Xian Lim leaves Star Magic, joins Viva

Xian Lim has left ABS-CBN’s Star Magic and has signed a contract with Viva ArtistS aGENCY.

Viva confirmed the news on Tuesday, January 23, by posting photos of his contract signing on their official Instagram account. “Welcome to Viva, [Xian Lim]! we're looking forward to the years we'll be working with you,” they said in one of the photos’ captions.

According to a report on ABS-CBN News, Xian’s new 5-year contract includes 10 movies with Viva Films and new music with Viva Records.

The report also said that although the contract with Viva allows him to work with other networks, including ABS-CBN rival GMA, Viva’s Veronique del Rosario said that the actor has made it clear that he wants to remain loyal to the agency that managed him for 9 years.

The split with his former managers was amicable, he said, and fans of his tandem with actress Kim Chiu can still expect to see the rumored real-life couple together on the big screen.

Now that Xian has signed with Viva, there are more opportunities for him to work with the agency’s artists, many of whom were also previously managed by Star Magic. One Instagram post on Viva said that he will co-star with Sarah Geronimo and James Reid in the Filipino adaptation of the Korean film Miss Granny.

Xian starred in a number of ABS-CBN’s primetime drama series, including Katorse, My Binondo Girl and Ina, Kapatid, Anak. 

Big projects

Everyone seems to be banking on a near flawless roll-out of both the big infrastructure projects and the tax reform program for the economy’s continued good health this year. That is a big bet on the ability of the bureaucracy to deliver as planned. That makes me nervous.

Moody’s Analytics, in its Jan. 18 market outlook, based its bullish sentiment on our strong domestic demand and favorable demographics. Moody’s said “Domestic demand likely remained the main driver of growth…”

Other than consumer demand, Moody’s also cites the other growth driver of the Philippine economy in 2018, government’s ability to reform the tax system and rebuild the country’s infrastructure.

One major stock brokerage firm feels the same way and included an enumeration of the big projects in their daily advice to clients last week:

Infrastructure: 15 infra projects eyed for 2018 launching.

Government is looking at increased infrastructure activities this year, with 15 big-tickets items already in pre-construction stage. These projects are: 

Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

 

1) The P355.6 billion Mega-Manila Subway project, 2) The P285 billion North-South Commuter Railway, 3) The P211 billion Malolos-Clark Railway, 4) The P134 billion Philippine National Railway South Commuter Line, 5) P51.7 billion Visayas-Mindanao grid interconnection.

 6) P37.8 billion Metro Manila Bus Rapid Transit EDSA line, 7) The P35.3 billion Mindanao Railway Phase 1, 8) The P25 billion Metro Manila Flood Management project, 9) The P12 billion C5 South Link Expressway, 10) The P11.4 billion construction of 30 bridges across the archipelago;

 11) The P5.47 billion Metro Manila Bus Rapid Transit España-Quezon Avenue Line, 12) The P4.36 billion Arterial Road Bypass, 13) The P4.61 billion Binondo-Intramuros Bridge, 14) The P1.38 billion Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge, 15) The P1.16-billion partial rehabilitation of Marawi City.

 Of these 15 projects, eight will be funded by official development (ODA), three from multilateral lenders, three from the government budget and one from public-private partnership.

 I wrote last Monday that some big projects are really getting off the ground. I particularly admire how BCDA’s Vince Dizon is keeping his promise to meet targets from bidding to groundbreaking. Mind you, Dizon’s groundbreaking of the new Clark airport is not just ceremonial, like most other projects, but actual start of construction.

There are other projects not on this list, but are also rather urgent. Conspicuously absent is MRT3. DOTr is quiet other than to tell us there are on-going negotiations with Japan to finance a feasibility study on how to rehabilitate the system. DOTr is also suggesting Japan will provide ODA financing to rehabilitate the system.

I am not sure Japan will spend the money of their taxpayers on what is still legally a privately owned system. Maybe Japan will undertake the feasibility study and that’s a good first step. But even that means we will wait for another year or more to have that completed. In the meantime, commuters must suffer the never ending breakdowns.

But the patience of the riding public is wearing thin. They may not be able to wait seven more years for the original BLT contract to expire to see some drastic improvements in the MRT-3 service. Moving with the MRT-3 requires using the so-called political will the Duterte administration claims it has. But if they have it, why haven’t they used it?

While those 15 projects have been mentioned in press statements and speeches countless times, I am not sure there are approved feasibility studies for all. The only projects in the list that are simple enough to possibly see the light of day within the next two years are the bridges across the Pasig River. But given Sec. Villar’s track record so far, I am not that sure…

The list talks of a BRT on EDSA, but the project has not been seriously discussed publicly. I hope government planners will tell us how this BRT will work together with the MRT 3. Dangling the EDSA BRT project may just be their way of trying to bring down public anger on the lack of a decent public transport system on EDSA.

I see the projects in the wish list as long term in nature. Under the best circumstances, completion will most likely happen beyond the Duterte term, assuming no term extension.

But they should prioritize the PNR projects, both commuter and long haul because the need is urgent. Beyond some trains coming from Indonesia in two years, we haven’t heard much about what they plan for PNR and target date for breaking ground.

Also on the list is a flood management project for Metro Manila. But we have always had some kind of flood control project for years… and still floods in the metro area have been troublesome. This is a DPWH project so it is best to lower expectations.

Strangely, economic analysts exude a lot of optimism about our economy this year and the years to come. They are taking government’s word that Build Build Build will deliver quickly. So much expectations have been built up by government propaganda that I am worried the inevitable big delays will cause such a huge disappointment.

Cabinet members talking about Build Build Build have yet to tell us how they plan to roll everything out. They say money is not a problem. But have they fixed the bureaucracy’s weak capability to absorb those big budgets?

Have we trained enough workers to undertake various facets of construction? Private construction companies are worried about manpower availability. We may need the next two years to train workers and Tesda alone can’t do it.

Big projects. Big hopes. Hopefully we won’t have a big letdown.

First computer

The oldest computer can be traced back to Adam and Eve.

Surprise, surprise.

It was an Apple.

But with extremely limited memory.

Just one byte.

Then everything crashed. . .

Xian Lim leaves Star Magic

(UPDATED) Kapamilya leading man Xian Lim on Tuesday signed up with Viva Artists Agency, after nearly a decade as a contract artist of ABS-CBN's Star Magic.

The 28-year-old actor was welcomed to Viva Entertainment by company executives, including Veronique del Rosario and founder Vic del Rosario, during the contract-signing at its headquarters in Pasig.

The five-year contract includes starring roles in 10 movies under Viva Films, and new music under Viva Records.

"This is going to be a very exciting year with a lot of movies coming up," Lim told reporters shortly after the contract-signing. "Para sa akin, gusto ko lang talaga magtrabaho and at the same time mas makilala pa ako ng mga tao."

Lim, who started acting in 2008, is best known for his lead roles in numerous ABS-CBN primetime drama series, including "Katorse," "My Binondo Girl," "Ina, Kapatid, Anak", and "The Story of Us". In all two, he co-starred with Enchong Dee and three, he co-starred with Kim Chiu, with whom he is also being romantically linked in real life.

As a Star Magic artist, Lim also starred in several films, mostly under ABS-CBN's Star Cinema; and released three studio albums, all under Star Music.

"I will always be thankful and grateful sa lahat ng nabigay ng Star Magic. Ms. Mariole, Mr. M, [they're] family. Family naman do'n, e," Lim said, referring to Star Magic heads Mariole Alberto and Johnny Manahan.

Asked if his contract with the ABS-CBN talent arm had already expired when he started talks with Viva, Lim confirmed that to be the case. He said the parting from his managers of nine years was amicable.

"Maayos naman po. I had my mom. Nadaan lang po sa usapan," he said.

'ABS-CBN WILL ALWAYS BE HOME'

With his move to Viva, Lim joins several other Kapamilya stars managed by the company's talent arm, including Ogie Alcasid, Sharon Cuneta, Christopher de Leon, Janno Gibbs, Jaya, Richard Gomez, Charlene Gonzales, Rosanna Roces, Maris Racal, James Reid, Nadine Lustre, Billy Crawford, Vice Ganda, Coleen Garcia, Anne Curtis, Sam Milby, Matteo Guidicelli and Sarah Geronimo.

Viva Films opens 2018 with ‘Mr. And Mrs. Cruz’

JC Santos and Ryza Cenon

Viva Films and The IdeaFirst Company’s first offering for 2018, “Mr. And Mrs. Cruz,” hits theaters tomorrow nationwide. The film is written and directed by Sigrid Andrea P. Bernardo, who gave us the highest-grossing “Kita Kita” last year.

This time, Bernardo presents a story about the thing that comes with love, but no one wants to really talk about: Commitment. “Mr. And Mrs. Cruz” is about Raffy and Gela who went on vacation in Palawan, wherein their unconventional love story begins and flourishes.

“Mr. And Mrs. Cruz” boasts of a stellar cast led by JC Santos and Ryza Cenon. Though it is the first time for them to be paired on screen, the chemistry between the two is palpable.

JC played the role of Fidel in the 2017 Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino top-grossing film, “100 Tula Para Kay Stella,” opposite Bela Padilla. His role as Ali on ABS-CBN’s Primetime teleserye “Til I Met You” made him TV’s newest sensation.

Ryza is a versatile actress whose acting career blossomed in 2017 via the romance-horror film, “Ang Manananggal Sa Unit 23B.” Her portrayal of Georgia on GMA-7’s teleserye “Ika-6 Na Utos” is considered to be her breakthrough role, earning for her a Best Supporting Actress nomination in the 2017 EdukCircle Awards.

“Mr. And Mrs. Cruz,” shot entirely in the picturesque and breathtaking island of El Nido, Palawan will take viewers on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

Shooting the film was a challenge. “Literal na buwis buhay” as Sigrid described it.

In one of their shoots, the team was almost stranded on an exclusive beach where they filmed some of the scenes for the movie.

“Sobrang chill lang kami. Nagkakantahan pa in between shots, not knowing na super high tide na pala sa labas ng exclusive beach kung saan kami nagshu-shoot. Bago ka kasi makarating doon sa exclusive beach, kailangan mo munang pumasok sa isang cave. Sinabihan na lang kami ng guide namin na kailangan na naming lumabas dahil malakas na ang ulan at mataas na ang tubig sa labas,” she said. “So, lumalabas pa lang kami ng cave ramdam na namin na mataas na talaga ’yung tubig. As in, kailangan mong sumisid para makalabas ka.”

• • •

Finally found each other

Kim Domingo

Marian Rivera and Kim Domingo play long-lost sisters on the GMA series “Super Ma’am.” They are reunited but their grandmother (portrayed by Helen Gamboa-Sotto) has doubts that Mabelle/Avenir (Kim) is who she claims to be so the family requested for DNA testing.

Though her identity was verified, what the family did not know was that she is also Avenir who is under the control of Jackie Lou Blanco, head of “Super Ma’am’s” enemies, the Tamawos.

The series airs weeknights after “24 Oras” on GMA Telebabad.

• • •

Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Jan. 23, go to Justice Manuel Lazaro, Pinky Marquez, Kim Atienza, Dondon Monteverde, Weena Sy, Venny Yalong, Dr. Toto Salgado, Prof. Wilhelmina Antonio, Marilyn Alterejos, Nini Jorge, Ligaya Fernandez, Janet Relos, Neil Gaylor, Armando Bernabé, Purita Dagang and Shirley Pizarro and son Alfonso… Jan. 24: Zebedee Zuniga, Minnie Seneres, Pacita de Guzman, Bernie Buenaseda, Monica Galima, Dr. Nellie Acosta, Lourna Kalaw Tirol, Rachelle Arnaldo, Maries Soliman, Rey Marfil, Danny Boy Martinez of New York, and Chona Sevilla…

PNR is buying trains from Indonesia

The Philippine National Railways (PNR) signed on Monday a P485.3-million purchase agreement for two train sets from Indonesian state-owned PT. Industri Kereta Api (PT INKA).

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said the contract was signed by PNR general manager Junn Magno and PT INKA president and director Budi Noviantro, the department said in a statement.

The Philippines is acquiring two Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DMU) train sets to be financed under the 2015 DOTr-GAA funds which were downloaded to the PNR.

“It’s been almost 40 years that PNR organically procured its own train sets that is not donated nor part of a loan package,” Magno said.

The new trains are expected to arrive in the Philippines in the third quarter of the year, and will have to undergo testing and commissioning before serving commercial operations.

“I hope this project will grow and blossom into other projects in our desire to expand the country’s railways system from what it is today—77 kilometers,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said. —Jon Viktor Cabuenas/VDS, GMA News

Plus and minuses

The start of a new year is a good way to see where we are as far as pending government promises and projects are concerned. There are plus and minuses… developments that give us hope and those that make us more cynical.

We opened the year with the long festering passport crisis reaching to boiling point. Passport applicants are complaining that there are no available appointment dates earlier than six months from now.

 At the Manila City Hall, a mobile passport processing unit was mobbed with hundreds of people trying to get that elusive travel document. A video showing that incident has had over 100,000 views.

The sad thing about that passport mess is that Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano appears insensitive to it, like Mar Roxas was to transport woes. This inability to meet passport needs is anti-poor because they need to work abroad. The crisis shows Cayetano’s sheer lack of managerial competence … and to think he wants to be president.

At LTO, we still don’t have car license plates, but maybe that’s not such a grave matter now since car dealers have been producing temporary plates based on conduction stickers. That should do for now. But it seems the fresh attempt to bid out supply of the car plates will end up in a similar legal mess as the one during P-Noy’s watch. We never learn.

On the plus side, there has been a number of groundbreaking ceremonies presided over by DOTr Sec. Art Tugade. Last week, they broke ground for the Taguig Integrated Terminal Exchange (ITX), a big-ticket infrastructure project that will hopefully help decongest vehicular traffic on EDSA.

The best part of this story is that Sec. Tugade managed to convince Ayala to forgo the P277 million Annual Grantor Payment or AGP, which is supposed to be paid to Ayala Land on a yearly basis for 35 years. That’s savings to government of some P9 billion.

I agree with Sec. Tugade that we should “stop the practice and paradigm of government paying the private sector royalty as they operate terminals.”

Additionally, Tugade announced that from the start of its commercial operation, until the end of the concession agreement, ALI will share two percent of their income from the commercial spaces in favor of the government.

Upon completion, provincial buses will no longer add to the volume of traffic on EDSA and other metro streets. Close to 200,000 passengers from Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are expected to use the terminal. It is expected to start operation by the 1st half of 2020.

BCDA also broke ground for the construction of a new passenger terminal for Clark International Airport. Target completion date is first quarter 2020.

Megawide won that bid and based on their track record, there is reason to hope they will meet that target. According to BCDA’s Vince Dizon, they started excavating and clearing last Dec. 20, 2017.

Finally completed is the Communication Navigation Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) of CAAP. This had been a long delayed project that replaces our aging terrestrial system with a satellite-based air traffic management system.

Then DOTC Sec. Ping de Jesus once wrote me to say that “our target date of completion is at the end of 2013.” But after Ping resigned, his successor, Mar Roxas placed the project on an indefinite hold supposedly for further review.

A press release of DOTr under Sec. Tugade a year ago promised to inaugurate the project by the end of June 2017. When I visited the facility October 2016, completion date was set for first quarter of 2017. But it was further delayed when engineers refused to go to some areas in Mindanao. They had to hire Iraqi engineers to finish the job.

As I wrote in this column a year ago, this GPS-based CNS/ATM system will cover the entire Philippines and has 48 monitoring points. It is essentially a traffic and communication system that provides in real time more accurate information of arrival, departures, aircraft position at any one time anywhere in the Philippine flight information region.

It will facilitate air space management, air traffic flow management and thus help alleviate the traffic jam over NAIA skies. This system will enhance air traffic safety, provide more dynamic flight planning, minimize delays and reduce air traffic controller workload. It puts the Philippine air navigation system at par with modern airports around the world.

We have previously been known in aviation circles as a blackhole in the region. All our neighbors have sophisticated satellite-based communication and navigation systems while we relied on an outdated and often non-operational land-based radar system. The system will also enable us to bill airlines using our airspace enroute to other countries, income we have been foregoing.

Speaking of airports, completion of the rapid exit taxiways at NAIA is urgent to help relieve flight delays. According to Usec Skee Tamayo, the project will be completed by July this year. It is taking time because they are only able to work in the early morning hours when Ruinway 06/24 is closed for maintenance, so as not to disrupt operations.

The rapid exit taxiways will enable an aircraft to leave the lone international runway quickly after landing and allow more flights to land and take off. Mar Roxas offered this as a tentative solution to air traffic congestion, but did nothing to get it done.

The LRT-1 extension to Cavite has also started construction and should be heaven-sent to commuters once it is completed by 2021. It is being undertaken as a PPP with a consortium composed of Ayala and Metro Pacific.

They are expecting DOTr and NEDA to act soon on the unsolicited proposal of San Miguel to build a new international airport in Bulacan. Also awaiting government action are competing proposals from a consortium of top conglomerates and Megawide/ SSS for the rehabilitation of NAIA.

 I think we are finally getting past the starting gate. This should be a really busy year for Build Build Build. I really hope they succeed, for our sake.

SM Prime building 21 new malls

Property developer SM Prime Holdings Inc. is staying aggressive on its expansion as it lined up 21 new malls for completion from 2018 to 2020, documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission show.

SM Prime, which prepared a P20-billion fixed-rate retail bond offering, aims to complete SM City Urdaneta Central, SM City Telebastagan, SM City Legaspi, SM City Ormoc, and SM City Dagupan in 2018.

Documents showed SM Prime expected in 2019 to complete SM Daet, SM Butuan, SM Olongapo Central, SM Balanga Bataan, SM Sorsogon, SM Catamaran, SM Tagum, SM City Tuguegarao, SM Aparri, SM Ilagan, SM Mindoro and SM Grand Central Monumento.

The property unit of the SM Group will launch SM City Roxas, SM Calamba Turbina, SM Tanza, SM Los Banos, SM San Fernando, La Union, SM Laoag, SM Zamboanga, SM Dipolog, SM Ipil, SM Pagadian, SM San Jose del Monte 2 and SM Malolos in 2020.

Except for the SM Grand Central in Caloocan, all new malls will rise in provincial areas.

SM Prime also continues to implement its strategy of building business process outsourcing office towers next to shopping malls.

The company plans to build eight new office buildings, including one in SM Cagayan de Oro, two in SM Southmall, one in SM Fairview, one in SM Iloilo, one in SM Manila and two in SM North Edsa.

SM Prime said assuming the oversubscription portion of the planned bond offering was exercised, it planned to spend for the expansion of eight existing malls and the construction of Four Ecom Center at Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City.

Under the company’s five-year roadmap ending 2018, the group plans to have 75 malls with a total gross floor area of 10.5 million square meters.

SM Prime earlier announced plans to issue P15-billion, fixed-rate bonds with an over subscription option of up to P5 billion and maturities of 5 years and 7 years.

The latest bond offering comprises SM Prime’s third tranche of the P60-billion, three-year debt securities program approved by the SEC in July 2016.

If the entire P20 billion is issued, SM Prime would have still have P10 billion worth of unissued bonds under the debt securities program.

SM Prime tapped BDO Capital and Investments Corp., China Bank Capital, BPI Capital Crop., First Metro Investments Corp., PNB Capital and Union Bank of the Philippines as joint underwriters for the offering.

PUBLIC LIVES: Rappler and press freedom

There’s no question about it: Rappler’s legal troubles were triggered by its commentaries and criticisms of President Duterte and his policies. Mr. Duterte has said many times that he finds these criticisms unfair, and that he will not take them sitting down. Rappler’s persecution follows a clear pattern under this administration.

The President has repeatedly warned the owners and operators of other media organizations like the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the ABS-CBN broadcast network that, if they persist in judging him and his administration from a high moral perch, they ought to be ready to account for their own violations and shortcomings when the time comes.

True enough, that time has come not a day sooner.  The Inquirer owners suddenly found themselves facing charges of nonpayment of correct taxes on their other businesses, and of continuing to occupy government land after the expiration of their lease on the property. In the face of the government’s refusal to extend the lease contract, the Prietos were given three days to vacate the land they had developed and occupied for more than 25 years.  More important, they have decided to engage in talks for the sale of the newspaper.

Similarly, the President has repeatedly called out ABS-CBN for airing allegedly biased reports against him from the time he was running for president. He has also accused the management of the Lopez-owned media company of taking his money and failing to air his advertisements during the election campaign. He has hinted that he and his allies in Congress will remember this when the media network applies for the renewal of its broadcast franchise in a couple of years.

And now it’s Rappler’s turn to be on the hot seat. The issue that the Duterte administration has raised against it (through a letter sent to the Securities and Exchange Commission by the Solicitor General) stems from a constitutional provision that requires media companies to be 100-percent-owned and -controlled by Filipinos. The question centers on the use of so-called Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDRs) as a device for allowing foreigners to invest in Filipino-owned companies as “passive investors” — i.e., without voting rights or control over the company.

These financial instruments have been in use for some time; they are more akin to IOUs than to equity shares. The issue against Rappler focuses on a side agreement that Rappler apparently entered into with one of its PDR holders, a foreign company, that commits Rappler to get the approval by a two-thirds vote of the PDR holders for any changes in the charter and bylaws of the web-based news organization.

The SEC, the state regulatory agency that oversees the operations of corporations and investors, has ruled that the PDRs issued by Rappler ceded some control to a foreign entity, and thus violated the constitutional provision prescribing 100-percent ownership and control by Filipinos of media organizations.

Unless it can be shown that the SEC commissioners rushed their judgment on this case, ignored due process, and demonstrated manifest bias against Rappler throughout the proceedings, I think it is counterproductive and unfair to accuse them of being Duterte lackeys. Having known some of them in their private capacities, I can say that, in terms of values and political inclinations, they have probably more in common with the journalists at Rappler than with Mr. Duterte’s solicitor general or justice secretary.

That is what makes this whole affair doubly unfortunate.  It has pitted believers in the rule of law and press freedom against one another—even as the real culprit, the one who cynically deploys the institutions of the state against his perceived personal enemies, swaggers as though he were above it all.

Some think that the commissioners should have assigned a greater weight to protecting press freedom than to exacting strict compliance with the nationality provisions on ownership and control of media corporations. But that’s probably more a function of the Supreme Court, to which Rappler may appeal, than of the quasijudicial SEC.

The Supreme Court has a long tradition of upholding the primacy of press freedom whenever it is threatened. As early as 1918, when we were still a US colony, the Court issued these illuminating words in United States vs Bustos: “The interest of society and the maintenance of good government demand a full discussion of public affairs. Complete liberty to comment on the conduct of public men is a scalpel in the case of free speech.  The sharp incision of its probe relieves the abscesses of officialdom. Men in public life may suffer under a hostile and an unjust accusation; the wound can be assuaged with the balm of a clear conscience. A public officer must not be too thin-skinned with reference to comment upon his official acts. Only thus can the intelligence and dignity of the individual be exalted.”  The composition and temperament of the Court, of course, change over time, but, hopefully, not the values it upholds.

Rappler recently reported that Omidyar, the main holder of its PDRs, offered to waive its prerogative under the agreement when it learned of the issue that prompted the cancellation of Rappler’s registration. If so, I believe we must support Rappler so it is permitted to cure this perceived defect in its registration. As important, we must pressure the justice secretary to withdraw his attack dogs and leave Rappler alone.  It is now clear that, under this president, all dissent is in danger.  We need to stand together to protect it.

public.lives@gmail.com



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Journalists protest ‘state-enforced’ move to shut down news website

Journalists took to the streets Friday in support of a news website facing state-enforced closure, accusing President Rodrigo Duterte of trampling on press freedom.

The government withdrew the corporate registration of the Rappler website this week and has summoned its chief executive officer to answer a “cyber-libel” complaint in what media watchdogs describe as payback for critical coverage of Duterte’s deadly war on drugs.

About 200 journalists and activists, most of them wearing black, gathered in Quezon City at dusk to protest the ruling, seen by critics as Duterte’s latest bid to stifle opposition to his narcotics crackdown.

The protesters carried banners saying “fight the Duterte dictatorship” and “defend press freedom.”

Malacanang spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement that the demonstration showed “that freedom is alive and democracy is alive in the Philippines”.

Rappler, founded in 2012, is among a handful of Philippines-based news organizations which had produced reports critical of Duterte’s flagship “war on drugs” that the government says has claimed the lives of nearly 4,000 suspects.

Human rights groups charge that thousands more have been killed by shadowy vigilantes.

The Securities and Exchange Commission alleged that the news organization violated a constitutional ban on foreign ownership of local media when its parent company issued Philippine depositary receipts for Rappler shares that were sold to a foreign fund.

Rappler maintains the investment did not constitute equity nor give the investors veto on editorial matters and has vowed to fight Monday’s ruling, which takes effect after 15 days.

Rappler has had a testy relationship with Duterte since he won the election on an anti-crime platform in 2016, with the Philippine leader threatening last year to expose the website’s “American ownership”.

Duterte has also publicly attacked other media outlets that have criticized his policies, including the Philippine Daily Inquirer and major broadcaster ABS-CBN, even threatening to block the TV station’s application for a franchise renewal.

Apart from the loss of its corporate license, Rappler’s chief executive officer Maria Ressa faced a second challenge after she was summoned by the justice ministry to answer a cyber crime complaint against her next week.

The complaint was filed by a businessman, who accused Rappler of libel for reporting in 2012 that he lent a luxury van to then-Supreme Court chief Renato Corona who was later impeached for failing to declare his assets.

Ressa said the charges against Rappler were part of a “fishing expedition” to find any legal basis to attack the news site.

“This administration’s laws are being used to stifle Rappler, a group of journalists and press freedom,” she told AFP.

“The end goal of all of this is to intimidate us into silence.”

Maglana: Getting ‘Rapplered’

TWO variants of one strand of reasoning stood out amid reactions to the revocation of Rappler’s certificate of incorporation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). One, that it was merely regulatory action; the other, that it only affected the business side of Rappler; and both views argued that it did not constitute curtailment of press freedom.

A subset of views argued that Rappler had it coming. The range of what Rappler had done or not done to deserve ‘it’ ranged from being overly critical of this administration and not being appreciative enough of its efforts, to because people associated with the outfit had said or done something that did not sit well with this audience.

Reviewing the paragraph above, I realized two things. One, that the perceived deeds/non-deeds are not inherently valid causes to conclude that Rappler has been remiss in its duties as a member of the media community writ large. This is lost though, on those conditioned to believe media’s role is to praise government, which indicates a problematic understanding of institutions in a democratic context. Two, the references to Rappler in the previous paragraph could easily be replaced with another individual’s or organization’s name. It is not unreasonable to fear that what befell Rappler can also happen to others similarly situated because Rappler’s case is far from being an isolated incident. Rappler may be only one of thousands of media outfits in the Philippines but its situation has a demonstrative effect: you could get ‘Rapplered.’ The observation that government is going after media personages and institutions viewed as unfriendly is not baseless; there have been precedents. The Foundation for Media Alternatives pointed out that President Rodrigo Duterte threatened the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise and later dangled a compromise in exchange for support for federalism. He also had harsh words for the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Prior to his inauguration in 2016, he was quoted as saying “kill journalism, stop journalism in the country.” The franchise renewal of 54 stations under the Catholic Media Network associated with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has been pending with Congress since 2017, a delay ascribed to Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez’s unfavorable views of CBCP for its criticisms of government’s approaches. Another context is that journalists endure pronounced occupational hazards in our country. We get harassed by interest groups who take issue with their reportage. The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility notes that 156 journalists have been killed in the line of duty since 1986, four under the current administration. Harassment can take different forms: from the outrightly violent to the more indirect and subtle ways referred to as panggigipit—being pressured. The intention is to limit, dissuade, or prevent journalists from effectively doing their work and for the status quo to remain unchallenged. I take issue with the argument that those who work with Rappler are not prevented from pursuing journalism without it. Such reasoning indicates a limited understanding of the community/organization-dependent aspect of journalistic work. We do not work by our lonesome. Denying access to financial, information, technological, and human resources that institutions afford blunts effectiveness of journalists. Cutting us off from our groups could reinforce feelings of powerlessness against structures and forces. Those who insist that this was just a case of the law being enforced have to be reminded that the enforcement smacked of narrow interpretation and had severe effects that only made the situation worse. The SEC normally allows time and opportunity for problematic businesses and organizations to comply with the law. But government revocation of incorporation papers as immediate measure—the first to have occurred among media institutions post-Marcos—also signaled that the Philippine claim to being among the freest press in Asia is contestable. Around the same time, a subcommittee of the House of Representatives sought to amend Article III Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution, specifically proposing “responsible exercise” as qualifier for the rights to free expression, speech, and peaceful assembly. It was the only Bill of Rights provision they wanted changed. In an irony-laced letter to Henry L. Pierce and others in 1859, Abraham Lincoln wrote “(t)his is a world of compensations; and he who would be no slave, must consent to have no slave. Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves; and, under a just God, can not long retain it.” Never doubt that God is just. Email feedback to magszmaglana@gmail.com

Read more: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/opinion/2018/01/21/maglana-getting-rapplered-584927
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Four OPM icons in pre-Valentine concert

The forthcoming concert “#paMORE” is more than a musical show, the producers Ms. Anna Puno of Starmedia Entertainment and Cacai Mitra of 1-Music Entertainment promised.

“We guarantee kantahan pa more, tawanan pa more, concert pa more. This is what ‘#paMORE’ is all about – a bountiful serving of great music, laughter and love brought to you by four of OPM’s best,” they said.

(From Left): Erik Santos, Ogie Alcasid, Regine Velasquez and Martin Nievera

The concert features Martin Nievera, Ogie Alcasid, Regine Velasquez and Erik Santos who will join forces at the Mall of Asia Arena on Feb. 10, 8 p.m. The “MORE” in the concert title is an acronym for their first names.

“The concert is a celebration of love and life in general, all through the joys of music,” Anna and Cacai added. “Concertgoers will have a taste of everything they would want in a concert – timeless hits and current chart-toppers (both OPM and western) with a dash of comedy and a whole lot of heart.”

Most excited over the concert is Erik Santos.

“Being in a concert on the big stage with Martin, Ogie and Regine who are my idols – I couldn’t ask for more. I’ve been praying hard for a long time for a chance to perform with them. It’s a great honor on my part!”

Martin, Ogie and Regine expressed admiration for Erik, saying he is a great singer.

Tickets to “paMORE” are available at all SM Tickets branches and on www.smtickets.com.

Tribute. GMA Foundation launched recently a project for injured soldiers called ‘Kapuso Para Sa Kawal.’ The project aims to serve amputee soldiers who fought terrorists in 2017. Photo taken during the launch shows (from left) LN-4 Foundation representative Anthony Untalan, Exceed Worldwide Country Co-Director Narelle Cook, Makati Medical Center Foundation (MMCF) Vice Chair Judy Araneta Roxas, Makati Medical Center Board Member and MMCF President Dr. Victor Gisbert, GMA Kapuso Foundation Founder and Ambassador Carmela C. Tiangco, and V. Luna Medical Center Rehabilitation Medicine Chief Lt. Col. Raquel Cadisal.

• • •

Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Jan. 20, go to Sen. Koko Pimentel, Ric Puno Jr., Tonypet Araneta, Eric Quizon, Roxanne Barcelo, Francisco Velasco, Veronica Palma, Mar Ronquillo, Isabel Pastor and Angelica Jones Alarva…Belated b-day greetings to Carmen Santos (Jan. 19)…Condolences to the family of Engr. Oscar Sarmiento, who passed away last January 19. He is survived by his wife Teresita Sevilla-Sarmiento and seven children: Mary Katherine Sarmiento-Ungvichian, R.N. and family, Engr. Lawrence Sarmiento and family, Samar Rep. and Engr. Edgar Sarmiento and family, Arch. Francis Anthony Sarmiento and family; former Interior and Local Government Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento and family, Dr. Jerome Sarmiento and family and Alan Giles Sarmiento and family. Funeral mass will be on January 22 at 8:30 a.m. at St. Therese of the Child Jesus Parish, Lahug, Cebu City. Burial services will follow at 10 a.m. at Cebu Memorial Park. Jan. 21: Ms. Gretchen Cojuangco, Richard & Raymond Gutierrez, Nelly Villafuerte, Brenda Tuazon, Debbie Aranda, Mark Parlan, Arnel Dulay, Shalala Reyes, Rum Cumagun, Ian Fariñas, Glaiza De Castro, Rancy Amor Recato-Buenafe, Cebu Vice-Governor Agnes Magpale, Angeline Maginsay-Zolio, Aniceto Mantilla, Danilo Patigayon, Daphne Gabutan-Samartia, Ewin Benlutan, Gwen Jumuad, Maricel Gonzales, Nonet Sayo, Peter Lorenz Tan, Rev. Fr. Ireneo Aronales, Cybill Germane Borres and Gen. Bato dela Rosa… Jan. 22: Joe Sarmiento, Betty Chua, Rannie Raymundo, Ethel Timbol, Jessica Rodriguez, Jingjing Romero, Arnel Morato, Bong Soriano, Rich Escudero, Leah Soliman, Miguel Vera, Nellie Belen, Inya Macaraeg, Jingjing Villanueva-Romero, Joed Serrano, Rafaelito Antonio and Eva Eugenio…

Most welcome news: Rehab plans for MRT

FOR the thousands who take the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) every day, despite the very great possibility that the train they take may just stop somewhere along the way, the news of Japan and the Philippines exchanging Notes Verbale for the rehabilitation and maintenance of MRT-3 was truly welcome.

This new year 2018, there has been one MRT breakdown every day – an improvement on last year’s two to three times a day. Many times, passengers were forced to walk back to their stations as the train stopped in the middle of the route. Last November, the two last coaches got disconnected and their stranded passengers could only watch as the main part of the train continued on its way.

In the first 12 years of its existence – from 2000 to 2012 – MRT-3 operated rather well, with maintenance done by Japan’s Sumitomo with Marubeni. In 2012, administration officials replaced Sumitomo with a series of newly organized firms, and the breakdowns and other troubles began.

Last January 9, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) of the new Duterte administration announced that Japan and the Philippines have reached agreement on a program to rehabilitate the MRT system, with Official Development Assistance (ODA) through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

With this financing – at 0.1 percent annual interest over a 40-year payment period with a grace period of 12 years for the principal – JICA will conduct a feasibility study to determine the scope of the project. It will nominate what it assured will be a highly qualified rehabilitation and maintenance provider with a reliable track record. The loan and other agreements will be signed from March to April and mobilization for the project will begin within the second quarter of the year.

Alongside this rehabilitation program for the MRT, legal efforts are underway to go after the previous administration officials held responsible for the replacement of the original maintenance firm with ones that were evidently incompetent, resulting in all those problems that have plagued the MRT since 2012. Plunder charges have been filed against these officials, who include two Cabinet members of the Aquino administration.

The legal cases will be pursued in the name of accountability and will hopefully discourage future officials from taking similar action. For the thousands of MRT passengers, it is enough and it is most welcome news that rehabilitation of MRT will soon be underway so that the fear of getting stranded or worse will no longer plague them.

http://tempo.com.ph/2018/01/19/most-welcome-news-rehab-plans-for-mrt/

Inquirer: Breaktime "Shape of things to Cam"

Just a few days ago, one fabulous name in the illegal numbers game “jueteng” resurfaced after long years of low profile: Atong Ang.

He reportedly wanted to control the PCSO small town lottery, or STL, designed to compete with jueteng.

From its start, STL was the exclusive operation of PCSO, unlike the other lotto which was contracted to a Malaysian group in the time of President Ramos.

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Actually PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan volunteered to media the info on the offer of Atong Ang, who denied it, even calling Balutan a liar.

Balutan said Atong Ang made the offer to him and to former PCSO chair Jose Jorge Corpuz.

It so happened that Corpuz resigned recently. According to my contacts, he suffered a stroke. Doctors had told him to avoid stress, including controversies.

Reports said Atong Ang had a meeting with Corpuz at the PCSO office, although the reports did not say what they talked about.

Interestingly, the reports also mentioned another famous jueteng personality, PCSO board member Sandra Cam.

She was the jueteng bagwoman who claimed in Senate investigations that she had delivered money to relatives of former President Arroyo.

She reportedly claimed last year she would become a Cabinet member in the administration of the motorbiking Duterte Harley, although he later said there was no vacancy in his Cabinet.

She nevertheless was able to join the PCSO board last month, immediately making noises in media about the P6-million Christmas party of PCSO for its employees, claiming Duterte Harley had told her to be his “eyes and ears” in PCSO.

All the time, Cam did not deny that she had arranged what was a mere “courtesy visit” of Atong Ang with Corpuz. You know—it was just all about the shape of things to come in PCSO!

Call it business meeting or courtesy call, Atong Ang really had personal interests in the STL.

During the Aquino (Part II) administration, PCSO was a war zone between its chair, Ireneo “Ayong” Maliksi, and general manager, Jose Ferdinand Rojas II, who were fighting over the STL.

It was known then that Maliksi, a former governor of Cavite who, by the way, also got involved in controversies regarding the LRT 1 extension project, wanted to block STL operations in certain provinces. Well, those were only the provinces where jueteng thrived.

In the anti-STL projueteng group of Maliksi was said to be Atong Ang, named in intelligence documents as the jueteng operator in 11 provinces during the previous administration.

Reports said the group of Atong Ang operated openly in Pangasinan, with the provincial police (courtesy of Superintendent Ferdinand de Asis) naming his company, Meridien Vista Gaming, as the leading operator.

Now, Meridien Vista Gaming only has a franchise to operate jai-alai fronton and off-fronton betting stations in Cagayan free port.

By the way, Atong Ang catapulted to the attention of national media about 20 years ago during time of ousted President Joseph Estrada, who reportedly assigned Atong Ang to handle the legalization of jueteng.

During the Aquino (Part II) administration, however, PCSO chair Maliksi reportedly fought with Rojas, because Maliksi wanted to overturn STL operations in —where else—Pangasinan.

So why would Cam, who proclaimed in media that she was directly connected to Duterte Harley, bring a man like Atong Ang for just a courtesy visit to PCSO officers?

Under the new management, PCSO reportedly raised the STL take to some P16 billion last year —from less than P6 billion a year during the Aquino (Part II) administration.

It also expanded the STL operations to 63 provinces.

In a way, PCSO was on its way to killing this scourge known as jueteng.

Jueteng operators would not like that! This is big money after all!

Reports said PCSO found Ang’s offer a bit funny: something like P200 million a month for the P16 billion a year STL.



Read more: http://business.inquirer.net/244325/shape-things-cam#ixzz54Wri3MTk
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Pit Senyor to all our readers!

We are now in the middle of the Sinulog Week… the Fiesta of Cebu honoring the Señor Sto. Niño. On Sunday, Jan. 21st, will be the Sinulog Parade, which will be preceded by the Fluvial Parade on Saturday dawn and the solemn procession on Saturday evening. Like in the past, we expect that millions of devotees from nearby Bohol, Negros or Leyte, which are only a few hours by boat to Cebu, would flock into Cebu City to honor the Holy Child Jesus in what has been dubbed as one of Asia’s biggest religious festivals and the nation’s top tourism drawer!

This is why Cebu is so blessed because we have this annual celebration at the start of the New Year. Remember what the Lord said in Matt. 6:33, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and he will give you everything you need.” While we in Cebu are indeed blessed, however this year has started with two major fires, the first one last Jan. 6 when the Metro Ayala Department Store burned for nearly three days. A few days ago a conflagration struck the thickly populated Barangay Pasil where some 283 houses were burned to the ground affecting 634 families.

Perhaps the bigger tragedy to befall Cebu City this year was when Mayor Tomas Osmeña returned from his US trip and saw the burnt out hulk of the Metro Ayala Department Store and declared his proposal to limit the height of buildings to only four storys high. Funny why this issue came out of his head when the Metro Ayala Department Store was only six storys high. With that he announced that he has put on hold some 31 construction applications for building permits… which he might decide this July. This is bad news for the construction industry and the poor workers who could have found work when those buildings are being constructed.

This is also disturbing news for the real estate sector who have asked for advances for their condo units with a promise to finish their buildings at an agreed time. Alas, these have been put on hold. Mind you, since Mayor Osmeña was elected back to the Mayor’s office he has taken an anti-business stand, targeting SM Prime Holdings who has stopped their plans to construct Cebu’s SMX Convention Center and our ARENA. We can only hope and pray to the Sto. Niño to open the mind of Mayor Osmeña.

Meanwhile, Cebu prelate Arch. Jose Palma announced that the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) would be holding the 115th plenary assembly in Cebu City to tackle internal and church matters. Let us hope and pray that the Catholic Church would unite the faithful to fight the up and coming anti-family bills, like divorce and same-sex marriage. This plenary session by the CBCP is rightfully being done in Cebu also in preparation for the up and coming 500th celebration of the Christianization of the Philippines in the Year 2021. So Pit Senyor to all our readers!

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Now that many Filipinos are taking short vacations to many tourism sites in the Philippines, call it timely that Pres. Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte recently inaugurated the new communications, navigation, surveillance and air traffic management systems (CNS/ATM) with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

The CNS/ATM is a state-of-the-art computer and satellite-based air traffic management technology which is similar to that being used by Australia, Taiwan and other European countries. With the use of CNS/ATM systems, air travel is expected to be more definite, aircraft identification to be more established, and safety of security of passengers are guaranteed.

This system also brings with it better air traffic flow and space management, which optimizes airport capacity and efficient use of airspace that will in turn minimize delays by helping aircraft operators meet their departure and arrival schedules. As they say, “the proof of the pudding is in the eating” so the only way we can find out if this system works is when we have less delays when we take our flights especially coming from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Meanwhile, that colored photograph in the front page of the Philippine STAR last Tuesday of a Boeing 737-800 from Pegasus Airlines that veered off the runway in Trabzon Airport in Turkey reminded me that we should continue pushing for a National Transportation Safety Board (NSTB) law. Let’s hope the Senate pushes for this important facility for the country.

*      *      *

Our friends who read my column about that statue for comfort women did not realize that the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) do not have any statues for our brave Filipino guerrillas. We hope that Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada would do something about this issue.

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Read more at http://beta.philstar.com/opinion/2018/01/18/1778791/pit-senyor-all-our-readers#jRbX5FoU6Wx80tAZ.99

From London to the Big Dome, JaDine rules

It was two years ago when the multimedia loveteam of James Reid and Nadine Lustre first figured in a concert, the record-breaking “JaDine In Love” at the Araneta Coliseum. It was a sold-out show and it was then that James admitted he and Nadine were indeed in love.

The tandem’s follow-up major show, “Revolution: The JaDine Concert,” is on Feb. 9, also at the Big Dome.

Nadine Lustre and James Reid

Its JaDine’s solid relationship that prompted Viva Live to produce “Revolution” this month of love. The repertoire has the tandem’s hit songs (among them “Bahala Na” and “Para-Paraan” along with the hot new sounds they’ve created like “Cool Down” and “IL2LU”). It’s also a timely occasion to showcase some select songs from Jamie’s current album “Palm Dreams.”

“Revolution” will bring JaDine to a provincial tour in April and a US tour in May. And before their US tour, the two will fly to London to film scenes for their movie “Never Not Love You,” to be directed by Antoinette Jadaone who directed them in “On The Wings Of Love.”

Two other movies will follow “Never Not Love You” but both James and Nadine are set to strike out on their own this 2018. James will co-star with Sarah Geronimo in “The Granny (20 Again),” which is an adaptation of one of the biggest Asian movie hits in recent years. Also this year, James will start shooting the big action-fantasy epic “Pedro Penduko.”

• • •

Throwback photos of Carmina’s twins

Carmina Villarroel is usually cheerful but on the recent birthday of her twins, Cassy and Mavy, she turned sentimental. She posted throwback photos of them together with a touching message.

Carmina Villaroel

“I still wonder how I carried you both in my stomach for nine months. One will cry, the other one will be quiet, one will be asleep and the other one will be wide awake, one will be dry and the other one will be wet. Sometimes both of you will get hungry at the same time. Those memories will be forever precious and will always be in our hearts.”

But unlike them, the situation of the twins Crisan (Bianca Umali) and Crisel (Pauline Mendoza) on her primetime series “Kambal, Karibal” is different as Crisel feels only hatred and jealousy towards Crisan. It’s still being discussed online how Crisel possessed Crisan’s body out of jealousy for her and Diego’s (Miguel Tanfelix) closeness.

“Kambal, Karibal” airs weeknights after “Super Ma’am” on GMA Telebabad.

• • •

Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Jan. 18, go to Renee Salud, Fred Pizarro, Jr., Mark Anthony Fernandez, Joy Virata, Jenny Zagala, Janet Domingo, Melvin Bello, Lulu Coching Rodriguez, Marco Ballesteros, Faye Mauricio, Ava Johnson, Lydia Lagadi, Atty. Antonio Rebasa, Caloy Atayde, my granddaughter Agatha Beatrice Belen who turns 19, and Jon Santos… Jan. 19: Shirley Tesoro, Noel Rene Nieva, Mario Bautista, Talitha Espiritu, Joe Barrameda, Euden Valdez, Edward dela Pena, Sheila Ilagan and Arthur Solinap…

Millennial mom inspires in Regal’s latest movie

Sylvia Sanchez (left) and Sofia Andres

Regal Entertainment’s maiden offering for 2018, the inspirational drama “Mama’s Girl,” opens tomorrow in cinemas nationwide. The movie is headlined by Sylvia Sanchez and Sofia Andres, Regal Babies both.

Roselle Monteverde said, “We want to start the year by giving our audience something that will inspire them more to embrace change, make more time for the people who matter the most, and live life to the fullest. The film will try to bridge the gap between the thrill-seeking millennials and the overly concerned older generation. Lahat tayo may matututunan sa pelikulang ito.”

On the other hand, Sylvia, who’s always been busy with top-rating teleseryes, considers “Mama’s Girl” a big blessing, it being her first movie for the new year. “Thanks to Mother Lily for making me part of this project. Napakasarap ng feeling na maging bahagi ng isang proyekto na alam mong may magandang mensahe. Kung sa ‘Greatest Love’ at ‘Hanggang Saan’ ay nakita niyo ako na isang mártir na ina who can sacrifice everything for her child, dito sa ‘Mama’s Girl’ I play a different role – isang makabagong ina, millennial mom at fighter siya!”

Sylvia believes a lot of people can relate to her and Sofia’s characters in the movie. “Single mom man o hindi, lahat ng nanay ay magsasabing naranasan nila ang pinagdaanan ni Mina.”

• • •

Laugh-out-loud dramedy

Judy Ann Santos and Angelica Panganiban star in Star Cinema’s initial offering for 2018, “Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes” which opens tomorrow. Star Cinema joined forces with Quantum Films and The IdeaFirst Company in bringing to the screen the film by Jun Robles Lana (“Die Beautiful”).

Angelica Panganiban (left) and Judy Ann Santos

Both Juday and Angie expressed excitement over being teamed up for the first time in a movie, especially in this laugh-out-loud dramedy. This is also Juday’s comeback to mainstream cinema, after “Kusina,” shown at the 12th Cinemalaya Film Festival in 2016. Angelica also returns to the big screen after winning the FAMAS Best Actress award recently for her performance in “The Unmarried Wife.”

More than being a film about infidelity, “Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes” is a story about two women who will discover the great lengths they are willing to go through for love. In the movie, Juday and Angie play strong characters who are opposites: One is a successful career woman while the other is a homemaker. The only similarity between them is their strong desire to win back the love of their respective husbands.

Playing leading men to them in the movie are Joross Gamboa and JC de Vera who both said they love their respective roles as married gay men.

• • •

Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Jan. 16, go to Bishop Teodoro Bacani, Antonio Leviste, Sandy Andolong, Mildred Templo, Karen Villar, Edgardo Villa, Priscilla Arias, France Kevin Buenaseda, Dr. Eric Mauricio, Susie Aunario, Inday Sempio, Grace Adriano, Johnny and Ellah Galigaro, Remy de Vera, Priscilla Villa, Levi Gordoncillo and Drew Arellano…Happy birthday "TWBA" online media producer Janine Eryll Asuncion, Maila Cay of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada from Mafe Repotente, JP Ardiente of Gumaca National High School…Condolences to the family of Ferdinand V. Cruz who passed away last January 13 at the age of 92.  Jan. 17: former Rep. John Osmeña, Hilda Koronel, Minnie Osmeña, Tony Galvez, Lilet, Hannah Trinity Dumaual, Tonee Corraza, Leonie Garcia,  and Tim Yap…

SEC revokes news site Rappler's registration

(Updated 4:21 p.m.) — The Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday ordered the revocation of online news site Rappler's business registration over questions on foreign ownership that the site has long addressed.

In a statement, Rappler said the SEC "is ordering us to close shop, to cease telling you stories, to stop speaking truth to power, and to let go of everything that we have built – and created – with you since 2012."

"The [SEC] En Banc finds Rappler, Incorporated and Rappler Holdings Corporation, a Mass Media Entity and its alter ego, liable for violating the constitutional and statutory Foreign Equity Restriction in Mass Media, enforceable through laws and rules within the mandate of the commission," the SEC order reads.

"The SEC’s kill order revoking Rappler’s license to operate is the first of its kind in history – both for the Commission and for Philippine media," Rappler said in a statement.

In his State of the Nation Address in July 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte claimed that Rappler is owned by foreigners and should be investigated.

Rappler has contended that its funding from Omidyar Network is through Philippine Depositary Receipts.

"A PDR is a financial instrument that does not give the owner voting rights in the board or a say in the management or day-to-day operations of the company. Several large media companies have PDRs," Rappler said in its report on the SEC decision.

Solicitor General initiated Rappler probe
The SEC issued the 29-page ruling on January 11.

It was penned by SEC chair Teresita Herbosa. Commissioners Antonieta Ibe Ephyro Luis Amatong, Emilio Aquino concurred. Commissioner Blas James Viterbo did not sign the ruling.

The investigation into issues on Rappler's ownership was prompted by a letter from the Office of the Solicitor General in December 2016.

"The Commssion en banc received letter dated December 14, 2016 requesting investigation into Rappler Inc., Rappler Holdings for any possible contravention of strict requirements of the Constitution with regard to the issuace of the PDRs (Philippine Depositary Receipts) to NBM (North Base Media) Rappler, LP and Omidyar Network Fund LLC in 2015," the ruling read.

Rappler then responded to the notice of conference called for by the SEC's Company Registration and Monitoring Department.

In its statement on the decision, Rappler said "we have consistently been transparent and above-board in our practices."

It added: "Every year since we incorporated in 2012, we have dutifully complied with all SEC regulations and submitted all requirements even at the risk of exposing our corporate data to irresponsible hands with an agenda. Transparency, we believe, is the best proof of good faith and good conduct."

The SEC en banc, issued Resolution 437, Series of 2017, in July 2017 and formed a special panel to conduct a formal investigation.

According to SEC, Rappler Holdings Corp. "acted with deceit in a scheme to justify the grant of control and also financial returns, to foreign investors when they sold the Omidyar Network PDR."

Rappler Inc. allegedly formed Rappler Holdings Corp., with all Filipino shareholders, directors and officers, for the "sole purpose of issuing PDRs wich derive their value from equity" in December 2014.

The investigation also showed that Rappler Holdings Corp. in 2015 purchased Rappler Inc.'s shares and issued derivatives to two foreign investors: North Base Media and Omidyar Network.

In a statement prior to the ruling, Rappler denied the allegations that it violated the constitutional and satutory Foreign Equity Restrictions, maintaining that it is Filipino owned.

"Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDRs) do not indicate ownership. This means our foreign investors, Omidyar Network and North Base Media, do not own Rappler," the news site said.

NUJP throws support behind Rappler

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines on Monday expressed outrage at the revocation of Rappler's business registration.

"We are sure Rappler, as it has said, is capable of mounting a legal defense against what amounts to theit closure," NUJP said in a statement on Monday afternoon on the heels of news on the SEC decision.

NUJP said Duterte's threat to have Rappler investigated was one of many that the president has made against media perceived critical of the adiministration "such as the Philippine Daily Inquirer and broadcast network ABS-CBN, whose franchise renewal he threatened to block."

The NUJP said it "declares its full support to Rappler and all other independent media outfits that the state has threatened and may threaten to shut down."

It also called on "all Filipino journalists to unite and resist every and all attempts to silence us."

Meanwhile, Rappler executive director and CEO Maria Ressa stood by her media outfit and said they will fight the SEC decision using all legal means.

"We will not be afraid. We will not be silenced. Rappler will not go down," Ressa said. — with Jonathan de Santos

Read more at http://beta.philstar.com/headlines/2018/01/15/1778021/sec-revokes-news-site-rapplers-registration#xmPfJTIMqdhZiqSy.99

Virtual closure of Rappler condemned

“Who is next, Mr. President? ABS-CBN? The community journalists tagged as communists? The artists who expose your bloody drug war?”

By RONALYN V. OLEA
Bulatlat.com

Journalists and artists criticized the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) revocation of the registration of Rappler, an online media outfit.

In a decision dated January 11, the SEC en banc said Rappler is “liable for violating the constitutional and statutory Foreign Equity Restriction in Mass Media.”

In its statement, Rappler refuted SEC’s claims, saying the company is 100-percent Filipino owned.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), Let’s Organize for Democracy and Integrity (LODI) Arts and Media Alliance and the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines deemed the move as an attack to press freedom.

LODI views the SEC’s action “as the logical next step to the DDS-initiated harassments, death and rape threats, and trolling against Rappler, its editors and staff.”

“The threats come from the President himself who, like any garden-variety tyrant, is allergic to journalists who don’t follow or, worse, question his chosen narrative,” LODI said.

In the same vein, the NUJP noted the SEC’s action “was but one of many threats Duterte has made against media critical of him and his governance.

On April 27, 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte said he would block the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise, which expires on March 30, 2020. He also castigated the Philippine Daily Inquirer for issuing editorials critical of his administration.”

“Who is next, Mr. President? ABS-CBN? The community journalists tagged as communists? The artists who expose your bloody drug war?” LODI asked.

FOCAP said the SEC’s decision, which is tantamount to killing the online news site, sends a chilling effect to media organizations in the country.

“Journalists must be able to work independently in an environment free from intimidation and harassment. An assault against journalists is an assault against democracy,” the FOCAP Board said in a statement.

LODI pointed out that the law guarantees the rights of journalists and the public to freely report on and about government and President Rodrigo Duterte has the lawful obligation to protect journalists and artists who are citizens too.

“We call on our colleagues in the arts and media communities to expose and thwart any threat or act from the fascist Duterte regime to scare and terrorize us from defending democracy and promoting integrity. We must jealously guard what remains of our precious freedoms,” LODI said.

http://bulatlat.com/main/2018/01/15/virtual-closure-rappler-condemned/

Journalist groups hit SEC decision vs Rappler

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) slam the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) decision revoking the registration of news website Rappler.

The NUJP expressed its “outrage” and said it supported the online news agency.


“As it does so, the NUJP declares its full support to Rappler and all other independent media outfits that the state has threatened and may threaten to shut down. We call on all Filipino journalists to unite and resist every and all attempts to silence us,” NUJP said in a statement.

The group said the ruling against Rappler is just one of many threats of President Rodrigo Duterte against critical media, citing Duterte’s statements against Inquirer and ABS-CBN.

“The SEC has apparently decided to reject Rappler's contention that its foreign investors merely placed money in the outfit but do not own it, which it issued after President Rodrigo Duerte, in his second state of the nation address last July 24, threatened to have its ownership investigated,” NUJP said.

“It was but one of many threats Duterte has made against media critical of him and his governance, such as the Philippine Daily Inquirer and broadcast network ABS-CBN, whose franchise renewal he threatened to block,” it added.

FOCAP also expressed “deep concern” with the decision, which it said is “tantamount to killing the online news site” and an “assault against democracy.”

“Sends a chilling effect to media organizations in the country. Journalists must be able to work independently in an environment free from intimidation and harassment,” the group said

“An assault against journalists is an assault against democracy,” FOCAP added.

LODI

Let's Organize for Democracy Integrity (LODI), a group of artists and members of the media also denounced the ruling, saying it is "an open attack on the people’s rights to free expression and to a free press."

"We view the SEC action, which by some accounts seems rushed, as the logical next step to the DDS-initiated harassments, death and rape threats, and trolling against Rappler, its editors and staff. The threats come from the President himself who, like any garden-variety tyrant, is allergic to journalists who don’t follow or, worse, question his chosen narrative," LODI said in a statement.

"We call on our colleagues in the arts and media communities to expose and thwart any threat or act from the fascist Duterte regime to scare and terrorize us from defending democracy and promoting integrity. We must jealously guard what remains of our precious freedoms," the group said.

The SEC en banc said Rappler violated constitutional restrictions on ownership and control of mass media entities because of funds coming from Omidyar Network, a fund created by eBay founder and entrepreneur Pierre Omidyar.

SEC voided the Omidyar Philippine Depositary Receipt (PDR) and revoked Rappler's Certificate of Incorporation.

A PDR is a financial instrument that does not give the owner voting rights in the board or a say in the management or day-to-day operations of the company. Several large media companies have PDRs.

The SEC itself accepted the Omidyar-related documents submitted by Rappler in 2015.

In a statement addressed to its readers and viewers on Monday, Rappler said: "The SEC’s kill order revoking Rappler’s license to operate is the first of its kind in history – both for the Commission and for Philippine media."

"What this means for you, and for us, is that the Commission is ordering us to close shop, to cease telling you stories, to stop speaking truth to power, and to let go of everything that we have built – and created – with you since 2012." (READ Rappler's statement: Stand with Rappler, defend press freedom)

Rappler, however, will continue to operate as it files the necessary motions for reconsideration with the courts. It will continue to defend and uphold the freedom of the press, which is guaranteed by the Constitution.

The government has long targeted Rappler. The SEC investigation was ordered by the Office of the Solicitor General, which wrote the agency on December 14, 2016, to investigate Rappler over its PDRs.

The SEC created a "Special Panel" on July 8, 2017, to conduct a "formal, in-depth examination of Rappler Inc and its parent, Rappler Holdings Corporation, as to possible violations of nationality restrictions on ownership and/or control of Mass Media entities."

A few weeks later, in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 25, 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte himself threatened to investigate the ownership of Rappler. The agency has long debunked the allegation.

NUJP backs Rappler, recalls Duterte’s threat vs. news site

Virtual closure of Rappler condemned

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) has expressed support for Rappler and Rappler Holdings Corp. after the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) revoked their certificates of registration.

The SEC revoked the certificates of incorporation of both Rappler, Inc. and Rappler Holdings Corp. in a 29-page decision signed on January 11.

"The SEC has apparently decided to reject Rappler's contention that its foreign investors merely placed money in the outfit but do not own it, which it issued after President Rodrigo Duerte, in his state of the nation address last year, threatened to have its ownership investigated," the NUJP said.

"It was but one of many threats Duterte has made against media critical of him and his governance, such as the Philippine Daily Inquirer and broadcast network ABS-CBN, whose franchise renewal he threatened to block," it added.

The NUJP expressed confidence that Rappler would mount "a legal defense against what amounts to their closure."

NUJP said that it will support Rappler and "all other independent media outfits that the state has threatened and may threaten to shut down."

"We call on all Filipino journalists to unite and resist every and all attempts to silence us," it said.

The SEC in its ruling declared void the Philippine Depositary Receipt (PDR) of Omidyar Network, an investment firm by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar.

A PDR allows foreign investors to invest in a Filipino company without conferring ownership or control. —NB, GMA News

MMDA reiterates call for public understanding

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Saturday reiterated its call for public cooperation and understanding as it expects “horrible” traffic early this year because of various infrastructure projects being constructed by the government.

MMDA assistant general manager Jojo Garcia said the cooperation of all stakeholders could help ease the “heavier” traffic expected this year due to the Department of Transportation (DOTr)’s construction of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) Cavite extension and the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) extension.

The construction of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) and the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Harbor Link Segment 10 in Caloocan City and several bridges in the metropolis will also start this year, according to the DOTr.

“We would just follow what chairman (Danilo Lim) has been saying, ‘back to basic.’ We have a lot of road problems but we should address our problem on discipline because the traffic remains there,” he said.

After being appointed last year, Lim believes discipline should be instilled first among motorists before the problem on horrible traffic could be solved, thus the “back to basic” belief of the MMDA.

Garcia said this mantra of the MMDA remains their top solution in facing the traffic problems as no short-term solutions were seen to ease the metro gridlock.

The MMDA also urged mall operators to extend the implementation of adjusted mall hours which was proven effective in easing traffic during the holiday season.

The MMDA had an agreement with shopping malls in the metro to adjust their operations from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. while delivery hours will be adjusted to 11 p.m. until 5 a.m. The agreement took effect on October 15, 2017 until January 15, 2018.

The MMDA reported that traffic in major thoroughfares saw an improvement as it was 10 percent faster after the implementation of the adjusted mall hours.

DOTr’s MRT-3 auditor to decide on fate of 48 Dalian trains

An Independent Audit and Assessment (IAA) Consultant, which the Department of Transportation Metro Rail Transit-3 (DOTr MRT-3) procured, will evaluate and recommend what to do with the railway’s 48 cars or Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) delivered by CRRC Dalian.

The consultant, TUV Rheinland, a German firm established in 1872, said the trains met the qualifications set by the DOTr for MRT3.

Chinese technicians assemble one part of the newly aquired Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3 coach prototype at MRT Depot in Quezon City. (MB photo by Camille Ante)

The company is ISO 17020 and ISO 17065 certified aside from being a member of the International Federation of Inspection Agencies (IFIA).

Other similarly qualified firms that vied for the IAA consultancy include TUV SUD and Bureau Veritas.

This January 3, the first working day of 2018, the DOTr MRT-3 Team met with TUV Rheinland, according to DOTr OIC Undersecretary for Railways TJ Batan.

“Dalian has delivered the LRVs but we can’t accept them until our IAA Consultant has certified their safety and compatibility with our system,” he explained when asked whether the 48 LRVs will be used.

However, the DOTr has assured the IAA that they will not interfere or influence their assessment of the 48 LRVs.

TUV Rheinland will recommend whether the LRVs can be used immediately, whether they still need to have adjustments, or if they need to be returned.

Earlier, the 48 LRVs procured by the previous administration for R3.8 billion exceeded the weight prescribed in the Terms of Reference (49,700-kg vs. 46,300-kg) of the rail system, causing concern.

Compatibility with the MRT-3’s maintenance facilities and signaling system also became an issue.

With the current fleet of Czech-made trains, MRT-3 can operate up to 20 3-car trains. If the 48 LRVs are cleared to run, that can be increased to 20 four-car trains.

“The original design capacity of the MRT-3 at peak hours is 20 three-car trains, running at 60-kilometers per hour (kph), with a 3-minute headway, which means that every three minutes, a 3-car train should arrive at each station to serve commuters, Usec. Batan elaborated.

“At the same time, the MRT-3 was also designed to be expandable to 20 four-car trains, running with a 2-minute headway, or 4 LRVs every 2 minutes. That’s our target. In case our IAA Consultant clear the 48 LRVs for our use, we can achieve this earlier.”

On the other hand, the spare parts for the maintenance of MRT-3 will start arriving in tranches from February to June, after the MRT-3 management started procuring them last November, 2017.

DOTr plans to use the coming Holy Week break, when the railway suspends its operations, to conduct general maintenance works on MRT-3.

“We do the annual general maintenance during the Holy Week so we can increase the number of LRVs running. By this time, we are also expecting the arrival of most of the spare parts we have ordered,” he confirmed.

Based on its contract, Busan Universal Rail, Inc. (BURI), the previous maintenance provider, was supposed to have completed the general overhaul of 26 LRVs by November, 2017.

When they were terminated last November 6, BURI was only able to overhaul 3 LRVs. This was one of the causes for their termination.

There would be no fare increase for train commuters while there is no substantial improvement of MRT-3 operations, according to Usec. Batan.

What is the comparison between two:

PURIHIN ANG PANGINOON

Koro: Purihin ang panginoon 
Si kristo ay narito na 
Tanging Lakas at pag-asa 
Alleluia-a-alleluia

Purihin ang panginoon 
Pagdiriwang sa pagdating niya 
Nagagalak ang ating espiritu 
Si Kristo ay narito na 
Alitan ay iwasan na 
Tayo ay tutulungan niya 
(koro) 
Tanging lakas at pag-asa 
Naririto sa twina 
Nakahandang tulungan ka 
Allelu-alleluia lagi na siya ang kasama 
Sa hirap man at ginhawa. 
(koro)

Allelu-uia...(4x)

Purihin ang Panginoon
Danny Isidro, SJ - Fruto Ramirez, SJ

Koro:
Purihin ang Panginoon, umawit ng kagalakan,
At tugtugin ang gitara at ang kaaya-ayang lira,
Hipan ninyo ang trumpeta.

Sa ating pagkabagabag, sa D'yos tayo'y tumawag.
Sa ating mga kaaway, tayo ay Kanyang iniligtas.

Ang pasaning mabigat sa 'ting mga balikat.

Pinagaan ng lubusan ng D'yos na tagapagligtas.

Source: http://www.angelfire.com/ak5/elshaddai/song/songpageP.html, Bayan Umawit Songbook

It should be as a gathering song for the Holy Mass

HORIZON LAND's Siena Towers

Sumulong Highway cor Fernando Avenue, Barangay Santo Niño, Marikina City, Metro Manila

Peabo Bryson headlines ‘Love Rocks’ at RWM

Grammy award-winning vocalist Peabo Bryson returns to Manila to topbill the Valentine concert billed “Love Rocks” slated at the Resorts World Manila’s Newport Performing Arts Theater (NPAT) on Feb. 13, 8 p.m.

International recording artist J Michaels also returns to NPAT as co-headliner and host of the ongoing “Love Rocks” concert series, now on its 10th anniversary. Former “Miss Saigon” star Jenine Desiderio completes the lineup as special guest artist, all backed up by the J Michaels Band under the direction of Maestro Danny Favis. One of the highlights is a tribute to the music of Burt Bacharach.

(Clockwise from above: Peabo Bryson; Jenine Desiderio and J Michaels)

Possessing a beautifully rich, almost operatic voice, Peabo made hit duets with Natalie Cole, Roberta Flack, Melissa Manchester, and Lea Salonga. These include “If Ever You’re In My Arms Again,” “Can You Stop The Rain,” “Through The Fire” and “Unconditional Love.” Peabo won his first Grammy Award in 1992 for his performance of the song “Beauty And The Beast” with Celine Dion.

As lead vocalist and host of “Love Rocks,” Manila-born J Michaels is an international recording artist who has shared the stage with legendary rock artists like Ambrosia, John Ford Coley, Dan Hill, Jimi Jamison, Terry Sylvester of the Hollies, Yvonne Elliman, Gary Puckett and Stephen Bishop.

“Love Rocks” is presented in cooperation with Grand Leisure Corporation and Events by WEG Inc.

• • •

TOTGA

On GMA Network’s opening salvo for 2018, “The One That Got Away,” Dennis Trillo is Liam, the ex-boyfriend of gorgeous ladies Zoe (played by Rhian Ramos), Darcy (Max Collins),  and Alex (Lovi Poe). The sexy, romantic comedy series starts airing on Jan. 15 after “Kambal, Karibal” on GMA Telebabad.

Liam is the ideal boyfriend – handsome, smart, loving, and a true gentleman. He manages his own organic farm.

Also on “The One That Got Away” are Ivan Dorschner, Migo Adecer, Jason Abalos, Bembol Roco, Snooky Serna, Ervic Vijandre, Ayra Mariano, Nar Cabico, Ashley Rivera, Sophie Albert, Jason Francisco, Patricia Ismael, Dea Formilleza, and Euwenn Aleta.

• • •

Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Jan. 13, go to Orly Ilacad, Elsa Payumo, Baby Tamano, Cindy Santiago, Ulan Sarmiento III, Peachy Alimurung, Roni Tapia-Merk, Prof. Veronica Caparas, Dean Vivencio Jose, Nico Teotico, Odon Sabarre, Ramon Samson, Ronald Rafer, Migo Gavino, Chad Caballero, Pacita Palandra and Aaron Paul del Rosario… Jan. 14: Jason Abalos, IC Mendoza, Ma. Erlinda Sibal, Dr. Mely Lagman and Helen Sampilo of New York, U.S.A.; Joy Honrado, Alfina Bustamante, Rommel Suavo Ante, Dingdong Eduque, and Mikee Lee… Happy wedding anniversary to Junjet and Teresa G. Martinez…Jan. 15: Ms. Ma. Elena Lagdameo, Jose Y. Dalisay, Jr., Gigi Luna, Flor Ragunton of Economy Tours & Travel, Milagros Parungao, Prescilla Reyes, Marilou Gonzalez, Bing Villanueva, Edwin D. Bonoan, Nena Casimiro, Mabel Tuesday Capistrano, Josie de Guzman, Gen M. Shen, Bebot Reyes-Gabriel, Lorna M. Guila, Morinette G. Mangante, Robert Manalastas, Bryan Retoloza, Arron and Arman Hernandez, Louvie Estrerra, Nene Lido, Ma. Irish Reyes, Jean Andrea Go, Angelica Mecamacho, Jojo Makayo, Clarita Espiritu, Jun Telabangco, Abner Manaloto and Atty. Yvette Yaneza of the Dept. of Finance...