ARES DAILY NEWSwww.aresdailynews.com.ph

Sports,11

"The Twilight Saga:Breaking Dawn - Part 2" premieres in London.uk

Stock exchange reports doubling of profits to P485M

Showbiz,9

Business,8

NO.1 IN READERSHIP

MANTALONGON CITY

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2012 VOL.1,NO.1 www.aresdailynews.com.ph/mantalongon MANTALONGON CITY PHILIPPINES

Coast Guard: Body found near burned Gulf oil rig

2 workers were missing

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Divers hired by the owner of an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico that caught fire recovered a body near the site Saturday evening, according to the U.S. Coast Guard and the rig's owner.Coast Guard spokesman Carlos Vega said late Saturday that the unidentified person was found by divers hired by Houston-based Black Elk Energy who were inspecting the platform. Vega said the Coast Guard was turning over the remains to local authorities.John Hoffman, the president and CEO of Black Elk Energy, said in an email late Saturday that the body is apparently that of one of two crew members missing since an explosion and fire on the oil platform Friday morning. Hoffman said the body was found by a contracted dive vessel at 5:25 p.m. CST."Divers will continue to search for the second missing worker," Hoffman wrote. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families."Hoffman said the body was found close to the leg of the platform, near where the explosion occurred, in about 30 feet of water. He said the missing men were employees of oilfield contractor Grand Isle Shipyard."We have notified next of kin of all individuals involved, but in respect for their families and their privacy, we will not be releasing their names," GIS CEO Mark Pregeant said in a statement, according to WWL-TV in New Orleans.The news came shortly after the Coast Guard suspended a 32-hour-long search for the two missing workers that covered 1,400 square miles (3626 sq. kilometers) near the oil platform, located about 20 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of Grand Isle, La."We have saturated the search area several times the 1400-square-foot area," Vega said. "We saw no signs of life. We have suspended the search and it is pending further development. If we receive any credible information that there are signs of life, we can resume the search at any time."Four other workers who were severely burned remained at Baton Rouge General Medical Center on Saturday night.Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Bobby Nash said the Guard's search was ended early Saturday evening. Helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft had been searching by air, while cutters and boat crews searched the sea.The blaze erupted Friday morning while workers were using a torch to cut an oil line on the platform, authorities said.Pregeant stressed in his statement that the cause of the fire and explosion is unknown, and said "initial reports that a welding torch was being used at the time of the incident or that an incorrect line was cut are completely inaccurate."Four workers were severely burned, though Black Elk Energy spokeswoman Leslie Hoffman said their burns were not as extensive as initially feared.Officials at Baton Rouge General Medical Center said Saturday that two men remained in critical condition, while two men remained in serious condition. The four, being treated in a burn unit, are also employees of Grand Isle Shipyard and are from the Philippines. The hospital said it and Grand Isle Shipyard are trying to reach the men's families in the Philippines.Grand Isle Shipyard employed 14 of the 22 workers on the platform at the time of the incident, WWL-TV reported. A man who answered the phone at the company's Galliano, La., office on Saturday said no one was available to comment.Meanwhile, officials said no oil was leaking from the charred platform, a relief for Gulf Coast residents still weary two years after the BP oil spill illustrated the risk that offshore drilling poses to the region's ecosystem and economy.Friday's fire sent an ominous black plume of smoke into the air reminiscent of the deadly 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion that transformed the oil industry and life along the U.S. Gulf CoastJames A. Watson, the director of Louisiana's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, said in a statement Saturday that his agency had begun "an investigation into the explosion and fire aboard a Black Elk Energy production platform offshore Louisiana.""BSEE is committed to determining the direct and indirect causes of the explosion and will take appropriate enforcement action," he said.The Deepwater Horizon blaze killed 11 workers and led to an oil spill that took months to bring under control. Friday's fire came a day after BP PLC agreed to plead guilty to a raft of charges in the 2010 spill and pay a record $4.5 billion in penalties.There were a few important differences between this latest blaze and the one that touched off the worst offshore spill in U.S. history: Friday's fire was put out within hours, while the Deepwater Horizon burned for more than a day, collapsed and sank.The Black Elk Energy facility is a production platform in shallow water, rather than an exploratory drilling rig like the Deepwater Horizon looking for new oil on the seafloor almost a mile (1.6 kilometers) deep.The depth of the 2010 well blow-out proved to be a major challenge in bringing the disaster under control.The Black Elk Energy platform is in 56 feet (17 meters) of water a depth much easier for engineers to manage if a spill had happened.A sheen of oil about a half-mile (800 meters) long and 200 yards (180 meters) wide was reported on the Gulf surface, but officials believe it came from residual oil on the platform."It's not going to be an uncontrolled discharge from everything we're getting right now," Coast Guard Capt. Ed Cubanski said.Leslie Hoffman, the Black Elk Energy spokeswoman, said Saturday that there were still no signs of any leak or spill at the platform site.BP's blown-out well spewed millions of gallons (liters) of oil into the sea, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River on the east side of the river delta. The crude fouled beaches, marshes and rich seafood grounds.After Friday's blaze, 11 people were taken by helicopter to area hospitals or for treatment on shore by emergency medical workers.The production platform is on the western side of the Mississippi River delta. The Coast Guard said more than 20 people were aboard the platform at the time of the fire."This platform was not in operation and had been shut in since mid-August," Black Elk officials said in a news release Saturday.Cubanski said the platform appeared to be structurally sound. He said only about 28 gallons (106 liters) of oil were in the broken line on the platform.David Smith, a spokesman for the Interior Department's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement in Washington, said an environmental enforcement team was dispatched from a Gulf Coast base by helicopter soon after the Coast Guard was notified of the emergency. Smith said the team would scan for any evidence of oil spilling and investigate the cause of the explosion.Black Elk Energy is an independent oil and gas company. The company's website says it holds interests in properties in Texas and Louisiana waters, including 854 wells on 155 platforms.

Obama, lawmakers holdconstructive talks ontaxes, deficit

Finally, a bipartisan consensus in polarized Washington! Congressional leaders of both parties emerged from an opening round of "fiscal cliff" talks with President Barack Obama at the White House on Friday describing the negotiations as "constructive."Obama himself spiced up relatively boilerplate language about hoping for a deal by wishing Republican House Speaker John Boehner an early happy birthday before the talks began."Tomorrow is Speaker Boehner's birthday," Obama told reporters. "We're not going to embarrass him with a cake because we didn't know how many candles were needed.""Yeah, right," said Boehner with a grin. (The speaker, who turns 63 on Saturday, is well-known for his "Birthday Song.")"But we do want to wish him a happy birthday," the president said.Obama then mostly hewed to his re-election campaign message of wanting "fruitful" talks for a "balanced" deficit-reduction dealcode for "raising taxes on the richest Americans." The president has vowed to veto any legislation that extends the Bush-era tax rate reductions on Americans making over $250,000. Republicans say hiking taxes on the rich will cost jobs."Our challenge is to make sure that we are able to cooperate together, work together, find some common ground, make some tough compromises, build some consensus to do the people's business," Obama said. "And what folks are looking forand I think all of us agree on thisis action." Speaking in the sun-soaked White House driveway after the meeting, Boehner and other top leaders seemed to be singing from the same hymnal even though evident differences remained."We had a very constructive meeting," proclaimed Boehner. "I think it was a very constructive meeting," declared Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. "It was a very constructive meeting," agreed Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. "I can only echo the observations of the other leaders that it was a constructive meeting," said Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.Boehner said he had outlined a "framework" combining increased tax revenues with spending cuts "to show our seriousness. While we're going to continue to have revenue on the table, it's going to be incumbent for my colleagues to show the American people that we're serious about cutting spending and solving our fiscal dilemma. I believe that we can do this and avert the fiscal cliff that's right in front of us today."Pelosi warned against too-deep cuts in "investments" (government outlays in areas like education and infrastructure) but said, "I feel confident a solution may be in sight. It has to be about cuts, it has to be about revenue, it has to be about growth, it has to be about the future. We should have a deadline before Christmas."Republicans "fully understand that you can't save the country until you have entitlement programs that fit the demographics of changing America in the coming years," said McConnell. "We're prepared to put revenue on the table provided we fix the real problem.""We have the cornerstones of being able to work something out," Reid said. "We all know something has to be donethere 's no more 'Let's do it some other time.' We're going to do it now."This isn't something we're going to wait until the last day of December to get it done," Reid continued. "We have a plan, we're going to move forward on it."Congressional leaders will work through the Thanksgiving recess and then meet with Obama the week after that.Obama's smiling exchange with Boehner came three days after the president, at his first postelection press conference, admitted that his personal relationships with key lawmakers need work. "I think there's no doubt that I can always do better," he had told reporters. "And I don't exempt myself from needing to do some self-reflection and see if I can improve our working relationship."In addition to Obama and the lawmakers, Vice President Joe Biden, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, White House chief of staff Jack Lew and top Obama economic adviser Gene Sperling

President Barack Obama and Republican House Speaker John Boehner share a handshake as "fiscal cliff" talks open

www.aresdailynews.com.ph/mantalongon

Manny Pacquiao's Next Fight: Freddie Roach and Bob Arum Offer Thoughts

P1

A2 Monday, November 19, 2012

Israel, Gaza fighting rages on as Egypt seeks truce

topst0ries

Palestinians inspect a destroyed house after an Israeli air strike in Gaza City November 18, 2012.

An explosion and smoke are seen after Israeli strikes in Gaza City November 18, 2012.

GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel bombed Palestinian militant targets in the Gaza Strip from air and sea for a fifth straight day on Sunday, preparing for a possible ground invasion though Egypt saw "some indications" of a truce ahead.Militant rocket fire into Israel subsided during the night but resumed in the morning with three rockets fired at the nearby coastal city of Ashkelon, the Israeli army said."As of now we have struck more than 1,000 targets, so Hamas should do the math over whether it is or isn't worth it to cease fire," Israeli Vice Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon, over Twitter."If there is quiet in the South and no rockets and missiles are fired at Israel's citizens nor terrorist attacks engineered from the Gaza Strip, we will not attack."Forty-eight Palestinians, about half of them civilians, including 13 children, have been killed in Israel's raids, Palestinian officials said. More than 500 rockets fired from Gaza have hit Israel, killing three people and injuring dozens.Israel unleashed intensive air strikes on Wednesday, killing the commander of the Hamas Islamist group that governs Gaza and spurns peace with the Jewish state. Israel's declared goal is to deplete Gaza arsenals and press Hamas into stopping cross-border rocket fire that has plagued Israeli border towns for years.Air raids continued past midnight into Sunday, with warships shelling from the sea. A Gaza City media building was hit, witnesses said, wounding 6 journalists and damaging facilities belonging to Hamas's Al-Aqsa TV as well as Britain's Sky News.An Israeli military spokeswoman said the strike had targeted a rooftop "transmission antenna used by Hamas to carry out terror activity".Two other predawn attacks on houses in the Jabalya refugee camp killed two children and wounded 13 other people, medical officials said.These attacks followed a defiant statement by Hamas military spokesman Abu Ubaida, who told a news conference: "This round of confrontation will not be the last against the Zionist enemy and it is only the beginning."The masked gunman dressed in military fatigues insisted that despite Israel's blows Hamas "is still strong enough to destroy the enemy".An Israeli attack on Saturday destroyed the house of a Hamas commander near the Egyptian border.Casualties there were averted however, because Israel had fired non-exploding missiles at the building beforehand from a drone, which the militant's family understood as a warning to flee, and thus their lives were spared, witnesses said.Israeli aircraft also bombed Hamas government buildings in Gaza on Saturday, including the offices of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and a police headquarters.Among those killed in air strikes on Gaza on Saturday were at least four suspected militants riding motorcycles, and several civilians including a 30-year-old woman.ISRAELI SCHOOLS SHUTIsrael said it would keep schools in its south shut on Sunday as a precaution to avoid casualties from rocket strikes reaching as far as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in the past few days.Israel's "Iron Dome" missile interceptor system destroyed in mid-air a rocket fired by Gaza militants at Tel Aviv on Saturday, where volleyball games on the beach front came to an abrupt halt as air-raid sirens sounded.

Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack on Tel Aviv, the third against the city since Wednesday. It said it had fired an Iranian-designed Fajr-5 at the coastal metropolis, some 70 km (43 miles) north of Gaza.In the Israeli Mediterranean port of Ashdod, a rocket ripped into several balconies. Police said five people were hurt.Israel's operation has drawn Western support for what U.S. and European leaders have called Israel's right to self-defense, but there was also a growing number of calls from world leaders to seek an end to the violence.British Prime Minister David Cameron "expressed concern over the risk of the conflict escalating further and the danger of further civilian casualties on both sides," in a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a spokesperson for Cameron said.London was "putting pressure on both sides to de-escalate," the spokesman said, adding that Cameron had urged Netanyahu "to do everything possible to bring the conflict to an end."Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama, said the United States would like to see the conflict resolved through "de-escalation" and diplomacy, but also believes Israel has a right to self-defense.Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi said in Cairo as his security deputies sought to broker a truce with Hamas leaders, that "there are some indications that there is a possibility of a ceasefire soon, but we do not yet have firm guarantees."Egypt has mediated previous ceasefire deals between Israel and Hamas, the latest of which unraveled with recent violence.A Palestinian official told Reuters the truce discussions would continue in Cairo on Sunday, saying "there is hope," but it was too early to say whether the efforts would succeed.In Jerusalem, an Israeli official declined to comment on the negotiations. Military commanders said Israel was prepared to fight on to achieve a goal of halting rocket fire from Gaza, which has plagued Israeli towns since late 2000, when failed peace talks led to the outbreak of a Palestinian uprising.Diplomats at the United Nations said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to visit Israel and Egypt in the coming week to push for an end to the fighting.POSSIBLE GROUND OFFENSIVEIsrael, with tanks and artillery positioned along the frontier, said it was still weighing a ground offensive.Israeli cabinet ministers decided on Friday to more than double the current reserve troop quota set for the Gaza offensive to 75,000 and around 16,000 reservists have already been called up.Asked by reporters whether a ground operation was possible, Major-General Tal Russo, commander of the Israeli forces on the Gaza frontier, said: "Definitely.""We have a plan. ... It will take time. We need to have patience. It won't be a day or two," he added.A possible move into the densely populated Gaza Strip and the risk of major casualties it brings would be a significant gamble for Netanyahu, favored to win a January election.The last Gaza war, a three-week Israeli blitz and invasion over the New Year of 2008-09, killed 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians. Thirteen Israelis died in the conflict.But the Gaza conflagration has stirred the pot of a Middle East already boiling from two years of Arab revolution and a civil war in Syria that threatens to spread beyond its borders.One major change has been the election of an Islamist government in Cairo that is allied with Hamas, potentially narrowing Israel's maneuvering room in confronting the Palestinian group. Israel and Egypt made peace in 1979.

Oil Platform Explodes Off the Coast of Louisiana

The Coast Guard reports that an oil platform 17 miles southeast of Grand Isle, Louisiana owned by the Houston-based firm Black Elk Energy caught fire this morning. According to the latest report, Two crewmembers are dead, four are in critical condition, and the Coast Guard is still looking for two who are missing. A total of 11 crew were airlifted and are in medical care. While it's impossible not to think immediately of 2010's Deep Water Horizon disaster, it looks like this tragedy won't lead to an environmental catastrophe.

We're updating as we learn more from the Coast Guard, Black Elk Energy, and other sources on the ground.Update 11:45WWLTV reports that four people have been airlifted from the platform to the hospital. According to Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Councilman Chris Roberts there are no reports that any oil has spilled. It's a shallow water platform so it's much less dangerous than with deep water wells.

Update 11:52

There's a report that the two missing people jumped overboard.

Upadte 11:54

WWTV also has a statement form Black Elk Energy

We cannot confirm or deny anything at this time, but we are assembling an incident command team right now," said Black Elk Energy asset manager Kirk Trascher

Update 11:59WWL-TV has additional details straight from the Coast Guard...

Coast Guard Captain Peter Gautier said there was believed to be 28 people on the platform at the time. He said there were rescues that were done by Coast Guard and Good Samaritans.Gautier said the platform was not actively producing oil and it is not believed that there is any chance for a major environmental disaster.Well, that's a promising so far.Update 12:03

Just yesterday, BP agreed to a plea bargain with the government in which it would admit to criminal responsibility for the 2010 Deep Water Horizon explosion that killed 11 workers and dumped untold millions of gallons of oil into the gulf. BP will pay $4.5 billion in fines. The company is still potentially on the hook for another $20-odd billion in civil penalties and damages. [WSJ]

Update 12:06We've got a statement on from Black Elk Energy, which says still collecting information. "We have Black Elk personnel on the scene, and we will release a statement this afternoon," a representative told Gizmodo.

Update 12:10

Here's some background on Black Elk Energy's well operations from its website. It's a major player with many wells in the region of this disaster.

Black Elk Energy holds interests in properties offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, located within Louisiana and Texas State and Federal waters with depths ranging from less than ten feet up to over 6,000 feet.

Through a series of selective transactions, Black Elk Energy has grown to include an aggregate interest in more than 854 wells on 155 platforms located across 430 thousand gross acres offshore. Black Elk holds a significant acreage position in the Gulf of Mexico from the mouth of the Mississippi River to Mustang Island

Update 12:14

We spoke to United States Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Bobby Nash, who told us, "We'll deal with the environmental impact once everyone is accounted for."

Update 12:20Here's an image of Black Elk's well and platform locations. The specific platform that exploded is highlighted with an arrow.

P2

A3 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19,2012

newspluswww.aresdailynews.com.ph/mantalongon

Cleaner air a plus from Cebu bus transit

CEBU CITY -- Levels of harmful fine particles in the air near the Cebu South Bus Terminal and near the Capitol were found to be eight times higher than the World Health Organizations (WHO) limit.At the presentation of study results by the Clean Air Initiatives for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia), some officials in favor of a bus transit system for Cebu said one of its advantages would be cleaner air along the systems route.Levels of particles that can cause cancer, such as benzene and 1,3-Butadiene, were also above the European standards based on the air sampling done last July 1, 2012, said Gilbert Fabian, transport program manager of CAI-Asia.Fabian and lawyer Glynda Bathan-Baterina, CAI-Asia deputy executive director, presented the study results during the Forum on Air Quality and Health Benefits of the Cebu Bus Rapid System yesterday in Cebu City.The air sampling was conducted by CAI-Asia, a non-government organization, with Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the University of San Carlos (USC).Osmea Blvd. and Escario St., where the Provincial Capitol is located, and Natalio Bacalso Ave., where the Cebu South Bus Terminal is located, are along the proposed BRT route.The BRT can reduce air pollution in Cebu City because its buses will use 100 percent bio-diesel or natural gas, which are renewable energy sources, the study presenters said.Lawyer Rafael Yap, executive director of the Cebu City Traffic Operations and Management (Citom), also said the BRT will now be called Trans Cebu.This project is not an idea of one man alone but of several people who want a rapid but cost-efficient transport system, Yap said during the forum.Fabian said the study found that the planned BRT could, over a period of 20 years, potentially reduce vehicle emissions (at least 170 to 240 tons of fine particulate matter emissions).He said about 15,000 lives could be saved and injuries avoided, and the system will also result in fuel savings for Cebu City estimated at US$638 million.He added that the BRT could potentially result in health cost savings of at least US$94 million from avoided deaths, chronic bronchitis, hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiac complaints, emergency room visits, asthma attacks, and restricted activity days.Because the baseline air pollution levels are quite alarming, there is a need for an air quality monitoring system to be out in place along the BRT corridor in order to monitor the air pollution reduction from the BRT, Fabian emphasized.Luc Le Cabellec, country director of Agence Francaise de Development (AFD), said the agency is convinced that BRT systems are a cost efficient, rapid and integrated response to urbanization. The AFD is a bilateral financial institution owned by the government of France and takes charge of implementing Official Development Assistance projects overseas.The improvement of air quality along the corridor is one of the most relevant arguments in favor of the BRT when communicating the benefits of the projects to Cebuanos, as the issue is closely linked to their physical integrity and that of their children and elderly, Cabellec said.

DepEd: There's a bully in you and me

Interventions should be addressed to both bullies and the bullied in order to curb risingincidents of peer abuse or violence in schools, the Department of Education says.

Interventions should be addressed to both bullies and the bullied in order to curb rising incidents of peer abuse or violence in schools, the Department of Education said.

"There is a bully in you and me but the solution will depend on how we address and overcome the bully in us, on how we allow the bullies around us to take advantage of us," DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro said in a statement.

Attesting to the fact that bullying "is everywhere," the Education chief shared that he also experienced bullying when he was in fourth grade."It is important for us to stand up against bullying in schools. Enough is enough," Luistro said.

This, as the DepEd, along with the Jesuit Basic Education Commission, launched a tour in several campus in Metro Manila to screen the film "Bully" documenting some cases in the U.S., two of which have led to suicides.

The film will also be shown in commercial theaters after its premiere at Robinson's Galleria Tuesday.

DepEd and JBEC hope that the campaign will urge schools to take a more active position against bullying and in developing a bully-free school environment."We hope this movie can reach as wide an audience as possible, especially among our students," JBEC chair Johnny Go said.

"At the very least, it should heighten awareness of this issue and begin productive discussions and reflections about a real problem that can no longer be ignored," he added.

The film is also eyed as a prelude to the launch of a JBEC campaign dubbed "Not In Our School," which is aimed defending students from abuse including bullying.

The campaign is aligned with DepEd's "Child Protection Policy" approved earlier this year.

"In light of recent local and international headlines about bullying, this film can be a timely wakeup call for all involved: parents, teachers, administrators, and especially students," the DepEd statement said.

#Amalayer trends on Twitter: What was it all about?

Filipino tweeps again had a field day as a video showing a Light Rail Transit (LRT) passenger seemingly haranguing a security guard made rounds online.

The video was posted on Facebook Tuesday by Gregory Paulo Llamoso, who said he caught the encounter using his camera when he was about to leave the LRT Santolan Station that same day.

"A loud voice caught my attention and all the people present there, ang lakas ng boses niya even she was small (She had loud voice for one so small)," Llamoso said. The video now has over 50,000 shares and over 12,000 "likes" as of this posting.

The video showed the passenger saying: "So now you're making me look like a liar? I'm a liar?"

"Ate, may pinag-aralan akong tao! Ginanon mo ako; I'm just returning the favor (I'm an educated person. You did that to me; I'm just returning the favor)," she added, gesturing that she was pushed.

In other News: Twitter Index: Bieber hangs out with supermodel, tweens react Hours later, the hashtag #amalayer, which apparently comes from "I'm a liar", became a hit on social networking site Twitter. Paula Jamie Salvosa, which was floated as the passenger's name, also became a trending topic.

The man who caught the video admitted that he did not know the passenger's side of the story, but he added that a bystander told him that the guard scolded the woman for using the wrong entrance.

"Alam mo kung pano mo ako tinanong? Pano mo ako tinanong? 'Ate, anong problema mo?' (Do you know how you asked me? 'What's your problem?')" the passenger complained.Related story: Internet video viewers have a two-second attention span In his post, Llamoso highlighted the fact that the lady guard stayed calm and did not match the passenger's apparent fury.

"Buti nalang the lady guard exhibited the right behavior (The good thing is that the lady guard exhibited the right behavior)," Llamoso said.

"She did not fight back and she just kept cool and said her sorry. She didnt even utter foul words against the bully passenger," he added.

Llamoso also said he approached the LRT office and asked that they take up the matter privately, even as he remarked that the passenger "degraded" the lady guard.

"[H]er arrogance and misplaced sense is a living proof that being a true woman requires more than just privileged education and breeding..." he added.

The Weather

Metro Cebu will be cloudy with rainshowers and thunderstorms. Wind will be moderate to strong. Coastal waters will be moderate to rough. Temperature will range from 29degree Celsius to 31 degree Celsius.

PHILIPPINE LOTTO RESULT

2 major water firms to supply potable water in Cebu

TWO major water firms in the country have formed a partnership for a water supply venture that will provide potable water in Cebu province.

Ayala-led Manila Water Company Inc. and Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Water Investments Corporation have signed a joint venture agreement with the Provincial Government of Cebu (PGC) to develop the first long-term bulk water supply project in Cebu that will supply clean, reliable and affordable water to the northern and central parts of the province.

Under the new partnership, Metro Pacific Water agreed to acquire 39 percent of the consortium, while Manila Water will continue to retain its majority ownership at 51 percent. The Gaisano Group holds 10 percent of the consortium.

The Cebu Bulk Water Supply Project is a landmark public private partnership project between the PGC and two of the countrys largest conglomerates and is expected to provide 35 million liters per day of bulk water and address the deteriorating groundwater condition in the province.

Manila Water President and CEO Gerardo Ablaza Jr. welcomes the partnership with Metro Pacific Water into the consortium.

The strengths and capabilities of these new partners combine to create a distinctive value proposition to enhance water supply development in Cebu and greatly promote sustainable development of the province, said Ablaza.

More than an investment venture, this is really public private partnership at its best. You have a progressive provincial government and two committed private companies working together to give Filipinos a better life, said Metro Pacific Water President and CEO Victorico Vargas. (SDR/Sunnex)

P3

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2012

SARAH JANE ARES Editor

opinion

ARES DAILY NEWS

TAKE A STAND.

Editorial: Stopping the problemDRUG ISSUE

THE problem on illegal drugs in Northern Mindanao seems to have been taken out of hand.

First, the regional office of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Cagayan de Oro was strafed by armed men on Tuesday dawn, which PDEA regional director Roberto Opea said is related to their campaign against illegal drugs.

Second, a man believed to be involved in illegal drugs activity was killed in Opol town, Misamis Oriental also on Tuesday dawn.

And just last Wednesday, a couple and their two children were massacred in Barangay Canitoan their bodies dumped in a septic tank a few meters away from their house. Police are eyeing illegal drugs as the motive of the gruesome murder.

The figure does not include all those who have been killed previously due to illegal drugs.

Some residents fear that this problem might really go out of hand, citing the inclusion of the couples two young innocent children.

Can the government do something about this? Perhaps all government agencies can come together to solve this problem and come up with good and effective strategies to stop the proliferation of drugs, arrest those who are involved and prevent another loss of innocent lives.

In a historic event at Malacanang beamed not only in the Philippines but also in the world, the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed a framework agreement for a Bangsamoro administration that is expected to lay the groundwork for a lasting peace in Mindanao.Already, observers dubbed the agreement the biggest achievement of President Aquino since assuming office two years ago. The President himself has these words on the accord when he witnessed its signing. Today, we sign a Framework Agreement that can finally seal genuine, lasting peace in Mindanao. In full view of the Filipino people, and witnessed even by our friends from different parts of the world, we commit to peace: A peace that will be sustained through democratic ideals; a peace that heals and empowers; a peace that recognizes the many narratives of the Filipino people, and weaves them into a single, national aspiration for equitable progress. The President recalled his promise during his inaugural address on June 30, 2010 onMindanao: My government will be sincere in dealing with all the peoples of Mindanao. We are committed to a peaceful and just settlement of conflicts inclusive of the interests of all may they be Lumads, Bangsamoro or Christian.

The signing of the framework certainly have bouyed hopes for peace and progress in Southern Philippines as it culminated after almost 16 years in the negotiating table marked by three heavy fighting the first in 2000 when then President Joseph Estrada declared an all-out war against the MILF following a series of attacks by Muslim rebels in various parts of Central Mindanao. The two other major fighting broke out in 2003 and 2008 in which the peace talks almost collapsed totally under then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo but happily the talks were resurrected in late 2009 through backdoor negotiations.The war in Mindanao which spread during the Marcos administration has claimed the lives of more than 150,000 people from both factions, the soldiers and the rebels, and the innocent citizens who were caught in between. The newly signed framework lest it be misunderstood will just be a guideline for the long road to peace and progress. There are many challenges more tha should be hurdled like the passing of a law that will govern the Bangsamoro government that will replace the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. Then the Constitution will have to be amended to be able to accommodate possible changes in the government set-up affecting the Bangsamoro. The signing of the framework admittedly is just one small step towards peace and progress. However small the step taken, the road is opened and all parties should thread this road to peace and progress, otherwise, all efforts will all go to naught again.

In search for peace and growth

Editorial

EDITORIALWarning: Smoking Can Kill YouTobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Around 400,000 people die each year from smoking, which cuts lives short on average about 13 years. And that does not include the 50,000 who die from exposure to secondhand smoke or the 8.6 million whose illnesses are caused by smoking.Congress took note of these facts when it passed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009, which requires large, graphic warnings on cigarette packages about cancer, strokes and other deadly diseases caused by smoking. The new warnings were carefully chosen to replace text-only warnings that had become ineffective unnoticed and stale, the Institute of Medicine reported in the face of the tobacco companies long history of deceptive advertising.The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, in a 2-to-1 ruling last week, struck down the new warnings on the grounds that they violated the First Amendment rights of the tobacco companies. It ruled that the government failed to provide evidence that the warnings would reduce smoking rates, and therefore could not justify what it called a restraint on corporate free speech.

But this view ignores that these companies have spent billions of dollars over many decades misleading consumers about smokings terrible consequences, and that the warnings require companies to disclose accurate information. As Judge Judith Rogers noted in dissent, there is good evidence that bolder warnings will alleviate some of the harm.The government has an interest of paramount importance in effectively conveying information about the health risks of smoking to adolescent would-be smokers and other consumers, she said, and nothing in the Supreme Courts commercial speech precedent would restrict the government from doing that with warnings.

In March, the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, in a related case, disagreed with the majority in the District of Columbia Circuit, upholding the new warnings. There is now an important conflict to resolve in the federal circuits about the labeling requirement. The government should seek review of this ruling, and either the full District of Columbia court or the Supreme Court should uphold the law.

P4

Classifiedadds

P5

OBITUARIES

VISITACION A. DYof Metro Maniladied on Nov. 14, 2012at the age of 79Funeral home: St. Peter Chapel, Quezon CityCremation: Nov. 18

IRENE ENORME SARIof Metro Maniladied on Nov. 10, 2012at the age of 77Funeral home: St. Peter Chapel, Quezon CityInterment: Nov. 20 at Forest Park

ROGELIO LARRIEGO LAPUT SR.of Metro Maniladied on Nov. 13, 2012at the age of 66Funeral home: Loyolal Memorial Chapel, Quezon CityInterment: Nov. 18 at Manila Memorial Park, Paranaque

NOVEMBER 31, 1965-NOVEMBER 15, 2012

DWAY1966-2012P6

FOREIGN NEWS

Shares in Medbox, a medical marijuana dispensing machine maker, soar 3,000%

Shares in a US company that makes medical marijuana dispensing machines soared 3,000 percent this week, prompting management to issue a statement urging investors to chill.

Medbox began the week at around $4 a share, but by Thursday was trading at $215 after MarketWatch published an article about how to invest in legalized marijuana.

That gave the Los Angeles-based company a market capitalisation of $2.3 billion, up from $45 million at the start of the week, MarketWatch reported.

Medbox chief executive Bruce Bedrick said in a statement that while business was going well, it wasnt that good.

"While we are pleased by the share attention, Medbox shares have traded between $2.75 and $3.45 over the past several months. Our fundamentals and market potential are improving, especially with the potential of our new Rx product line, but we temper investor expectations at present price points," Bedrick said.

Founder Vincent Mehdizadeh said the company was taking steps to avoid a roller-coaster syndrome and minimize potential shareholder losses should the share price come back down back to earth too quickly.

"We are in discussions with our attorneys to determine if we can reward our early investors who believe in our company, by giving them company-owned shares should the price they bought at fall significantly," Mehdizadeh said.

"That's what investor-focused companies do."

After massacre of police, army moves into northern Kenya

NAIROBI, Kenya Hundreds of people in Kenyas remote north are fleeing their homes as the army hunts down cattle rustlers who ambushed and killed as many as 42 police officers last week.

Turkana tribal warriors have been blamed for the ambush in the rugged Suguta Valley. But fears are growing that Turkana civilians may be targeted in retaliatory attacks by Kenyas security forces, which are frequently accused torture, murder and other human rights abuses.

The Turkanas are fleeing from Suguta area with their household goods, goats and cattle," Peter Legerded, a shopkeeper in Baragoi, close to the ambush site, told Reuters. An elder of the Samburu tribe, which lives alongside the Turkana in the area, said that 3,000 Turkana people had so far fled.

President Mwai Kibaki ordered the army into the region on Tuesday as outrage grew over the unprecedented scale of the police killings and the governments lethargic response.

No part of this country can be a safe haven for bandits, Kibaki said.

Police Commissioner Matthew Iteere said the coming operation would be serious.

We cannot allow such things to happen. I think they were testing the waters and in due cause they will know the depth of the river," he warned.

In the early hours of Saturday morning as many as 300 Turkana warriors occupying the high ground on either side of a deep ravine opened fire on the police officers below with assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns. Residents of the area say Turkana warriors had long used the location of the ambush as a place to trap and kill enemies.

Australia superstorm: Brisbane hit with 4,000 lightning strikes

Czechs confront reputation for lousy food

PRAGUE, Czech Republic Eavesdrop on the conversations of the foreign male visitors packing the bars on weekends here and youre likely to hear three topics loom large: the excellence of Czech beer, the beauty of Czech women and the heartiness of Czech food.

However all the beer, goulash and bread dumplings mean stag-trippers arriving in Prague expecting to find a female population comprised exclusively of leggy rivals to supermodels Karolina Kurkova and Eva Herzigova are likely to be disappointed.

More than 22 percent of Czech women are obese, according to the World Health Organization.

That's the second-highest level in the European Union after Britain. The UN agency describes more than half of Czech women as overweight.

Given that most were raised on a diet of traditional treats such as pork jelly, deep fried cheese and bacon dumplings washed down by copious amounts of pilsner that shouldnt come as too much of a surprise.

"It's quite a big problem here," says Dr. Marie Kunesova, president of the Czech Society for the Study of Obesity. "We have this traditional type of diet with fatty meat and sauces with high fat content, with dumplings... it's very unhealthy when you compare it to the Mediterranean diet."

So is the legend of svelte Prague beauties merely a beer-and-testosterone-fueled foreign male fantasy enhanced by the hip-hugging, high-hemline fashions favored by a slender minority of Czech women? Not entirely.

Kunesova explains that obesity is a bigger problem among older, rural women, while younger city sophisticates are swapping the traditional meat-and-carb diet for healthier options.

"Living in the city, girls have to look good," says Simona Hemelyova, a 20-year-old economics student. "Were all interested in fashion and we want guys to adore us."

"Czech and Slovak girls have this stereotype that were the most beautiful in the world and we have to live up to that," adds her friend Lucia Jarcuskova.

Originally from neighboring Slovakia, however, both say they enjoy tucking into traditional Czech cuisine. The secret of keeping trim while stuffing down the dumplings, they explain, lies in the Central European habit of eating heartily at lunch and taking barely a nibble in the evening.

That and lots of sport another Czech tradition.

Still, Jarcuskova admits that meaty Czech cooking is "more appropriate for men.

"My boyfriend is Czech and he loves all that traditional food, she says. He's a big, strong guy, but I'm worried he may end up fat one day."

Statistics suggest she's right to worry.Czech men outpace the women in the overweight ratings. The WHO says two-thirds are overweight, the 12th-highest level in the world (the United States is 6th with 72 percent).

A current hot ticket on the Prague restaurant scene is Lokal. Don't be fooled by the name. Theres nothing lo-cal about its fare. A typical meal kicks off with boiled pork knee or smoked beef tongue before moving on to neck of pork schnitzel fried in lard and wrapping up with a cream-filled pastry known as kremrole.

On a recent Friday night, the tables were jammed with groups of beefy Czech men wolfing down plates piled high with such delicacies while quaffing pints of Pilsner Urquell beer. Females were few and far between.

"The girls were probably at home having a salad," joked Krystina, a statuesque blond sipping a rum cocktail at nearby bar in Prague's old town. "We just don't eat that stuff."

Prague is trying to shed its stodgy culinary reputation. There's an emerging international food scene that includes a slew of classy Asian, Italian and French eateries. And a new crop of chefs is seeking to erase the image of local food as artery-clogging, poorly cooked, tourist-trap fodder that led a visiting South African reviewer to denounce it as the world's worst cuisine in 2006.

"There are a lot of creative Czech chefs who are coming back to traditional recipes, who are trying to get back to a traditional food, which is not fat, not old-fashioned, says Pavel Maurer, a leading restaurant critic. It's like Czech nouvelle cuisine."

The Ambiente group, which owns Lokal and a selection of other restaurants, is a driving force behind the new wave.

La Degustation Boheme Bourgeoise was recently awarded a Michelin Guide star for a menu that includes revamped 19th-century recipes such as snails from the Lusatian mountains of western Bohemia served with pumpkin and garlic or pikeperch in Moravian sparkling wine. Another of Ambientes restaurants, Cestr, specializes in aged beef from the renowned Czech Fleckvieh cattle breed.

More from GlobalPost: Czech to ease ban on spirits

"No good meal can be cooked from bad ingredients," says the chef, Vlasta Jiros Lacina. "We care a lot about their quality, we respect the season, take care about their freshness... we try to use local producers and farmers as much as possible."

Jiros Lacina says Czech cooking is rediscovering its roots after its reputation was sullied by a plethora of tourist-orientated joints serving poor quality "traditional" food that sprang up over the past 40 years.

"They dont know proper Czech cuisine, he said, adding that todays new chefs are looking further back. If you read cookbooks from the end of 19th century or beginning of the 20th, youd be surprised how healthy and well people cooked and ate in those times."

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2012

P7

Business

MONDAY,NOVEMBER 19,2012

Central Visayas exports rise 102.8% in Jan-June

CEBU CITY Exports in Central Visayas posted an impressive performance during the first half of this year, raising hopes that the sector is finally on the road to recovery, according to a regional economic situationer report from the National Economic Development Authority (Neda) 7.Export sales of the region in the first half of 2012 was more than double the level in the same period in 2011, the report said.Export receipts reached $ 1.9 billion during the period under review or 102.8 percent higher than $ 957.02 million from last years.Neda 7 cited furniture and fixture as among the sectors that showed signs of recovery.It said this was confirmed by furniture exporters from Cebu who noted an increase in interest of buyers of their products during the Manila Fame last March.Manila Fame is the longest running trade show in the Asia-Pacific region.Imports of the region also went up by 67.5 percent, reaching $ 1.3 billion in the first semester this year from $ 834.9 million in the same period last year.This indicates a likely continued positive performance of the export sector in the next month as industries stock up to produce more, the Neda 7 report said.The balance of trade surplus grew to $ 543.1 million from January to June this year, compared to $ 122.1 million in the same period last year.Meanwhile, tourism arrivals in the region grew faster this year, going up 12.2 percent, recording some 1.4 million arrivals.Foreign arrivals to the region grew by 13.9 percent while domestic tourists went up by 11.2 percent.Except for Bohol, all provinces in the region posted double-digit rates of increase in visitor arrivals.Negros Oriental registered the highest growth rate with visitor arrivals up by 29.7 percent, followed by Siquijor at 17.7 percent. Cebu grew by 13 percent.Bohol, meanwhile, remained the second most visited province in the region, accounting for 12 percent of total arrivals.Growth in the tourism sector was also fueled by the upbeat expansion of airline players and recovery in the shipping industry.But the Neda 7 report said the regions agriculture sector was unable to sustain the growth it achieved last year due to a decline in production.Agricultural output during the first half of the year dropped by 16.1 percent.Neda 7 said the dismal performance of the crop sub-sector, which fell by 17.9 percent, greatly affected the agricultural output.Poor sugarcane harvest pulled down the total crop production of the region.Neda 7 also recorded poor performance in the fishery sub-sector. (PNA)

UNIQLO Launches Online Shopping in the U.S

NEW YORK UNIQLO, the global clothing retailer, is thrilled to announce that the highly anticipated online shopping site www.uniqlo.com is now live to customers and fans throughout the U.S. Just in time for the 2012 holiday season, UNIQLOs full line of signature products will be available to ship to anywhere in the United States including Alaska and Hawaii.Opening up our e-commerce store, and making our innovative, high quality, affordable clothing available to the entire United States, is an important part of our long-term growth strategy to be the worlds number one retailer, said UNIQLO USA Chief Executive Officer Shin Odake. As we continue to look for opportunities to open more stores around the country, this will now give millions more people the opportunity to experience our products and brand values until we open a store near you.UNIQLO apparel is available in a wide range of colors, fits and sizes including fleece jackets in 50 colors for men and women. There is also an expanded range of sizes and fits for select products only available online such as: Mens Ultra Light Down Jackets and Oxford Long-Sleeve Shirts available in slim and tall fits; Womens Ultra Light Down Parka and Corduroy Easy Knit Leggings available in expanded sizes XXS and XXL (only XS-XL currently in stores); and Mens Easy Care Long Sleeve Shirts available in 115 sizes (only six sizes currently in stores). The UNIQLO.com site features a recommendation engine that remembers customers favorite products, colors, styles, and uses the information to build a better list of preferences each time they visit the site.As with all of our recently opened flagships, www.uniqlo.com offers great opening special promotions and products for men and women such as $9.90 Japanese Engineered denim. From launch through October 28, UNIQLOs Ultra Light Down jackets and parkas will be $49.90 (reg. price $69.90) and a selection of cashmere styles will be $59.90 $99.90 (reg. price $79.90 $149.90).The website and e-commerce functionality was designed in partnership with Razorfish and Digitas. UNIQLO currently has five U.S. retail locations including newly opened stores in San Francisco at 111 Powell Street and UNIQLO Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ. Other U.S. locations include UNIQLO Soho, UNIQLO 5th Avenue and UNIQLO 34th Street in Manhattan. In the U.S., UNIQLO is targeting $10 billion in North American sales by 2020, and anticipating opening 20-30 stores annually.***About UNIQLO and Fast RetailingUNIQLO is a brand of Fast Retailing Co. (FR), a leading global Japanese retail holding company that designs, manufactures and sells clothing under six main brands: Comptoir des Cotonniers, g.u., Helmut Lang, Princesse tam.tam, Theory, and UNIQLO. With global sales of 928 billion yen for the 2012 fiscal year ending August 31, 2012, FR is the worlds fourth largest apparel retail company and UNIQLO is Japans leading specialty retailer.Today UNIQLO has more than 1,100 stores in 13 markets, namely in Japan, China, France, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, U.K. and U.S. UNIQLO continues to open large-scale stores in some of the worlds most important cities and locations, as part of its ongoing efforts to solidify its status as a truly global brand. UNIQLO operates an integrated business model under which it designs, manufactures, markets and sells high-quality, casual apparel in line with its Made for All philosophy. With a corporate statement committed to changing clothes, changing conventional wisdom and change the world, FR is dedicated to creating great clothing with new and unique value to enrich the lives of people everywhere. For more information about UNIQLO and other FR brands, please visit www.uniqlo.com or www.fastretailing.com

Stock exchange reports doubling of profits to P485M

MANILA, PhilippinesThe Philippines Stock Exchange doubled its profit in the first nine months compared to last year as the robust stock market encouraged landmark capital-raising and listing activities.Its net profit grew by 103.4 percent to P484.95 million year-on-year primarily due to higher listing revenues, the PSE said in a press statement on Friday.The PSE continues to be committed to excellence and prudent financial management as it endeavors to improve its financial performance every year to provide value to its shareholders. While the company has benefited tremendously from the favorable economic environment and sky-high optimism in the Philippines, we hope to further sustain the profitability of our operations as we continuously work to introduce new products and put in place corporate governance enhancements in the market, PSE president and chief executive officer Hans Sicat said.Nine-month operating revenues went up by 38.9 percent to P833.98 million from the same level last year as all components of income increased. Listing-related revenues expanded by 61.3 percent to P406.05 million over the same period.Total capital proceeds from private placements, stock rights offerings, initial public offerings and follow-on offerings in the January to September period amounted to P174.97 billion from P64.54 billion in the same period last year. Companies that raised fresh capital during the third quarter included San Miguel Corp., First Gen Corporation, BDO Unibank, Inc., and Tanduay Holdings, Inc. (to be renamed LT Group, Inc.).The P80-billion preferred shares offering of San Miguel made history as the largest capital-raising exercise on the stock market while BDOs P43-billion fund-raising was the largest local stock rights offering.Apart from listing fees, the PSE also posted higher service fees and other income.Service fees generated by the Securities Clearing Corp. of the Philippines, a wholly owned subsidiary, increased by 25 percent to P233.51 million year-on-year. Other income grew by 171.2 percent to P101.13 million over the same period primarily due to improved investments.Total expenses amounted to P321.28 million for the first nine months, only 3.7 percent higher than total expenses in the same period last year.The PSE was ranked as the worlds top performing market by the World Federation of Exchanges in 2011. Among the notable reforms implemented by the PSE was the rollout of a new trading system, extension of trading hours and implementation of multiple regulatory and governance enhancements.

Asia-Pacific to launch talks on giant free trade zone

Southeast Asian nations will launch talks this week for a giant free trade pact with China, Japan, India and other neighbours aimed at easing the region's reliance on the struggling West.The planned zone would would span across 16 countries of the Asia-Pacific that currently account for a third of global trade and economic output, making it the biggest free trade area outside the World Trade Organization.Rajiv Biswas, Asia-Pacific chief economist at IHS Global Insight, described the initiative as strategically very important to the Asia-Pacific as it would help offset weaknesses in the United States and the European Union."Fast growth in trade within the Asia Pacific region could significantly mitigate the weak growth prospects in Asia's traditional growth markets in the EU and US," he told AFP."The (pact) could provide the framework for accelerating regional trade and investment flows, reducing the dependence of East Asia on the traditional EU and US export markets and boosting trade amongst Asian developing countries."Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen will launch the start of negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) on Tuesday in Phnom Penh on the final day of a regional summit.The RCEP would bring together the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations with China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.ASEAN secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan said a successful RCEP would further cement a shift in global economic power from the West towards Asia."The trend is already here. It's how to consolidate. This one is going to be a big leap forward if we can make it," he told AFP in an interview on Sunday on the sidelines of an ASEAN leaders' summit.Diplomats and analysts said the RCEP could also serve as a "counterbalance" to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), another planned free-trade grouping currently being negotiated by the United States and 10 other countries.US officials hope that the TPP will eventually snowball into a free trade area of the Asia-Pacific that will link economies spanning Latin America and Asia via the United States.But in one significant difference, the TPP excludes China while the world's second-biggest economy is foreseen as being a major player in the RCEP.China has been reluctant to join the TPP, preferring to focus on a free-trade arrangement centred in Asia where it has a bigger influence."You can read between the lines," a Southeast Asian diplomat told AFP in regards to China focusing on a free trade pact that does not include the United States.Indonesia, Southeast Asia's biggest economy, said it was only interested at this point in the China-dominated pact."We're only going to be focused on the RCEP," Indonesian Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan told reporters in Phnom Penh.There are some concerns that a raft of maritime territorial disputes between the major players in the proposed RCEP could hinder the negotiations.Diplomatic and trade between Japan and China have been severely shaken this year amid an escalating dispute over islands in the East China Sea.Japan and South Korea have been locked in a similar dispute over different islands, while China and some ASEAN members have also seen tensions soar over competing claims to the South China Sea.But Surin said the disputes could be managed separately, and that the trend toward closer economic and trade ties could not be stopped."The effort is to try to isolate the two issues... economic cooperation, community building in East Asia will have to go forward because everybody is going to benefit from this new architecture," he said.Surin said the RCEP had a head start compared with the TPP because ASEAN already had existing free trade pacts with China, India, Japan, South Korea Australia and New Zealand to build on.Nevertheless, there has been no timeframe set for when the pact should be finalised.

Drilon sees passage of sin tax bill after Aquino certifies its urgency

This means the Senate would approve the contentious bill that hikes revenues from so-called sin productstobacco and alcoholic beverages with a little more than two weeks of debate.Observers noted the similarly controversial reproductive health bill that lays down government endorsement and funding for artificial contraception has languished in the Senate for 15 months, awaiting the closure of debates among senators.Drilon said Malacaangs move to certify the sin tax bill as urgent means the Senate can do away with the required three-day interval between second and third readings of the measure.Senators could immediately approve the bill on third and final reading on Monday right after its passage on second reading, Drilon said.Senators earlier agreed to hold afternoon-to-evening sessions so that the sin tax bill, whose additional target revenues have supposedly been incorporated in the 2013 budget, could be approved as soon as possible.After the sin tax bill, the Senate is expected to focus its attention on next years proposed P2-trillion national budget.Drilon said President Aquino believes the passage of this very important piece of legislation will buttress government health agenda and address the high prevalence of smoking in the country.Just the other day, Drilon savored the support of 12 medical health groups that expressed support for his substitute bill that aims to raise between P40 billion and P45 billion in additional revenues from tobacco and alcoholic beverages.Medical practitioners called Drilons version a good compromise compared to the severely criticized committee report submitted by erstwhile ways and means chair Ralph Recto in October.Rectos version of the bill sought increase sin taxes by only P15 billion to P19 billion, an amount that doctors believe would not be enough to discourage people with nicotine and alcohol dependency.Several colleagues, including Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Joker Arroyo, Sergio Osmea III, Panfilo Lacson and Recto have already engaged Drilon in debate over the sin tax bill in the past two weeks.We are in the final stretch but, certainly, without the support of the President, we would not have gone this far, Drilon noted. I am confident that our colleagues have seen and realized the importance of this reform measure to a great majority both as a health measure and as a finance bill. I am confident that they will vote for its passage when session resumes on Monday.The sin tax debates centered on finding a middle ground between the following concerns: raising enough funds for the governments Universal Healthcare Program, discouraging smoking and at the same time providing safety nets for tobacco farmers.The government intends to use the additional sin tax revenue to finance operations and upgrading of government hospitals and provide PhilHealth membership and benefits to 5.2 million poor Filipinos.Enrile and Marcos, both from Northern Luzon where tobacco farming is concentrated, and Recto lauded the governments intentions but remained vocal about their concern for tobacco farmers.The three believe that tobacco farmers stand to bear the brunt of the resulting higher prices of tobacco products. Additional sin taxes, they allege, could also cause massive displacement of workers in tobacco processing plants.Enrile warned that provisions of the World Trade Organization could bar the Philippines, as a signatory to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade of 1994, from raising taxes on imported cigarettes.Santiago, however, insisted the Senate should go even higher than the P40 billion to P45 billion additional revenue target from sin taxes and added she preferred her version of the bill that sought to raise P60 billion in additional tax revenue.Sen. Gregorio Honasan was the latest to air his concern for tobacco farmers in a radio interview Friday morning.I have nothing against the benefits of the sin tax bill but I am concerned about the thousands of tobacco farmers who will be uprooted and displaced by the taxation system. In three years time, the low-priced cigarettes will be taxed more than a thousand percent. Honasan said.He added that the new taxes would favor imported brands while subjecting our local brands to a slow death.

P8

ENTERTAINMENT

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson attend "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson attend "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" European premiere on Nov. 14, 2012, in London. / APand Taylor Lautner all hit the red carpet in London for the "Breaking Dawn - Part 2" European premiere.Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson step out at "Breaking Dawn" premiereThe film premiered Wednesday night at the Odeon Leicester Square in London. Lautner was the first one to arrive followed by his co-stars (and rumored on-again couple) Pattinson and Stewart.

"Breaking Dawn - Part 2" premieres in Los AngelesStewart wore a beaded cut-out jumpsuit by Zuhair Murad. The star wore the same designer to the final "Twilight" film's Los Angeles premiere. She completed her look with Christian Louboutin heels.Pattinson wore a suit by Burberry and Lauter wore a navy suit with a v-neck shirt underneath.The film is out in theaters Nov. 16.

Lindsay Lohan Surprised to Learn She Has Half-Sister During Good Morning America Interview

Lindsay Lohan was probably so worried about being asked about her run-ins with the law and her wild nights out, that she was caught off-guard by a simple congratulatory comment during her interview on Good Morning America on Friday morning. You allegedly have a new half-sister, ABCs Amy Robach told the Liz & Dick actress, in reference to 17-year-old Ashley Horn, who determined through a televised paternity test she was conceived during an affair Michael Lohan had while still married to Dina Lohan. Not surprisingly, Lindsay didnt seem thrilled by the announcement. I didnt even hear that, so thanks for the news, she replied, before trying to change the subject. I dont pay attention to any of it. I dont really want to get into that I want to stay on the positive side of things.Its hard to believe Lindsay, 26, wasnt aware of Ashley. She and her mother Kristy Horn have been at odds in the press with Michael for years because he refused to take a paternity test. Perhaps Lindsay got her half-siblings mixed up: Michael is also set to be a father for the sixth time. His on-again girlfriend Kate Major is due very soon with a baby boy. (Michael also has Michael Jr., 27, Aliana, 19, and Cody, 16, with Dina.During the chat with GMA which came as a surprise since just a week before Lindsay cancelled her scheduled interview with Barbara Walters for 20/20 she also spoke about her role as Elizabeth Taylor for the November 25 Lifetime movie, and the parallels the two actresses share. Besides their wild love lives and struggles with substance abuse, "Elizabeth Taylor actually went to her mother a lot," Lindsay explained. "I'm pretty much the same. My mom and my siblings."As for whats next, Lindsay hopes more acting jobs will continue to come her way. I keep calling my agents saying, 'Keep me on set!' Safer that way," she laughed. "I'm in a great place. I just want to move forward. Keep working. I'm in the process of kind of moving and spending time with my family and just being happy."

Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan Reveals Suicide Attempt

Cesar Millan -- who became a TV star by utilizing his "dog whispering" skills -- has revealed that he reached such a low point in 2010 that he tried to commit suicide.The 43-year-old reality star opens up about the the overdose that left him unconscious and hospitalized in a new documentary, Cesar Millan: The Real Story," which airs November 25 on Nat Geo Wild.While promoting the documentary, Millan explained to the Associated Press that 2010 was a very rough year. In February of that year, he lost his beloved 16-year-old pit bull Daddy, whom he often used to help troubled dogs become more calm and submissive. In June 2010, Millan's wife of 16 years, Ilusion Millan, filed for divorce."I felt defeated, a big sense of guilt and failure... I was at the lowest level I had ever been emotionally and psychologically," Millan wrote in June on his official website, without specifically mentioning the overdose. He told the AP that after surviving the overdose, he opted for work, exercise and affection over antidepressants.In Cesar Millan: The Real Story, he does open up about the loss of his dog. "Daddy was my Tibet, my Himalaya, my Gouda, my Buddha, my source of calmness," Millan said. He also revealed that he's now met the woman he calls "the one," Jahira Dar, and plans to propose to her soon.In addition to the documentary, Millan's seventh book, A Short Guide to a Happy Dog, is due out January 1. His new Nat Geo Wild show Leader of the Pack will premiere on January 5, after the conclusion of his previous show, Dog Whisperer.

P9

Horoscope Daily

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGGITARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PIECES

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

P10

SPORTS

Freddie Roach and Bob Arum have weighed in with their thoughts on Manny Pacquiao's next fight, which will come on either December 1 or December 8. Both seem like they'd prefer to have Manny face Miguel Cotto, who is tentatively slated to fight on December 1 at Madison Square Garden, with Golden Boy helping with the promotion.

Here's what Roach said to Chris Robinson of the Examiner:

"Cotto makes the most sense to me because he just went the distance with Mayweather. If we can knock him out again at 150, which he said yes to, and if we could knock him out again, our negotiating power with Mayweather would be a little stronger. ... I think it's the most sensible fight out there but Marquez is closer to being made though, because Cotto wants more money."

It was reported recently that Pacquiao and Marquez teams are deep into negotiations for a fourth fight in Las Vegas, with the deal "close" to finalized.

Arum says that he's spoken with Cotto's team and that money isn't an issue for the fight, but he's not sure that Cotto is looking to take a big fight in December, as he's coming off of a May loss to Floyd Mayweather:

"Cotto may be looking for a very easy fight in December. Because, look at Cotto's career. After he lost to Margarito, he did a transition fight with Jennings, which wasn't very competitive. After he lost to Manny, he did a fight with Yuri Foreman."

Arum of course fails to mention that Cotto-Foreman was the greatest boxing event of all-time for about 10 minutes, as it was Top Rank bringing boxing back to the good people of New York at the gorgeous brand-new Yankee Stadium which will no doubt be a fixture in the sport for a long, long time, up there with Cowboys Stadium, but that is just piddly snarky bullshitting from me, and it's got no real point and I'm barely even serious about it anyway, and you know that, so let's get back to the matter at hand here.

I still am guessing that all this Miguel Cotto talk is a smokescreen to keep the news about this interesting. The truth is, any of these fights -- Pacquiao vs Cotto, Marquez, or Bradley -- will do good business, but likely won't be doing huge business. Bradley, it seems, is barely even in the conversation at the moment. Arum says they'd do Bradley vs Marquez if Manny and Miguel do come to terms, but again, I'm guessing Miguel Cotto isn't going to happen. Arum says Bradley is also willing to fight Cotto, for whatever that is or isn't worth.

If I had to bet right now (and it would be a true gamble), I'm thinking Pacquiao vs Marquez IV is going to be the fight, Miguel Cotto will fight someone else on December 1 in NYC, and Tim Bradley will kind of be left flapping in the wind, maybe with that November 10 date.

Manny Pacquiao's Next Fight: Freddie Roach and Bob Arum Offer Thoughts

Aguilar hopeful to make 10-man Sta. Cruz Warriors roster

MANILA, Philippines Japeth Aguilar got closer to landing a roster spot in the Sta. Cruz Warriors the NBA D-League affiliate of the Golden State Warriors in the coming season, which tips off next week.

Aguilar, who was chosen by the Warriors in the seventh round as the 109th overall pick, has a good chance of landing a roster spot, his US-based Fil-American agent Chris McGarry told philstar.com/NBA Philippines in an email yesterday.

The 6-9 Filipino prospect survived the first two cuts and will join 11 other Warriors in two preseason games before the final 10-man roster for the season will be revealed next week.

Way to go Japeth. Hes looking good. They just cut two guys from the training camp, McGarry said.

The Warriors have waived guard Arron Mollet and forward Harouna Mutombo the other day while three more players were cut yesterday.

Mollet was drafted by the Warriors in the eighth round with the 125th overall pick in this years draft.

Mutombo, who was drafted 115th overall by the Idaho Stampede in the 2012 NBA D-League Draft, was acquired through a trade.

Guard Darren Moore, forward T.J. Robinson and forward Steve Tchiengang were the three players who were given the pink slip after the fourth day of training camp in the Golden State Warriors training center in Oakland.

Moore was drafted in the sixth round with the 93rd overall pick, Robinson was picked in the third round with the 33rd overall pick, and Tchiengang was drafted in the fifth round with the 77th overall pick.

This leaves Aguilar as the lowest draftee left in the roster, which will head to Texas for the NBA D-League Pre-season Jamboree. The Warriors are set to play the Tulsa 66ers today and the Texas Legends tomorrow.

Aguilar, who granted a telephone interview to philstar.com and NBA.com Philippines (ph.nba.com) yesterday, said that hes still adjusting to the D-League.

Theres too many adjustments. Especially rules both offense and on defense and the height adjustment also, the former Western Kentucky and Ateneo Blue Eagle said.

Aguilar, whose natural position is power forward, is asked to play what they call in the US as hybrid power forward.

Theres something they call here as a 'hybrid' power forward. I don't want to say I'll give mismatch problems, but that's the idea, Aguilar said.

Its difficult. Its a tough battle for the roster spots. Only 10 players will be signed up. Well, I dont want to give false hope to my fellow Filipinos and disappoint them. But I will do whatever I can, he added.

The former PBA top overall pick is grateful for the Filipino fans support and is asking for more prayers as he goes through the final phase of the training camp.

I really thank the Filipinos. I hope you continue to support me. Only one week left, Aguilar said.

Coming into Saturday, Oregon and Kansas State had the inside track to college football's national championship and the Southeastern Conference's run of six straight BCS titles was in jeopardy.Then No. 2 K-State got thumped 52-24 by unranked Baylor and top-ranked Oregon fell in overtime to No. 14 Stanford, 17-14.Now the SEC is alive and well.And how's this for a possible national title game: Alabama vs. Notre Dame.

A week after Alabama lost to Texas A&M, more upsets re-opened door for the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide, which shut out lower-division Western Carolina 49-0 on Saturday.Georgia has a title shot, too. And so does Florida.But the happiest of all about the Ducks and Wildcats going down had to be Notre Dame and its fans.The Fighting Irish were third in the BCS standings and the AP Top 25, behind K-State and Oregon entering the weekend. Notre Dame was staring at what must have felt unthinkable for the storied program: Finishing unbeaten and not even getting a chance to play for the BCS championship.The Irish took care of running their record to 11-0 with a 38-0 shutout at home against Wake Forest.Then everything fell into place.Oregon (10-1), the highest scoring team in the country at 55 points per games, couldn't shake free of Stanford's tough defense. The Cardinal tied it late on a juggling TD catch that was called incomplete on the field and overturned to a catch by replay.In OT, Oregon missed a field goal and Stanford made one. The Ducks were done."It hurts and as I told them, you'd like to have some words that would take the pain out of it, but there aren't," Ducks coach Chip Kelly said. "We'll feel bad for a little bit of time and we'll bounce back from it."Kansas State's first loss of the season was far more decisive. Collin Klein and the Wildcats (10-1) lost 52-24 at Baylor, and there went Kansas State's BCS title hopes and Klein's status as Heisman Trophy front-runner. He was picked off three times.It was the first time since Dec. 1, 2007, that the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the AP Top 25 lost on the same day. That year, Missouri and West Virginia were the upset victims, giving Ohio State and LSU a chance to play for the national title. The Tigers won the second of the SEC's six straight.When the latest BCS standings and AP rankings come out Sunday Notre Dame almost certainly will be No. 1.Alabama, fourth in the BCS last week, will most likely be in second place this week, followed by SEC rivals Georgia and Florida.Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly won't need to go on television with Oprah Winfrey, as he said he would earlier this week, to plead his team's case for playing in the BCS title game. Just beat rival Southern California next week at the Los Angeles Coliseum and book the plane tickets to Miami, where the BCS national title game will be played Jan. 7.USC, the preseason No. 1 team, lost again on Saturday, 38-28 to UCLA, to fall to 7-4. And Trojans star quarterback Matt Barkley was knocked out of Saturday's game by a hard hit. No word yet on whether he'll play next week, but if he doesn't Notre Dame's path gets even smoother.As for the SEC, it's pretty simple.Alabama (10-1) and Georgia (10-1) have already sealed up spots in the conference title game on Dec. 1, but both have games still to play.The Tide plays hapless rival Auburn next week. The Bulldogs face Georgia Tech. If they both win, the SEC title game again becomes a de facto national semifinal, with the winner likely advancing to Miami, trying to extend win the league's seventh straight national crown.Sprinkle in a Georgia Tech win and the Bulldogs beating Alabama in the SEC title game, and No. 7 Florida (10-1) could be the SEC's representative, though the Gators have to play at No. 10 Florida State (10-1).The Seminoles aren't out of the race yet either, especially if USC shocks Notre Dame. Though if that happens, just about any team with only one loss will be making claim to be in the big game, even Oregon and Kansas State if they can win their conferences.

Or consider this.USC beats Notre Dame, Florida beats Florida State, and either Georgia or Alabama finishes 12-1. Add it up and it could be an all-SEC championship game for the second straight year.Or there could be split national championship. Undefeated Ohio State is No. 6 in the AP Top 25 but ineligible to win the BCS title because it is NCAA-banned from playing in a bowl game.If all the other contenders falter, Ohio State could be the lone unbeaten left standing and lay claim to the AP title.Sounds crazy, but after Saturday night, nothing seems far-fetched.

A night of upsets and Irish, Tide rise in football

Once the NBA's baddest bad boy, Rasheed Wallace is back and calmer than ever

ORLANDO He's a notoriously cantankerous player on a notoriously dislikable team, and yet the praise on an opponent's court is loud and unmistakable."SHHHEEEEEEEEEEDDDD!!!"Some of the fans in the Amway Arena are New York Knicks backers; a lot aren't. Still, they love this villain-turned-cult hero who had little to do with the dismantling of the hometown Magic on this unremarkable Tuesday night. They gather behind the Knicks bench, yell a little for the Knicks who actually won the game for the road team, and save their throatiest bellows for the 38-year-old benchwarmer."SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEDDDD!!!"Moments later, Sheed is dressing in the locker room and cracking wise. His teammates Marcus Camby and J.R. Smith are howling in laughter. Camby even clutches his stomach and winces. The topics range from a girl who isn't getting called back to the $5 footlongs at Subway. His voice, loud and growly as always, can be heard across the packed room.It's a happy scene: road win for the NBA's hottest team the Knicks are off to a 6-1 start laughs among teammates, a display of respect for an NBA vet.But it begs the question: What is Rasheed Wallace doing out of retirement?Wallace is the last guy you'd expect to return to the court. "I'm surprised he's back playing," says one of his oldest friends, Bo Donaldson. "He said he was done. And usually with him, that's what it is."Wallace was the player most known for being at wits' end with referees, reporters, execs and other accused BSers around the league. This, after all, is the man who gave us the now infamous "ball don't lie" line in 2006 when the Bucks' Andrew Bogut missed two free throws after what Wallace deemed a bogus foul call. Wallace even had an issue with the word "shooter" because a shooter is someone who takes shots while a "shotter" is someone (like him) who makes shots.Wallace would make a great TV commentator if he could modulate his voice and keep his language clean, but coming out of retirement? Wasn't this guy more suited to sitting up in a balcony and rolling his eyes like Statler and Waldorf in the Muppet Show? As much as anyone else in basketball and perhaps in sports, Wallace always refused to sell out or go along with the current just to look good. He simply does not care about his image, and it's hard to imagine him coming back to a league that is so much about image.And, sure enough, when asked if he missed the NBA during his retirement, Wallace quickly shot back, "Nah, not really."So then what was the worst part about retirement?"Ain't no worst part about retiring!" he blurts. "Believe me."And people around him, who aren't even listening to the conversation, start laughing along with him.So why is he here, in an NBA locker room?"I got a call," Wallace says.The call came from Mike Woodson, the Knicks head coach. It was actually the first of several calls, at first about basketball and then, eventually, about coming back. Wallace says he and Woodson spoke over the course of two months, and only then did Wallace seriously consider a return. He was happy out of basketball, traveling and spending time with his family. He didn't like having his schedule decided for him. At all. So any return, to any team, would have to be under Wallace's terms.But whether he knew it or not, Woodson appealed to one of the only soft spots Wallace has.The game's long over, and most of the Knicks have left. Wallace, though, is still around. He's out in the arena, laughing with a couple members of his Philly crew seated in the stands. They've known him since childhood. And if you think this is another athlete posse full of leeches and big talkers, you're wrong. These guys call out Sheed the way Sheed calls out pretty much everyone else.Example: Rasheed used to play baseball with these guys. He was a pitcher. So was Donaldson, who made it all the way to Triple-A in the Yankees farm system, and Aaron McKie, who played in the NBA for several years. Asked how good Rasheed was as a pitcher, Donaldson says, "He was raw."Tarik Wallace, a cousin of Rasheed's wearing a Flyers cap, says: "Trash."

P11