and on this particular negotiation process since 2009.

Minister Laurent is right: With a small hammer you can achieve great things. He also said: Its rare in life to be able to move things forward at the planet level. These are words of wis-dom from a socialist politician who was once prime minister of France and still holds the distinc-tion of being the youngest ever to hold that position.

Shortly after the announce-ment, Secretary De Guzman, vice chair of our Climate Change Commission and the head of the

Philippine delegation, took the floor and accepted on behalf of the Philippines the Paris Agree-ment. He acknowledges that the agreement is not perfect but it is acceptable: We can build on it and make it better over time. We must now focus on its imple-mentation and on the compliance procedures and will engage in the process.

Secretary De Guzman ex-plained the context of our pres-ence in Paris: For each of the past four years, at this time when we come for annual climate meetings, as our Earth spins to another end and another begin-ning of her voyage around the sun, a powerful typhoon visited the Philippines, carving out an immense swathe of devastation, deprivation and death of many of our countrymen, persistently and rudely reminding us of the signif-icance of our role and the urgency of mission in this Conference of the Parties.

For our country, according to De Guzman, climate change means sorrowful catalogues of casualty and fatality; the count-less voices of the homeless and the grievingtheir very tears and screams carried to us by the winds and waves that blew their homes away. He eloquently pointed out how: During moments of great violence and bereavement, vic-tim is an inadequate word to capture the loss and damage visit-ed upon us. Each body count has a name and an ageis workmate or lover, neighbor or friend, son

or daughter, father or mother. Secretary De Guzman then

cited five reasons why the Paris Agreement is a step in the right direction for addressing climate change:

First, the 1.5 goal has defined the global ambition for climate action. 1.5 can enable us to sur-vive and thrive. As Chair of the Climate Vulnerability Forum, we were the strongest voice on this issue.

Second, the Agreement es-tablishes human rights as its bedrock principle, including the rights of indigenous peoples, women, young people, and mi-grants, among others. For the first time, climate justice is rec-ognized in an international le-gally binding agreement. We were the first to propose this link between human rights and climate change, helping put to-gether a coalition of countries that insisted it be included.

Third, the Agreement ensures ecosystem integrity in climate actions, a very important prin-ciple. We were also the strongest advocate of this, a reminder that climate change is not just about carbon.

Fourth, the Agreement en-sures support in finance, technol-ogy, and capacity building for all adaptation and mitigation efforts. Our negotiations teams worked very hard to get the best deal pos-sible under the circumstances.

Fifth, we succeeded in get-ting a Loss and Damage Article in the Agreement, an important

development for a country of many small islands. Our adapta-tion team provided the ideas that bridge various positions on this difficult issue.

The Paris Agreement actually echoes the message of Pope Fran-cis in Laudato Si: The urgent challenge to protect our com-mon home includes a concern to bring the whole human fam-ily together, to seek a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change. The Creator does not abandon us; he never forsakes his loving plan, or repents of having created us. Hu-manity still has the ability to work together in building our common home.

Despite diversity and diver-gence, the countries and peoples of the world found common ground in Paris. As Secretary De Guzman pointed out: Solidarity is not a stranger to Paris. When terrorists attacked this city last month, its people did not give in to baser instincts, nor were they defeated by fear. Instead, the people of Paris reached out to each other, her minorities in-cluded, and now, they have wel-comed us all warmly with open hearts and arms.

When I was conceptualizing the Philippine statement based on Secretary De Guzmans in-structions, I reached out to At-eneo de Manila English teacher Ramon Sunico who coinciden-tally had taught Secretary De Guzman and me in the 1980s. Secretary De Guzman and I

wanted a good final speech and we thought enlisting our old teacher, one of the countrys top poets and writers, would be helpful.

After informing him that it was in Le Bourget where Charles Lindbergh landed the Spirit of St. Louis in 1927 for the first successful trans-Atlantic flight, Professor Sunico unearthed a poignant story about the first airport of Paris.

In 1927, two weeks before Lindbergh, also called the Lone Eagle, landed in le Bourget, Frances own biplane, LOiseau Blanc (the White Bird) took off and then disappeared just as it approached the coast of North America.

The white bird today is associ-ated with peace but a long time ago, lost in the mists of myth and lore, a white bird with a tree branch in its beak brought hope at the end of a global cataclysm, a great flood remembered in many epics and the holy writings of many cultures.

In Paris, last Saturday, each person there released white wings of hope before a future of rising waters and weeping winds.

Let us promise each other then that these birds will never disap-pear, that instead, we will follow them with our eyes, our hearts, our minds and above all our will, so they perch safely on the lands where our children play.

Facebook: Dean Tony La Vina Twitter: tonylavs

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

EAGLE EYES

DEAN TONYLA VIA

WHICH ONE IS MORE OBJECTIONABLE?

UNDER the condonation doc-trine, an elective official facing administrative charges is deemed absolved of those charges upon his reelection. The doctrine pos-its that when the voters reelected the official, they are deemed to have forgiven any administrative infractions earlier committed by him. The condonation doctrine does not apply to criminal of-fenses.

Makati City Mayor Jun-jun Binay invoked the condona-tion doctrine after the Ombuds-man filed administrative charges against him for anomalies he al-legedly committed during his previous term. When the case reached the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice expressed her dis-dain for the condonation doc-trine, and even scolded Binays lawyers for invoking it. A retired Supreme Court Justice opined that the scolding was uncalled for. In the end, the Supreme Court abandoned the doctrine.

In other words, the reelection of an official no longer absolves that official of any administrative cases pending against him. This means that an elective official who is found to have committed an administrative offense may be suspended from office, even if that

official is subsequently reelected by the people. Fortunately for Binay, the new doctrine was not given retroactive effect.

The Commission on Elections has twice ruled that Senator Grace Poe is disqualified from running for president in the May 2016 elections. According to the poll body, Poe cannot run because she is not a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, and the Consti-tution explicitly requires that the President of the Philippines must be a natural-born citizen.

Poes rabid supporters like Rex Gatchalian and Isko Moreno insist that Poe should be allowed to run because it is unfair to discriminate against foundlings. They also insist that the voters should be the ones to decide if Poe should be president or otherwise.

Their arguments have been repeatedly refuted in the past. Enforcing the Constitution, even if it means prohibiting a foundling like Poe from running for president, is non-negotiable under a government of laws. To those who insist that Poe cannot be disqualified under international lawput it first in the Constitution! If the voice of the people is important, and it is, then the Constitution must be followed because it was ratified by the voice of the people. In

fact, the Constitution begins with the phrase, We the sovereign Filipino people ...

What has Poes woes got to do with Mayor Binay? Well, Binay allegedly committed an infraction of administrative rules. In Poes case, however, to allow her to run for president is to allow a violation of the Constitution. Which one is more objectionableallowing a mayor to remain in office despite his violation of an administrative regulation, or allowing someone to run for public office in violation of the Constitution?

Unlike administrative regula-tions, the Constitution enjoys the direct approval of the sovereign Filipino people. Considering that the Supreme Court has ruled that the voice of the sovereign Filipino people, acting through the bal-lot, cannot condone any violation of any administrative regulation committed by the candidate of their choice (like what happened to Mayor Binay in the elections of 2013), with more reason should it be postulated that the sovereign Filipino people, acting through the ballot, cannot condone a violation of the paramount law of the land.

Another public figure seek-ing the presidency is Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, a no-nonsense figure who made his city, once the hotbed of crime and lawlessness, a showcase metropo-

lis of law and order. Although Duterte entered the presidential race at the last minute, he quickly became the top pick in the recent surveys conducted in both Met-ropolitan Manila (where he does not reside), and throughout the Philippines. So far, Duterte has a double-figure lead over Poe and another presidential candidate, Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Actually, Duterte is a substi-tute candidate for president of the PDP-Laban Party, which earlier fielded a certain Martin Dio for the same office. After Dio with-drew from the race, the party re-placed Dio with Duterte within the deadline allowed by law for the substitution of candidates who withdraw.

A famous election lawyer said that Dio filed a Certificate of Can-didacy not for president but for a local government post, and that for this reason, Duterte cannot validly substitute for Dio as a presidential candidate.

Perhaps it is precisely because Duterte is leading in the surveys that some people obviously op-posed to a Duterte presidency are asking the Comelec to disqualify the fiery mayor on the ground that there is a defect in his CoC. They argue that since Dios CoC is defective to begin with, the same is void, and a candidacy filed under a void CoC cannot be

the subject of a valid substitution. Some of Dutertes support-

ers maintain that the CoC issue against their candidate involves a mere clerical error which, like all clerical errors, can be correct-ed. For instance, if the entries in a usually indefeasable public document like a birth certificate are clearly erroneous and are proved to be so, then corrections are allowed by law.That principle ought to apply to Dios CoC. At the end of the day, it is substance, not form, which matters.

Since Dio filed his CoC within the deadline set for candi-dates for president, his intention to file a CoC for president, and not a local government post, may be established. It is also possible that Dio originally planned to run for a local government post and changed his mind at the last minute, but used the wrong CoC. Thus, if it is established that Dio made a clerical error in his CoC, then a correction is in order.

Poes disqualification, on the other hand, does not involve a mere clerical error. It is a viola-tion of the Constitution which, aside from being beyond correc-tion, is obviously more objection-able than either an infraction of an administrative rule as in the case of Mayor Binay, or a cleri-cal error as in the case of Mayor Duterte.

Donaldson shows class in 3-shot win

A12sports@thestandard.com.ph

T UESDAY : DECEMB ER 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

SPORTS

CHONBURIJa-mie Donaldson played a master-ful round to hold off a spirited chal-lenge from Lee Westwood and Clement Sordet and clinch the Thai Golf Cham-pionship in style on Sunday.

The Welsh Ryder Cup star shot a seven-under par 65 to finish three clear of Englands Westwood and Frenchman Sordet.

It feels great to win this trophy and beat some of the best players in the world, said Donaldson, who admitted he had not played that well this year.

It all came together to-day, even though it was bit of a battle with the heat.

Donaldsons victory also meant he qualified for the 2016 Open Champion-ship at Royal Troon, as did Westwood.

Also earning a trip to Troon were Sordet and the 16 year-old Thai, Phacha-ra Khongwatmai, who soared up the leaderboard to clinch sole sixth place after shooting 66.

In joint fourth place, four shots back from the runners-up, were Spains Sergio Garcia and South Koreas An Byeong-Hun, who had already earned exemptions to the Open.

Sharing seventh place was the trio of Indias S.S.P. Chawrasia, Thailands Kira-dech Aphibarnrat and Mar-tin Kaymer from Germany.

Opening up with three straight birdies, Donaldson quickly powered past over-night leader Sordet. The Welshman appeared to be in charge, but he had not totally shaken off his two playing partners who were right on his heels. AFP

Escalanteloses closedecision intitle fight

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

INTERNATIONAL Boxing Asso-ciation super flyweight champion Bruno Escalante from Cebu, fight-ing out of Redwood City, California, lost a close if not questionable unan-imous decision in a North Ameri-can Boxing Federation title fight at the Richard Borchard Regional Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall in Robs-town, Texas over the weekend..

George Vondracek of the Corpus Christi Caller Times reported that Kingsvilles undefeated Oscar Can-tu, was battered, cut and bloody, but outlasted Escalante over 10 rounds on Sunday, bringing the NABF belt back to American soil for the first time since 2008.

Vondracek noted that the chis-eled, 52 Escalante, who was five inches shorter than Cantu, ap-peared to wrest the upper hand in Rounds 3 through 8, landing solid shots despite suffering the first cut of his career via a head-butt in the third round. The 5th and 7th rounds were particularly rough for Cantu, with Escalante peppering the gash above the right eye of his foe.

In a post-fight interview, Cantu, who improved to 13-0 said: I dont back down from these fights. These fights make champions. I could pretty make fight through one eye pretty much. When I got that cut, I couldnt see through my right eye.

Rock star welcome greets BarcaNARITAEuropean cham-pions Barcelona were greeted like rock stars on their arrival in Japan on Monday to contest the Club World Cup, looking bleary-eyed after a long flight from Spain.

Around 300 screaming fans greeted the Spanish giants try-ing to take pictures of superstars Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez as they swept through Narita airport at around 0800 local time dressed in blue team tracksuits.

Walking alongside Suarez, Messi smiled at fans as cameras flashed, while Neymar, who is an injury concern for the tour-nament favourites, sported a baseball cap, sunglasses and earphones.

Barcelona, bidding to become the first team to win the Club World Cup three times after lifting the trophy in 2009 and

2011, take on Chinas Guang-zhou Evergrande in the semi-finals on Thursday.

But Barca coach Luis Enrique is sweating over the fitness of Neymar, who is struggling with a groin strain. The Brazilian has scored 16 times in 18 appear-ances this season, but Enrique could opt to rest him in Japan.

Barring an upset, Argentinas River Plate will await the Euro-pean champions in the final in Yokohama on December 20.

European teams have won the title seven times of the 11 years the competition has been played under the current seven-team format.

Meanwhile, Europes lead-ing clubs will discover their opponents for the last 16 of the Champions League on Mon-day when the draw is made at UEFA headquarters in Nyon.

Defending champions Bar-

celona, Bayern Munich and record 10-time winners Real Madrid are among the teams to enter the pot of top seeds consisting of the eight group winners from the previous round.

Last years beaten final-ists Juventus, Premier League leaders Arsenal and reign-ing French champions Paris Saint-Germain headline the clubs in pot two, having fin-ished as runners-up in the group phase.

Manchester City and 2012 European champions Chelsea both advanced as top seeds fol-lowing final-day group victo-ries, along with two-time final-ists Atletico Madrid, Zenit Saint Petersburg and Wolfsburg, who reached the knockout phase for the first time after dumping out Manchester United to finish top of Group B. AFP

Japanese fans extend their hands and take pictures of Spains FC Barcelona footballers upon their arrival at the Narita international airport in Narita, suburban Tokyo. FC Barcelona will play against Asian champion Guagzhou Evergrande of China at the semi-final of the Club World Cup in Yoko-hama on Dec. 17. AFP

Ravena, Teng bring dualpower to FIBA 3x3 meetON court rivals Kiefer Ravena of the Ateneo Blue Eagles and Jeron Teng of the De La Salle Green Archers team up in an-other rare opportunity, this time to represent the Philip-pines in the annual 2015 FIBA 33 All Stars exhibition game.

Ravena and Teng are all set to give their dual energy on court to try to bring home the bragging rights as FIBA 3x3 All Stars champion. The basketball exhibition game will be held in Doha, Qatar on Dec. 11.

Joining them are NCAA stars Bright Akhuetie of the Perpetual Help System Dalta Altas, and Ola Adeogun of the San Beda Red Lions.

Rallying behind the UAAP mythical duo is the countrys top lighting and technol-

ogy brand, Akari. Ravena and Teng are Akaris brand ambas-sadors.

We are truly proud of our Akari Dual Power endorsers, Kiefer and Jeron as they embark on another challenge together, this time in the international basketball arena, said Russell Balbacal, Akari Lighting and Technology Corp. sports direc-tor. Akari is behind them eve-ry step of the way as they make an attempt to win the title and bring pride to our country.

FIBA 33 All Stars exhibi-tion is an international bas-ketball event which gathers the best players in the 3x3 Indi-vidual World Ranking from all over the world to battle it out on court for the grand total of $120,00 in prize money.

Ateneos Kiefer Ravena (left) and La Salles Jeron Teng are representing the Philippines in the 2015 FIBA 33 All Stars exhibition game.

PSA Forum tacklesvolleyball, karateBEACH volleyball and an array of sports will be up for discussion in todays session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakeys Malate.

Volleyball star Gretchen Ho leads the guests list as she talks about the Beach Volleyball Re-public Christmas Open set Dec. 18 to 20.

Joining her in the public sports program aired live over DZSR Sports Radio 918 are ka-ratekas Alvin Parvinfar and KZ Santiago, who won gold medals for the country in the recent Turkey International Open, along with Jujeath Bad Girl Nagaow