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02
Lifelong struggle
for Philippine
massacre widows
03
Pope Francis
prefers ‘simple’
papal visit to PH
www.kuwaittimes.net
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2014
Buhay mamamahayag sa Kuwait: Isang oras sa loob ng presinto
Page 06
Bus, regular na taxi
pwede na sa NAIA 3
MANILA: Upang maibsan ang kakulangan sa pampublikong sasakyan, hinayaan na ng Manila International
Airport Authority (MIAA) ang mga pampasaherong bus at
mga ordinaryong taxi na mamulot ng mga pasahero sa
Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. Ayon kay
MIAA General Manager Jose Angel Honrado ito ang
pansamantalang solusyon nila sa kakulangan ng
masasakyan mula sa paliparan. “We lack transport.
Unfortunately, among the four terminals, Terminal 3 is the
only terminal not being serviced by regular buses since they
have no bus lines there,”pahayag ni Honrado. Inaasahan din
na iikli ang pila ng mga pasahero para sa mga gustong
sumakay pa rin sa mga taxi na accredited ng NAIA.—PSN
Philippines bans some
foreign journalists over
APEC Bali incident
MANILA: The Philippines said yesterday it had
banned certain foreign journalists from the country
over an incident last year, when President Benigno
Aquino was taunted by a group of Hong Kong
reporters during a visit to Indonesia.
The immigration bureau said the journalists,
whom it did not name, were blacklisted on the recommendation of the intelligence services over “acts committed against the president during a summit in Bali,
Indonesia”.
“The rationale is that the subject is a threat to public safety and blacklisting minimises that risk,” immigration bureau spokeswoman Elaine Tan said in a
statement to AFP. Hong Kong newspapers reported
that nine journalists from the Chinese territory have
been banned ahead of the Asia Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) summit to be hosted by the
Philippines next year.
In October last year APEC summit host Indonesia
withdrew the credentials of nine Hong Kong journalists for shouting questions at the Philippine leader,
insisting they had posed a security threat.
Hong Kong media said the journalists and technicians were from Now TV, RTHK and Commercial Radio.
An Aquino spokesman at the time said the journalists had “crossed the line” by aggressively questioning
Aquino about a hostage siege in Manila that left eight
Hong Kong tourists dead in 2010.
Continued on Page 2
MANILA: A Filipino woman looks at Santa Claus figurines outside makeshift stalls as people begin shopping for Christmas decorations for their
homes in Manila, Philippines recently. Christmas is one of the most important holidays in this predominantly Roman Catholic nation. —AP
9 convicted in Manila disco fire that killed 162
MANILA: A Philippine court convicted nine people for
graft Thursday over a 1996 nightclub fire that killed 162
people, mostly students celebrating the end of the
school year. The Sandiganbayan anti-graft court convicted seven former city engineering oﬃcials of suburban Quezon City and two operators of the Ozone disco
and handed out sentences of up to 10 years.
About 400 people were packed in the disco when
the fire broke out, but many were unable to escape
because the emergency exit was blocked by a new
building next door. Ninety-three others were injured in
the blaze, one of the biggest nightclub fires in the
world in the last 20 years.
The court disqualified the former city oﬃcials from
ever holding public oﬃce for approving the nightclub’s
building permit despite non-compliance with the
building code and giving preferential treatment to the
disco’s operators. Stephen Santos, president of a group
of the fire survivors, welcomed the court decision but
lamented that the verdict took 18 years, in an interview
with local television network ANC. He said he was
afraid some of those convicted may have already left
the country. Trials in the Philippines normally take
many years to conclude, with courts burdened by a
huge backlog of cases. Supreme Court Chief Justice
Maria Lourdes Sereno said last month reforms are
being instituted and more judges are being hired. Two
of the nine had been convicted in 2001 by another
court for separate crimes of reckless imprudence
resulting in multiple homicides, sentencing them to
four years in jail and fined 25 million pesos each
($555,000). They are Hermilo Ocampo, president of
Westwood Entertainment, the company that operated
the disco, and Ramon Ng, Westwood’s treasurer.—AP
MANILA: In this March 20, 1996 file photo, a man inspects a part of the collapsed
ceiling inside the Ozone disco gutted by
a fire in Manila, Philippines. —AP
2
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2014
Lifelong struggle for Philippine massacre widows
MANILA: For Gloria Teodoro and other women
widowed by the Philippines’ worst political massacre, the struggle to move on with their lives is as
long and painful as their fight for justice.
Five years since the carnage in the impoverished farming province of Maguindanao left 58
people dead, including 32 journalists, women
thrust into single parenthood juggle odd jobs as
they nurse deep emotional scars. “The tragedy is
that we lost our breadwinner. We are often out of
money but we manage to survive,” Teodoro, 45,
widow of local newspaper reporter Andres
Teodoro, told AFP. “I always tell my kids to toughen
up and just hold on.”
Teodoro said she gave manicures and helped
people secure land titles and other government
documents for a fee, just to see her two teenaged
children through high school. “I take on any job as
long as it’s legal... it’s extremely diﬃcult being a
single mother and we’ve been struggling for five
years,” Teodoro said. She said her eldest son
dropped out of college at the age of 19, three
years after the murders, to work at his father’s
newspaper and help her pay the bills. Around 80
schoolchildren lost their fathers after the massacre
and their mothers are mostly unemployed, said
Jaime Espina, Director of the National Union of
Journalists of the Philippines.
“Most of the victims were sole breadwinners
who left their families struggling to survive,” Espina
told AFP. Merly Perante, widow of newspaper
reporter Ronnie Perante, said she pooled P70,000
($1,550) in donations from journalists’ groups to
build an apartment house to support her three
children. But she now has to work as a cashier at a
cockfighting arena in her hometown of General
Santos City just to survive.
“I won’t be joining other widows at the massacre site this year because I have to work. I know
my husband will understand,” Perante, 41, told AFP.
Every year, the victims’ families light candles,
oﬀer flowers and say prayers on a hill in
Maguindanao province, where the 58 victims were
buried using a backhoe after a brazen daytime
ambush. The journalists’ convoy was on its way to
cover the election candidacy filing of an local
politician when they were allegedly waylaid by a
private militia led by Andal Ampatuan Jnr on
November 23, 2009.
His father, Andal Ampatuan Snr, had ruled
Maguindanao as governor for about a decade
must have felt when they were murdered, begging for their lives.” Teodoro consoles herself
with the fact that her husband’s death was not
in vain as bombings and shootings in the region
appeared to have been reduced.
Ampatuan Snr had gained a reputation as a
fearsome warlord during his time in power, ruling as many politicians do in the impoverished
and violence-plagued southern Philippines.
“Their deaths sparked change in that hell of a
place. They did not die for nothing,” Teodoro
said.
“This is an extraordinary case but we are not
losing hope.”—AFP
MANILA: Students and members of the press participate in a torch parade condemning the slow paced trial of the Maguindanao Massacre in Manila on Thursday, ahead
of the fifth anniversary of the worst political massacre of the country. Five years after
58 people were killed in the Philippines’ worst political massacre, anger among victims’ relatives is building, with no one yet convicted and the alleged masterminds
still enjoying power. —AFP
under the patronage of then-president Gloria
Arroyo, who had funded the clan’s private army as
a buﬀer against Muslim separatist rebels.
Ampatuan Jnr is accused of leading the militia of
more than 100 gunmen in stopping the convoy,
which was carrying his political foe’s wife, relatives,
lawyers and the journalists, then gunning them
down.
The Ampatuans deny all charges against them.
With no one yet convicted and the clan continuing
to wield huge influence in Maguindanao, anger is
rising among victims’ families. The widows are represented in the murder trial by a handful of private
prosecutors who are helping government lawyers
to lay out the evidence — but in the Philippines,
even a simple trial involving one accused person
typically takes many years to complete.
Anniversary opens old wounds
Perante said her eldest son, who wanted to
become an accountant before his father died, is
now studying to be a policeman.
“That’s how his father’s death aﬀected him.
He wants justice for his father,” she said. Perante
was two months pregnant when her husband
was killed. Her youngest son knows of his father
only through pictures and clippings of his articles, she said. “My sons tell our youngest: ‘Here is
our father. He is a journalist, and these are the
Ampatuans who killed him’,” she said.
Perante and Teodoro said that, ahead of
Sunday’s anniversary, their husbands had been
appearing in their dreams.
“In those dreams, we are bonding as a family,
like we did when he was alive. It’s his way of
telling us that he’s still there for us,” Perante said.
For Teodoro, the yearly commemoration
reopens old wounds. “It’s an indescribable mix of
feelings — pain, despair, helplessness,” she said.
“I imagine how my husband and the others
MAGUINDANAO: In this photo taken on
Thursday, Gloria Teodoro, widow of local
newspaper reporter Andres Teodoro,
lights candles on a marker for her husband, one of the 32 journalists killed, at
the massacre site in Ampatuan town,
Maguindanao province, in southern island
of Mindanao. For Gloria Teodoro and other
women widowed by the Philippines’ worst
political massacre, the struggle to move
on with their lives is as long and painful as
their fight for justice. —AFP
Philippines bans ...
Continued from Page 1
When an individual “shows disrespect or makes oﬀensive utterances to symbols of Philippine authority”, it is suﬃcient ground to
ban him or her from the country, immigration spokeswoman Tan
said Saturday.
“If he (or she) submits suﬃcient proof to reverse the blacklist, it
may be lifted accordingly.”
An Aquino spokesman stressed it had not specifically prevented anyone from covering the APEC summit in the Philippines in
November next year.
Herminio Coloma said the presidential oﬃce, which is in charge
of accrediting journalists who will cover the summit, “has not started the accreditation process for journalists”.
Relations between Hong Kong and the Philippines were
strained for years following a botched rescue attempt by Manila in
2010 when Hong Kong tourists were taken hostage inside a bus by
a disgraced ex-Manila police oﬃcer.
In April the two governments announced they had resolved the
row. The Manila city government issued a formal apology while
the Philippines expressed “its most sorrowful regret and profound
sympathy”.
MANILA: Fisherman Estelito Marijuan, 58, arranges dried fish at Manila Bay on Thursday. World Fisheries Day is
The Philippine government also provided undisclosed financial
compensation to victims and their relatives from money donated commemorated every November 21 and was established to draw attention to overfishing, habitat destruction and
other serious threats to the sustainability of marine and freshwater resources. —AFP
by private individuals.—AFP
3
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2014
Pope Francis prefers ‘simple’ papal visit to PH
MANILA: Pope Francis, the Argentine
pope known for espousing a simpler
Church, also wants the same treatment for his upcoming visit to the
Philippines next year.
At a press briefing on Thursday,
November 20, papal visit media relations sub-committee chair Fr Anton
Pascual said the Vatican would prefer a
simple papal visit with minimal expenditures.
The Vatican also urged for more
resources to be spent on helping the
victims of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan)
and the earthquake in Bohol in 2013,
according to an article on the Catholic
Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP) news site.
The Pope will meet with Yolanda
survivors when he goes to Tacloban
City and Palo in Leyte on January 17,
2015.
“The call of the Vatican that this visit
not be costly is important because the
desire of the Holy Father is that donations be given instead to the victims of
calamities. That is the primary purpose
of his visit,” Pascual said.
He added, “He wants that whatever
graces received in terms of donations
be given instead to victims of calamities, especially with the ongoing reha-
bilitation for Yolanda victims and survivors of the earthquake in Bohol.”
Pope Francis will be in the
Philippines on January 15 to 19.
The highlights of his first trip to the
Philippines include his lunch with
Yolanda survivors in Leyte and events
in the Manila Cathedral, the University
of Santo Tomas, and the Mall of Asia
Arena. (READ:Huge Catholic event in
UST during Pope’s Philippine trip)
While Pascual said the Church is also
open to donations for the papal visit, CBCP
secretary general Fr Marvin Mejia clarified VATICAN: Pope Francis caresses a child during an audithat the visit should not be treated as a ence with health care workers and children with autism
“fund raising event.” —Rappler.com
in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, yesterday. —AP
4
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2014
FBC successfully organizes 50,
40, 30, 25 badminton challenge
KUWAIT: The Filipino Badminton Committee (FBC) successfully organized its 2nd 50, 40, 30, 25 Badminton Challenge at
the Kuwait Disabled Sports Club, Hawally Friday. Over a hundred badminton enthusiast showed up at the gym which
include players from various badminton organizations; the
Indonesian Badminton Club in Kuwait (IBCK ), Indian
Badminton Association in Kuwait ( IBAK ) and Filipino
Badminton Association in Ahmadi (FBAA).
FBC Chairman Dr. Chie Umandap said “It is like an FBC
Family reunion! I am really thrilled to see the old members of
FBC playing once again in their old home court. I hope to see
them all again in our next scheduled activities and tournaments.”
Here’s the list of winners:
National Level Winners
Champion: Bastian James Kanichay & Aneef Latheef
1st runner up: Sarin Joseph George and Jerosh kochy.
Advance:
Champion: Relin Thomas and Ranjith
1st Runner Up: Dadang Rudianto and Karjan Sanwirja
Intermediate Level Winners
Champion: Gino Gaitano and Alma
1st runner up: Jenny Rose and Carlo.
Novice Level Winners
Champion: Romro Gonzales and julius Ladiao
1st Runner up: Daisy Valdez and Mary jean Luague
Meanwhile in suppor t to the Alliance of Filipino
Organizations in Kuwait’s 1st Grand Fiesta on November 28,
FBC will not be holding its tournament and shall resume its
regular tournament on December 5.
Badminton enthusiast are also invited to visit the FBC
website www.fbckpi.com for updates and registration.
—Photos by Albert Dimaculangan
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2014
5
6
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2014
Balitang Showbiz Plus
BengarciaFILES
Ni Bong Pagutayao
Ni Ben Garcia
[email protected]
[email protected]
BF ni Mommy D. tagabitbit
lang ng bag sa Macau!
CHIKA LANG PO!
hika-chika lang ito... Tong-tong pakitong kitong ang
tamaan huwag magalit ang
pumiyok ay
Concernnnnnnn! Salamat sa ating mga tagasubaybay
ng lingguhang Panorama..walang hangan. Salamat sa inyong
lahat at mabuhay ang lahat ng Noypi! Manatiling kalamante
at stay away from trouble! Makuntento kung ano mayroon,
magpasalamat sa Diyos sa mga biyaya. Kahit ang iyong kinikita ay barya lang okay lang yan kabayan, basta ba hindi ka
gumagawa ng karumaldumal at masama. Dito sa ibang bansa
dapat matatag ang iyong pananampalataya. Puede ka kasing
madala sa sabi ng iba. Kakapit sa patalim kasi malayo naman
tayo sa ating inang bansa. Naku ingat-ingat din. Ang ilang
tao, mahal ka lang kung ikaw ay mapapakionabangan nila.
Kuwang wala kana, basahan ka sa kanila! Sasabihin ko pong
muli, lahat tayo mayroong kanya kanyang buhay iba-iba lang
ang pinagdaraanan. Sila man ay nahihirap din hindi lang halata...kaya ikaw din dapat ipakita mong matatag ka! Simple lang
ang buhay...huwag nyong gawing kumplikado!
C
lll
Wow kasama ni Mommy Dionisia tagabitbit sa Macau ang
mas batang boyfriend niya. Nakikita sa TV na nakaalalay sa
kanya ang nasabing BF na parang tagadala pa ng kanyang
bag.
I pagdasal natin ang panalo ni M anny Pacquiao.
Intimidating ang hitsura ng kalaban niyang si Chris Algieri.
Ang guwapo kasi at artistahin ang dating.
Nakakakaba dahil oras na maabutan ng lucky punch ni
Algieri si Pacman tiyak na mapagbubuntunan ng sisi ay ang
dyowa ni Mommy D. Pero ang nakakaloka, hindi man lang
binabanggit ang pangalan ng BF ni Mommy D sa mga TV
report. —Salve Asis, PSN
Mommy D and her BF
Buhay mamamahayag sa Kuwait:
Isang oras sa loob ng presinto
N
oong isang linggo, binitbit ako ng mga pulis
habang nag-iimbestiga ng istorya para sa
Kuwait Times. Hayaan nyong simulan ko ang
paglalahad ng aking kuwento at sabihin sa inyo na
hindi madaling maging reporter sa Kuwait maihatid
lamang ang mga balitang dapat ninyong malaman at
mabasa.
Ang daming mga challenges mula sa paglabas ng
bahay hanggang makuha namin ang istoryang aming
ibabahagi sa inyo. Mahirap kumuha ng impormasyon
sa Kuwait lalo na sa kanilang mga kawanihan na minsan lamang mag-entertain ng mga non-Arabic speakers. Tulad din sa atin kulang at hindi sapat ang mga
records/statistics nila. Kakambal ng iyong kagustuhang makakuha ng buong istorya ay ang nakaambang panganib (risk) na puede kang mahuli at makalaboso at anytime. One of my worst fears ay naganap
nitong nakaraang linggo lamang.
Nahuli ako habang palihim na kumukuha ng
larawan sa mga uma-arestong pulis sa umano’y
kawatan sa may bahagi ng Farwaniya. I was at the right
place and time pero minalas na ma-angguluhan ng
mga pulis habang hinuhuli nila ang umano’y salarin.
Ito ang istorya: Nasa labas ako ng isang maliit na
shopping mall habang nag-iimbestiga ng isang balita.
Nakita ko ang kumpol ng mga tao na nakapalibot sa
isang white sedan. Wari ko ay mayroong nagaganap
na newsworthy episode kaya agad akong lumapit.
Nagtanong ako sa mga bystanders doon kung anu
ang nagaganap. Sabi ng mga napagtanungan ko,
nahuli daw ng taumbayan ang isang kawatan ng cellphones na ginagamit ang mga ninakaw na civil IDs.
Dito sa Kuwait, puwede kang kumuha ng hulugan at
mamahaling cellphones ipi-presenta mo lang ang
iyong civil ID. Nasa loob ng sasakyan ang umano’y
magnanakaw. Dahil wala naman akong professional
camera, I took a few photos with my mobile kung saan
naroroon ang suspect.
Nakita ko naman na kumukuha ng pictures ang
ilang mga bystanders, isa pa tawag iyon ng aking
propisyon na maihatid ang tunay na larawan at
kaganapan, kung ako ay nasa ‘scene of the crime’ lang
naman. Isa pa, hindi na tayo nabubuhay sa
makalumang panahon, usong-uso na ngayon ang
social media kung kaya, hindi man ako, maaaring
ibang tao ang mag-post ng larawang nakuha nila sa
‘scene of the crime’. Pero sa Kuwait, kamakailan
lamang lumutang ang isang video ng isang pulis na
nakunan at naipost sa social media. Pilit niyang pinapag-push up ang isang nahuling expat sa loob pa din
naman ng presinto at naging malaking usapin ito sa
Kuwait. Nakukunan na rin ngayon ang mga aksidenteng nadadaanan sa kalsada at ang madalas na mga
away sa Avenues Mall sa Kuwait. Ilang sandali lang
nasa social media na rin.
Dumating ang mga pulis para dalhin sa presinto
ang alleged suspect makaraan lamang ang ilang minuto. Naisip ko lang noon na mas-magiging maganda at
marahil pang-front page ang mga kuha kong larawan
kung makukuha ko ang anggulong dadalhin na sa
police car ang suspect. Kaya dali-dali akong kumuha.
Pero nakita ako ng isang police oﬃcer. Tinanong ako
kung bakit ko sila kinukuhanan ng litrato. Sabi ko’y
ipagpaumanhin po ninyo subalit ako po ay nagta-tra-
baho sa isang lokal na pahayagan. Pilit ko mang ipaliwanag ang sarili, pero hindi nila ako pinakinggan kinuha ang aking cellphone at civil ID. Ang buong akala
ko nga, titingnan lang nila iyon, pero ni hindi nga tiningnan ang civil ID ko basta sinabi ng pulis na sumama
ako sa presinto at ikukulong daw ako.
Sabi ko, officer hindi po ako suspect; ako ay
kumukuha lamang ng larawan. Ipaliwanag ko na lang
daw sa presinto dahil ikukulong ako sa pagkuha ng
mga larawan na walang pahintulot. Noong naglalakad
ako patungo sa police car, nakaramdam ako ng awa sa
sarili. Lalo na’t naglalakad ako na may-escort na pulis
patungo sa mobile car nila kasama ang alleged suspect. Nakikita ko ang mga reaksyon sa mukha at mga
mata ng mga taong nakakasalubong naming; ang iba
Pinoy na tila naaawa sa kinasapitan ko. Deep within
me, hindi ako nag-aalala pero yung iskortan ka ng
police, iyon ang medyo nakakakaba at hindi magandang experience.
Isinakay ako sa likod ng police car kasama ng
alleged kawatan. Noong nasa sasakyan na nila ako
para akong nasa ‘state of shock’ pero kalmado pa rin
naman; ni hindi rin ako nagsalita hanggang sa
makarating sa presinto.
Tiningnan ko pa ang orasan, it was noon time.
Pagdating sa presinto, yung alleged suspect ay agad
na ipinasok sa kulungan habang ako ay inilagay nila sa
kanilang holding area. Narinig ko pa ang isang police
na nagsabing; ilalagay din daw ako sa kulungan eventually dahil sasampahan nila ako ng kaso sa illegal na
paggamit ng personal mobile. Wala pa namang malinaw na batas ukol sa paggamit ng personal mobile at
pagkuha ng mga larawan sa Kuwait gamit iyon kaya
hindi ko alam honestly kung saan ako nakatayo legally.
Kaya pagdating habang sa presnito na ako,
nakiusap ako sa pulis officer kung pupuwedeng
matawagan ang mga boss ko sa Kuwait Times. Agad
naman nilang ibinalik ang aking cellphone. Pero kinuha nila ulit matapos akong tumawag. Ang Kuwait
Times na ang naging abala sa lahat ng legal remedies
upang makalaya ako. Bawal daw kuhanan ang mga
police officers sa Kuwait habang naka-duty at walang
pahintulot ng Ministry of Interior. Salamat at makalipas ang ilang minuto, muli akong ipinatawag ng
police officer na humili sa akin at inutusan akong
burahin ang lahat ng mga larawang nakuha ko sa
‘scene of the crime’. Matapos iyon, ibinalik na sa akin
ang civil ID ko kasama ng cellpone ko. Puede na raw
akong umalis!
Check ko ulit ang aking orasan, mula noong hulihin
ako at hanggang makalaya ako halos isang oras din
pala ang lumipas. Maraming negative impression ang
mga tao ukol sa mga police oﬃcers sa Kuwait, lalo na
among us expats yes, ako man iyon din ang ikinabahala
ko. Pero nais kong iparating sa inyo na hindi naman ako
nakaranas ng maltreatment mula sa mga humuling
awtoridad sa akin, trinato nila ako with professionalism
and courtesy sa loob ng isang oras na iyon.
At the end of the day, sabi ko nga sa sarili, ginagawa
ko lang naman ang aking tungkulin na maiparating sa
publiko ang dapat nilang malamang kuwento. Itinuturing
ko na naman itong isa sa mga bahagi na ng aking
buhay/karanasan bilang isang reporter/mamamahayag
sa Kuwait.
7
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2014
Participants Men Division Class A nd B
Farid Gabriel - Champion - Class MA
PBAK Master’s Class A and B champions,
Farid Gabriel and Mike Gonzales
Ferdie Saliba - 1st Runner Up- Class MB
Ali Adel Ata Khalil - 2nd Runner Up- Class MB
By Armando Goyena
(928). Finally it was a smooth sailing for Farid to tight grip the beacon when
he scored his average score of 192 while Joe scored over average of 209 but
proved futile due to significant diﬀerence. Aldin filched from Greg the third
position while the later slumber to the last prized position.
For Class B pinbusters, 17 were qualified who joined the championship
event and they were: Rudy de Lima, Mike Gonzales, Ferdier Saliba, Rashid
Ahker Ali, Alex Cervantes, Saleh Faraj, Ali Adel Ata Khalil, Eddie Pena, Joel
Tizon, Rocky Castil, Obet Cabrera, Alonzo Bush, Lito Mercado, Rene Marzan,
Mandy Manalo, Joe Presenta and Abdul Aziz Al Aslawi.
After the initial two games, prexy de Lima was the leader with his 385
points, followed closely by Rashid (375), Mike (374), Ali Adel (367), Lito (367),
Joe (343), Joel (342), Obet (334) and Rene (328) who composed the elite 10.
Completing the four games, Ali Adel now snatched the prime post from
fourth place with his 759 followed by Mike (730), Lito (723), Ferdie (710), Joe
(698), Rashid (697), Rudy (689), Joel (669), Saleh (656) and Obet (652). After
the penultimate game the Big 4 did not change position with Ali Adel (958)
on the frontline, ensued by Mike (922), Lito (903) and Ferdie (889). The other
bowlers composing the top 10 were Rashid (865), Joel (863), Joe (860),
Mandy Manalo (839), Rudy (831) and Obet (831).
In the final game everybody agreed that Ali Adel will bring home the
beacon because of his game consistency and 36 pins advantage over Mike.
But turn of event surprised everybody with big points output by members of
the top 6. Mike scored his highest game of 235 in the finals overcastted Ali
Adel’s 171 to seize the championship trophy. Duplicated by Ferdie the feat of
Mike, by scoring 244 pinfalls, his best and the highest score in the finals of
Class B the second position was snatched and still overrun Ali by 4 pins who
slide to third place. Fourth place was Rashid who plucked another game ending high game of 233 to eject Lito from the booty position.
Standing of the top 10 after the 6 game series are as follows: Class A Farid Gabriel (1345), Joe White (1281), Aldin Avila (1245), Greg Melamon
(1220), Fahad Abul (1188), Fadel Qassem (1181), Dan Montano (1152),
Mohannad Ebrahim (1144), Mar Evangelista (1140) and Tony Zulueta
(1108).For Class B- Mike Gonzales (1157), Ferdie Saliba (1133), Ali Adel (1129),
Rashid (1098), Joel Tizon (1088), Lito Mercado (1081), Joe Presenta (1041),
Obet Cabrera (1019), Rudy de Lima (996) and Mandy Manalo (990).
KUWAIT: The start of winter season have just started but the temperature
inside the bowling alley of Cozmo-Kheifan starts to rise when the top six
bowlers of the two groups tried to overpower each other in the remaining
two games of the 6-game series of the Philippine Bowling Association in
Kuwait 4th Season Team League Tournament’s Master’s edition. For each category a champion will be declared with trophy and cash at the stake while
the three runners up will be having a medal and also cash prizes.
Like thoroughbred horses, seven Class A bowlers showed their prowess
by scoring more than 200 pinfalls and the forefront was Greg Melamon (260)
followed by Joe White (232), Farid Gabriel (229), Kiko Andaya (214),
Mohannad Ebrahim (212) Aldin Avila (209), Tony Zulueta (202). For Class B
only Mike Gonzales scored 216 followed by Ferdie Saliba (196) and Ali Adel
(192).
The 16 qualified bowlers who topped the Class A group were: Mohannad
Ebrahim, Aldin Avila, Greg Melamon, Farid Gabriel, Dan Montano, Tony
Zulueta, Joe White, Noe Mahayag, Fadel Qassem, Kiko Andaya, Mar
Evangelista, Fahad Abul, Christopher Bush, Jun Husmillo, Donovan Connor,
and Camilo Baker lll.
After the two games throw, Joe White who scored 232 and 279 with a
total score of 511 was the frontrunner followed by Mohannad (447), Fahad
Abul (438), Farid (419), Tony (405), Greg (392), Aldin (386), Mar (385), Kiko
(382) and Fadel (372) comprising the top 10. After the summing of the completed 4 games Dan Montano jumped from eleventh to fifth position after
scoring 213/204 and also Camilo after scoring 197/198 to snatched the tenth
post. Joe maintained the prime post with his 903, now tailed by Farid from
fourth rank when he scored 221/245 with total score of 885 followed by
Fahad (848), Aldin (784) from seventh to fourth position, Greg (768), Mar
(765), Mohannad (751) and Tony (749).
Consistency prevailed when rational bowler Farid scored his high game
of 268 in the fifth game tantamount to Joe White’s lowest score of 169 thus
losing the later top ranking and conceded to second place with eight marks
diﬀerence. They were followed by Greg (1019) from sixth position, Aldin
(1010), Fahad (990), Dan (972), Fadel (969), Tony (941), Mar (937) and Kiko
Joe White - 1st Runner Up- Class MA
Mike Gonzales - Champion - Class MB
Aldin Avila - 2nd Runner Up- Class MA
FBC successfully
organizes 50, 40, 30,
25 badminton
challenge
Page 4
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2014
Boxing emerging as big draw with Pacquiao in China
MACAU: Bob Arum learned something about Chinese boxing fans
earlier this year at the promoter’s first fight card in Shanghai, where
the crowd yelled and cheered for the home country boxers all the
way up until the main event.
Then, with no Chinese fighter in the ring, they suddenly went quiet.
“There was nothing,” Arum said. “Halfway through the fight half
the crowd walked out.”
That they stayed that long is an indication that Chinese fans are at
least beginning to understand a sport once banned in the country.
That wasn’t the case in April last year when two-time Olympic gold
medalist Zou Shiming made his pro debut and professional boxing
made its debut in the gambling enclave of Macau.
“The first show we did with Zou you could have heard a pin drop,”
the longtime promoter said. “They didn’t know how or when to
cheer or seem to understand much about it.”
They will be much louder Sunday morning when Zou is the featured undercard fighter as Manny Pacquiao returns to the ring in the
main event against New York’s Chris Algieri. Hotel oﬃcials expect the
arena at the massive Venetian resort will be filled with bleary-eyed
gamblers long before the main event.
“The fact it’s on Sunday is a little inconvenient. The fact it’s on in
the morning doesn’t seem to matter,” said Ed Tracy, president and
CEO of the Venetian. “Most of them have been up all night anyway.”
On the state sanctioned CCTV network, a staggering 300 million
people are expected to tune in to a broadcast that, unlike in the U.S.,
will be free of charge.
money to a 112-pounder making his pro debut, he had to think
twice about it. With a chance to enter the potentially lucrative
Chinese market, he ponied up $300,000 for Zou to fight in a fourrounder.
Zou has fought all five of his pro fights at the Venetian, and
reportedly has drawn the attention of Chinese president Xi Jimping.
Should Zou win as expected on Sunday, the plan is to have him fight
Thailand’s Amnat Ruenroeng for a title as a headliner Feb. 14 in the
same arena.
“You can look for a very, very diﬀerent event then that is going to
be very Asian centric,” Tracy said. “It’s a hell of an opportunity for us
to put on a very good show.”
Zou isn’t the only home-grown fighter on Sunday’s card. Rex Tso
‘Grand Fiesta’
sa Biyernes na!
KUWAIT: Handang-handa na ang mga Pinoy sa Kuwait sa
pag-tanggap ng mga bisitang magmumula pa sa Pilipinas
sa darating na Biyernes. Itinakda ang grand-welcome sa
Fakhr Al Din Palace Ballroom sa Dawliah Complex, Kuwait
City. Bibisita sa Kuwait sina Labor Secretary Rosalinda
Baldoz kasama ang dalawang administrador ng OWWA at
POEA. Si Baldoz ay nakatakdang dumalo sa turn-over ceremony ng chairmanship ng Abu-Dhabi Dialogue, kung
saan kasalukuyang chairman ang Pilipinas at ihahandover ang pamumuno sa Kuwait. Bago siya umuwi pabalik
ng Pilipinas, makiki-isa muna ang kalihim sa ‘Grand Fiesta’
na inihanda ng Alliance of Filipino Organizations in
Kuwait (ALLFIL-OK) na itinakda din sa Biyernes ng libre.
Kabilang sa mga aabangang programa sa Biyernes ang
‘Talakayan’ isang bagong konsepto ng talkshow na pangungunahan nina Ben Garcia at Maxxy Santiago.
Makakasama din sa Talakayan ang iba pang mga Pinoy
media sa Kuwait, mga oﬃcers ng ALLFIL-OK kung saan
bubuksan ang dayalogo sa publiko. Liban sa Talakayan,
tampok din ang ibat-ibang programa kabilang ang community worship/prayer services sa umaga, travel and
tourism expo, boodlefight sa tanghali at ang singing competition sa hapon.
Isasara ang Grand Fiesta sa gabi sa pamamagitan ng
tawanan at halakhakan kasama ang mga artistang kumedyante mula din sa Pilipinas na kilalang-kilala sa mundo ng
pagpapatawa at pagbibigay aliw sa mga taong nalulungkot. Taos pusong nagpapasalamat ang mga organizers
sa mga local companies na kabilang na sa mga sponsors
kasama ang KGL Investment, Cebu Pacific at ang LBC.
MACAU : Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines, left and Chris Algieri of the US gesture during the official weigh-in
ahead of their World Welterweight Championship bout at the Cotai Arena in Macau on yesterday. —AFP
If boxing isn’t exactly exploding in China, there’s little doubt it’s
beginning to find its own niche. Pacquiao and Algieri are being
counted on to fill hotel rooms this weekend and bring in hundreds of
millions of dollars in extra revenue from visitors who are as eager to
spend money in the resort’s lavish shopping mall as they are in the
crowded casinos.
It’s welcome money at a time Macau’s gaming revenues are in a
five-month slump that casino executives attribute to a government
crackdown on corruption and conspicuous consumption among the
wealthy.
Macau may not be Las Vegas, but the concept is the same. Just
like the casinos here began as copies of Vegas resorts, the fights follow the same pattern of appealing to sports fans with deep pockets
who enjoy a wager or two.
And Chinese fans are not only learning when to cheer, but how
long to stay.
“They’re beginning to know boxing,” Arum said. “It’s a relatively
easy sport to understand, which is part of its beauty. But it’s really a
universal thing. The Chinese people are becoming boxing fans.”
Zou is the biggest reason for that. He won Olympic gold medals
in 2008 at home in Beijing and in 2012 in London, becoming a
national hero in the process and introducing the sport to millions of
Chinese more accustomed to martial arts contests.
Still, when Arum was first presented with the idea of paying big
from neighboring Hong Kong is 14-0 as a super flyweight, while 154pounder Kuok Kun Ng is a Macau native. The Chinese boxing roster
isn’t exactly deep, but it’s growing relatively fast.
Pacquiao also seems quite at home here, where he doesn’t have
to battle the eﬀects of jet lag to Las Vegas. His 350-member
entourage managed to cram on two planes Monday for a short flight
from the Philippines to watch their own national hero, who is guaranteed more than $20 million and won’t have to pay millions in taxes
that would come due from a fight in the U.S.
That doesn’t mean Macau will get the biggest fights. It won’t,
even if they involve Pacquiao, who Tracy envisioned fighting three of
his last five fights in Macau when he made the deal with Arum.
The lights of the Las Vegas Strip still shine brightly when it comes
to the biggest events. Pacquiao’s fight here last year against Rios was
a pay-per-view disappointment in the U.S., partly because Rios was
not considered a credible opponent by many in boxing and partly
because few bought in on paying money for it because of the mystique of a fight coming from China.
There’s increased talk about Pacquiao finally fighting Floyd
Mayweather Jr. next year in what could be boxing’s richest bout ever.
But no matter who he fights, his next bout will not be in Macau.
“Manny’s next fight will be in the states,” Arum said. “To be relevant in the states you want him to train in California for at least one
fight a year.” —AP