Breach of Ethics

If Philippine Star columnist Alex Magno is to be believed, there is nothing wrong with what lawyer Jesus Santos and Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) head Camilo Sabio did. In Magno’s estimation, the current focus on the Sabios and Atty. Santos is simply an attempt to obfuscate the real problem, which is the alleged bribery attempt on Justice Sabio, the PCGG head’s younger brother, by a suspected lackey for Meralco’s owners, the Lopezes. After all, Santos and the elder Sabio were merely acting for the greater good, right?

While the bribery charge is serious, and I myself am wondering what will become of the probe, what Magno glosses over is the serious breach of ethics that Santos and Chairman Sabio committed, which effectively removes the moral high ground for Justice Sabio. First of all, is it right that Santos knew about the temporary restraining order (TRO) that was being readied by the Court of Appeals division headed by Justice Sabio? Is it right for Santos to call the elder Sabio to ask for help, and, for that matter, what sort of help did Santos expect, considering it was Sabio’s younger brother handling the case? Is it right that the elder Sabio should call his brother in order to make a case for the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), whose lawyers were fighting against the TRO?

And finally, why didn’t Justice Sabio report the call to his superiors, considering that his older brother, for all his intentions, ignored one of the tenets of a lawyer, which is that lawyers should “refrain from any impropriety which tends to influence or gives the appearance of influencing the court." ?

Commissioner Sabio and Atty. Santos cannot just give the excuse that they were acting for the greater good, out of concern for the GSIS members. If that were the case, then Senator Trillanes should be set free, because he believed that his idiotic actions were done for the sake of the greater good. What Santos and the elder Sabio did was to violate the principles of their being lawyers. Is Magno saying that it’s perfectly all right to break the law?

Perhaps the problem lies in the fact that this administration has circumvented the law far too many times, such that the underlings of the administration are taking their cue from the top. If President Arroyo wasn’t ousted or even penalized for her “Hello, Garci” call to the Commission on Elections, why should Sabio and Atty. Santos be penalized for something that they did that was, by their estimate, for the greater good?

Unfortunately, as it is often said, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. No matter how administration spinmeisters like Magno will beautify it with noble intentions, what the PCGG head and Atty. Santos did was unethical, and they should be made to answer for their actions.

Clinched

The Blue Eagles, looking to clinch the top spot in the Final Four, poured it on, and disposed of a gritty National University (NU) squad, 83-58, to assure themselves of the no. 1 slot. The Eagles also put to rest the bogey of last season, when the Bulldogs ambushed them in the second round, denying Ateneo the no. 2 seed behind UE.

At first, it seemed as if Ateneo would romp away without any fight from NU, as the first quarter ended with a dominant 16-point lead. Then, when Ateneo coach Norman Black fielded his second-stringers, the Bulldogs managed to claw their way back into the game, even leading by one at one point. But then, the starters came back, took over, and began padding the lead.

As usual, Rabeh al-Hussaini and Chris Tiu led the Blue Eagles, while Eric Salamat, Jai Reyes and Nonoy Baclao provided more than adequate support. The huge lead also allowed Black to let the second-stringers play, with some highlights from Jobe Nkemekolam and Kurt Long. In the end, it was clear that the Bulldogs wouldn’t be playing the spoiler role this season, and Ateneo claimed the top spot in the Final Four.

While it would be tempting to say that the last game against La Salle would be a no-bearing match, any die-hard fan will say that such a statement would be blasphemous. Of course, Ateneo will go all-out against their archrivals, to stamp their superiority for this season. Also, it’ll be a great morale boost in the event that the two wind up facing each other in the Finals.

In other UAAP men’s basketball events, FEU moved a half-game ahead of La Salle for the no.2 slot by scraping past a determined UP squad. The Archers will have a chance to keep pace with the Tamaraws, as they face Adamson today. In the second game today, UST will try to keep its fading Final Four hopes alive as the Tigers face the UE Red Warriors, who currently have the last slot. To qualify, UST must beat UE today, and win against UP, while UE must lose its last game to create a tie for the final slot. If UE wins today, then it’s all over for both UST and the MVP hopes of its star, Jervy Cruz.

CA Mess - Misplaced Sense of Brotherhood

As the ongoing probe into the bribery case in the Court of Appeals (CA) continues, more and more worms are discovered, causing serious and maybe irreparable damage to the CA’s integrity and reputation.

In the latest twist, according to testimony by Camilo Sabio, the head of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), Jesus Santos, a lawyer of controversial First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, asked for the PCGG head’s help in connection with the case filed by the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) against the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). The younger brother of Sabio, Jose Jr, was the acting chairman of the CA division handling the case.

While the help requested by Santos was not specified, the elder Sabio called up his younger brother supposedly to inquire about the case, and influence his brother into not signing a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the cease and desist order of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in relation to the Meralco board elections, in which GSIS head Winston Garcia claims that illegal proxies were used by the Lopez family. The Lopez family apparently won a majority of the board seats.

Despite his brother’s call, Justice Sabio signed the TRO, but neglected to report his brother’s attempt to influence the decision. As a result, the lapse now calls into question his integrity. But, more than that, it calls into question his older brother’s integrity, and whether he should remain as PCGG head.

Being a lawyer, the elder Sabio should have suspected that there was something wrong with the fact that Santos, who does not work in the CA, would have advance knowledge of a TRO being readied in the CA. As a government official, especially one involved in supposedly investigating the corruption of a previous administration, he should have been aware of the impropriety of calling his brother, even under the guise of concern about the GSIS members, as he claims.

I am not sure what is so exceptional about the Meralco case that Commissioner Sabio would feel compelled to engage in lobbying his younger brother to rule in favour of GSIS. As probe panel member retired Associate Justice Carolina Grino-Aquino pointed out, Canon 13 of the Rules of Professional Responsibility for Lawyers states that lawyers should “refrain from any impropriety which tends to influence or gives the appearance of influencing the court." How do Commissioners Sabio’s actions exempt him from this?

Justice Sabio’s attempts to defend his brother by citing Filipino family values runs counter to his duty as an impartial arbiter of the law. Should his utang na loob (debt of gratitude) to his older brother for helping supersede his oath as a Court of Appeals Justice?

I think not. Closeness of kin is one of the main reason corruption occurs in this country, as Commissioner Sabio should know. Closeness of kin allows one to overlook a relative’s shortcomings, and even break the law in order to help a relative. The Marcoses, the Estradas and the Arroyos, as well as the various political families across the nation, have all demonstrated this, to the detriment of the country.

Perhaps if Justice Sabio feels that his brother’s actions were excusable, then he should not continue as a CA Justice, because, as long as he believes that, his integrity and credibility as an arbiter is severely compromised. As for Commissioner Sabio, his actions were inexcusable, and, if he had any delicadeza, he should immediately tender his resignation from the PCGG. But, of course, this is the Philippines, where few of our government officials actually feel shame for their actions, so it’ll be up to the panel investigating this mess to hopefully sort things out, and set things straight.

MOA-AD: How Not to Negotiate

With the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) unsigned by the government of the Philippines, we can probably expect the MILF to step up its attacks and depredations on civilians to try to force the government to reconsider and sign the MOA. It’s pure and simple blackmail, and the government shouldn’t give in to the MILF’s demands, especially at this point.

To begin with, the government negotiators, led by Hermogenes Esperon and Rodolfo Garcia, bungled the negotiations by agreeing to allow the MILF an opportunity to carve out a large portion of Mindanao. The gambit seems to have been that, since the whole agreement would have to be ratified by plebiscite, a number of the areas covered by the MOA-AD would refuse to be part of the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE). The end result would be that the BJE would be smaller than what the MILF envisioned.

However, since the negotiators failed to do proper consultations with the areas involved, and kept the negotiations in the dark, there was a huge backlash of protest against the MOA-AD when it was presented to the public, forcing the government to rethink its position.

On the other hand, it seems pretty clear now that the MILF was not dealing in good faith, with their coordinated attacks on North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte. The MILF leaders cannot brush away the fact that two of their ground commanders went ahead and committed terrorist acts on a civilian populace. The tired excuse of ‘lost commands’ will simply not cut it here. Commanders Umbra Kato and Bravo were likely acting under MILF orders, to force the government to sign the MOA-AD. The MILF’s refusal to surrender Bravo and Kato adds strength to this scenario.

Furthermore, the MILF’s insistence that the MOA-AD is a ‘done deal’ demonstrates the MILF’s arrogance. It takes two partners to dance, and with the Philippines backing out of the signing of the MOA-AD, the MILF has no choice but to renegotiate the agreement, assuming that the government is still willing to do so in light of the depredations of Commanders Kato and Bravo.

The other option is to resume the armed struggle, but this has its own drawbacks for the MILF. For one, it will remove whatever legitimacy it may have in the international circle, if Bravo and Kato’s actions haven’t already done so. For another, the MILF may not be able to stand up to a Philippine military that will be more focused on neutralizing the MILF forces.

The government shouldn’t give in to these strong-arm tactics, and hang tough in trying to subdue the rebellious MILF elements. In addition, our government leaders should work towards declaring the MILF a terrorist organization, to further tighten the screws on the rebel group. Whatever development plans for Mindanao should be fast-tracked to give the MILF less reason to stir up trouble. In doing so, the MILF will be marginalized, and be forced to accept terms from the government.

While peace is desirable in Mindanao, which has undergone decades of hostility and violence, it should not be at gunpoint, by the MILF or by any armed group.

Gritty Win

It’s a good thing for Ateneo that top guard Chris Tiu found his shooting touch when it mattered the most. Tiu fired three crucial threes both late in the fourth quarter and the ensuing overtime, and rookie Ryan Buenafe, veterans Eric Salamat and Rabeh al-Hussaini hung tough, as the Blue Eagles gritted out a 61-57 overtime win over a persistent University of the East squad.

At the start, it seemed as if both teams were either successful in their defense of each other, or sloppy in the execution of their plays, as the first half ended with a very low score of 21-20 in favor of UE. Then in the third quarter, after Ateneo was up by about 6, the Red Warriors unleashed a 14-0 run which placed them firmly in the lead at the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Blue Eagles bided their time, playing tough defense while at the same time chipping away at UE’s lead. Then, Chris Tiu and Jai Reyes unleashed three 3-point shots to bring the lead down to 1.

With UE leading by three in the final 30 seconds of the game, Chris Tiu fired a long range bomb with 13 seconds to go to tie the game. Ateneo then played brilliant defense to send the game into overtime.

In overtime, it looked as if UE was going to get the better of the Blue Eagles, with them leading by three once more going into the final minute. But Tiu hit another 3 to tie the game, and Buenafe drove in with a beautiful lay-up to give the Ateneo the lead. Center Nonoy Baclao shot two foul shots to put the game out of the Red Warriors’ reach.

With the win, Ateneo inches closer to claiming the top spot, and, by losing, UE stays stuck at fourth place. With NU, UP and La Salle remaining on the Ateneo schedule, the Blue Eagles have a very good chance of clinching the top spot. If FEU can beat La Salle tomorrow, and Ateneo beats both NU and UP, that will probably be a certainty.

Right now, the main enemy of the Blue Eagles is falling victim to complacency, but they cannot afford to relax, not with the prize in sight. It’s going to be a gruelling run to the finals for the Blue Eagles, but I think that, as long as they remain focused, they’ll probably prevail in the end.

Mayhem on Commonwealth

An inconsiderate incident that occurred last Saturday highlighted for me the inability of our local officials to properly enforce traffic rules.

My parents' subdivision is located right beside the main Iglesia ni Kristo (INK) place of worship along Commonwealth Ave. Every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, the INK holds its services, and normally, the whole stretch of Commonwealth Ave. in front of the area is made into a giant parking lot, sometimes taking up about 3-4 lanes of the road.

Last Saturday, the traffic enforcers or barangay tanods allowed worshipers to park right in front of the subdivision exit, completely blocking it. The only way to get in was to enter via the ramp in front of the Shell gas station, and drive along the sidewalk heading to the subdivision entrance.

I berated the tanod on duty, and his excuse was that he went to the comfort room when the illegal parking occurred. Later on, however, as the INK followers were going out, I chanced upon one of the blockers getting to his Ford Escape. When my wife berated him, he claimed that the tanods allowed him to park there. Maybe so, but it doesn't take a lot of brain cells to realize that one would be blocking an entrance ramp.

This isn't the first time INK worshipers have acted so inconsiderately. But they wouldn't have violated traffic rules if enforcers were strict about parking illegally along the main road. The neglect, of course, is because local politicians are afraid of taking on the INK, which orders its followers to vote as a whole block. This, of course, has emboldened the INK to act however it wants, even allowing its followers to freely violate traffic rules.

Ironically, last April, the whole stretch of Commonwealth Avenue from Philcoa to about Litex was declared a traffic discipline zone, where traffic rules would supposedly be strictly enforced. It's been almost five months since the declaration was made, and I have yet to see any enforcement beyond clearing the corner of Tandang Sora and Commonwealth of sidewalk vendors and jeepneys.

Some of the traffic hotspots include (at least along the route I normally take):

• The area in front of St. Peter Church - buses and jeepneys stop in the middle of the road to pick up or drop off passengers. This forces commuters to take up positions in the middle of the road as well, making them prime targets for hit-and-run situations.
• The area in front of Don Antonio Ave. - Same problem, with buses often swerving abruptly from the inside lane to the outside lane to pick up or drop off passengers.
• Both sides of the Tandang Sora/Commonwealth intersection - Why our local politicians or even MMDA chief Bayani Fernando didn't think of setting up proper waiting sheds in this area, which is a major junction for commuters, continues to baffle me. It's a miracle there haven't been many accidents or fatalities occurring here.
  
• The pedestrian overpass just after the Tandang Sora flyover, in front of the Jaycees - Same problem with buses and jeepneys.

I've tried to keep my eyes open for any sign of enforcement, but I have yet to spot any real work being done in that department. Even the MMDA enforcers who inhabit the area underneath the Tandang Sora flyover merely keep traffic running; they haven't done anything to apprehend the erring drivers.

So far, Quezon City Mayor Sonny Belmonte has yet to revisit his supposed traffic zone, nor has he issued any statement about how the zone would be managed. Until then, Commonwealth Avenue will remain a dangerous road to traverse.

Movie Hodgepodge

Technically, I should be posting this on the review section, but since it's going to be cross-posted to my blogspot, here it is.

With the ongoing U.S. summer movie season, I managed to watch two films over the last three weeks.

"The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" is the third installment of the popular series starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. However, due to schedule conflicts, Weisz didn't sign on for the new movie. Instead, Maria Bello took over the role of Evelyn "Evy" Carnahan O'Connell, the wife of Fraser's character Rick O'Connell. The movie also starred Jet Li as the main villain, who, of course, is another mummy.

Since I had just finished checking about 500 exam papers, "The Mummy" was a perfect leave-your-brain-at-the-entrance flick to catch and relax to. I focused more on the positives rather than some of the very obvious negatives, Weisz's absence being at the top of it.

While Bello bravely essayed the part of Evy, she lacked the femininity and charm of Weisz, who had a wonderful chemistry with Fraser in the first two movies.

Also, the story lacked the punch of the previous two movies, using the old formulae and transporting it to another setting, i.e. China. There wasn't anything new that the story had to add. While it had some interesting scenes, there weren't enough of them to hold the serious moviegoer.

"The Mummy 3" is a decent romp, though, and, as long as you keep your expectations in place, it should be fairly enjoyable to watch.

* * *

Since "A Bug's Life", Pixar Studios has not had a single misfire in the animated features it has produced. "Wall-E", which I have watched twice this weekend, continues the Pixar magic winning streak.

No spoilers here, but the story featuring a trash compactor robot falling in love is funny and touching at the same time. I will say that it looks like "Wall-E" will win this year's Oscar for best animated feature, both for its touching story and the incredible computer graphics that bring the story to life.

Try to get in on time, as the short feature before the main movie is also worth watching.

MOA-AD and Charter Change - A Grand Deception

The more I read about the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) between the Philippine government (GRP) and the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the angrier I get about it. It appears that our government officials involved in the peace process made an agreement to practically dismember our country, and give the dismembered portion to a rebel group whose actions belie the peace that they claim to crave. It’s fortuitous that our Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the signing of the MOA-AD, as we now see the details and implications of the agreement. However, contrary to Press Secretary Jess Dureza’s claims that the TRO would allow the peace panel to sell Filipinos on the idea of the MOA-AD, the TRO has allowed us to see what a mess the peace panel has made of the entire peace process.

For one thing, the TRO exposed the MILF leaders as arrogant thugs, as they immediately declared that the MOA-AD was already in effect, and that they didn’t recognize the authority of the Supreme Court, so the TRO has no effect on them. So, if they didn’t recognize the authority of the Supreme Court, what hold would the government have on the MILF if, as per the MOA-AD, the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) would be formed?

According to the terms of the MOA-AD, the BJE will have a separate system of government, which will make it practically a separate nation. What will stop the MILF from simply seceding from the Philippines? Nothing

In addition, as soon as the TRO was issued, MILF forces under the command of Umbra Kato immediately attacked and besieged barangays in North Cotabato. This alone should’ve exposed the duplicity of the MILF. After government forces drove Kato out, the MILF issued a statement that Kato was not a rogue commander, and that it would protect him from being arrested for his actions. If the MILF leaders were truly interested in peace, they should’ve condemned Kato’s actions and turned him and his men over to the authorities.

On the government’s side, the peace negotiators are falling over themselves to please the MILF, so much that they were willing to ignore the Philippine Constitution and hand over a large portion of Mindanao to the MILF. Apparently, Garcia, Esperon and Dureza have not learned their history lessons. In the years before World War Two, the British and French governments allowed Hitler and the German forces to occupy various parts of Europe, in the hope that he would be satisfied with what he gained and not continue to expand. And, as those of us knowledgeable in history know, appeasement was a total failure, as the expansion emboldened Hitler to push on and set off World War Two.

In our context, assuming that the MILF was actually granted its BJE, it’s doubtful that the MILF would be satisfied with that part of Mindanao, seeing how easily government negotiators gave in to their demands. What’s to stop them from demanding more and more concessions?

What makes the situation worse is the apparent fact that the people whose land would be covered by the BJE weren’t properly consulted about the peace agreement. So, what was the government planning to do, evict these people from their homes once the BJE was formed? What a caring government we have.

And now on the heels of the patently unconstitutional MOA-AD, comes the announcement that Charter Change will once more be rammed down our throats, supposedly to make the shift to a federal government, and to accommodate the MILF’s demands. It’s difficult for us not to be suspicious of the government motives, considering all of the underhanded means that it’s used in the past to push for Charter Change.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita has also forgotten his history as he doggedly attempts to brush off fears that the President will use this new scheme to extend her term by saying that the President has stated again and again that she won’t extend her term beyond 2010. He conveniently forgets that the President stated in 2003 that she wouldn’t run in 2004, and we all know how much truth there was in that promise.

It doesn’t help that a congressman commented that it was possible for the President to extend her term through this new attempt at Charter Change. As a result, at least two Senators withdrew their signatures from a resolution calling for a shift to a federal system of government.

Once more, personal interest and greed have derailed our country’s efforts to grow. Of course, peace is desired, but not at this price.

If our government officials involved in this farce had any delicadeza, they should submit their resignations post-haste for their treasonous attempt to give away a part of our country to thugs. But, since they don’t, it’s time for people to be angry enough to voice their discontent and let the government know that it can’t get away with its current perfidy.

MMDA Madness

I wonder how Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando manages the delusion that he can actually become President of the Philippines, when he can't even manage the traffic that plagues Metro Manila.

The newest MMDA idiocy is its closure of the U-turn slot in front of National Bookstore along Katipunan Ave., which drivers use to enter both Gate 3 of the Ateneo campus, and the main gate of Miriam College. Now, drivers are forced to either go underneath the Katipunan flyover, or drive all the way to Santolan, and take the U-turn there.

Either option is undesirable. Going underneath the flyover is a nightmare, as there are only two lanes to service vehicles entering the Ateneo or Miriam. Making it worse is that the UP-Katipunan jeepneys make their terminal under the flyover, which often makes going underneath the flyover a one-lane affair. In addition to that, there are three roads which flow into Katipunan: the road from Xavierville, which merges just before the U-turn on the southbound lane, and the service road coming up from Marikina, which merges just after the U-turn on the northbound lane.

Going all the way to Santolan, while relatively traffic-free, is also not a good option, as the distance covers roughly 2-3 kilometers to and back, which adds to wasted gas.

This morning, I adjusted my going-out time by about 15 minutes, to a quarter to six. When I arrived at the U-turn slot, it was about 6:05 am, and the traffic was just starting to build up in front of Cravings. By the time I navigated the U-turn slot, I could see that the approach from UP was already all the way up to Shakey's.

What makes the move more despicable is that there was no advance warning given, no signs informing people about the impending move. It's a good thing that I got a text message from one of my friends warning me about the situation, so I made the adjustments in my going out.

While it isn't the most positive solution, the U-turn slot helped divide the incoming traffic to the Ateneo; those going to the High School and the college, as well as those going to Miriam, would be separated from those going to the Grade School. Now, all vehicles must cram themselves into the two-lane setup underneath the flyover.

Once more, the MMDA has demonstrated its love of tunnel vision by not consulting or informing affected groups about the change in the traffic situation. I hope that Ateneo and Miriam authorities can hammer it into the MMDA's collective thick head that it has just made a bad traffic situation even worse.

Weekend of Upsets

It was an interesting weekend for UAAP basketball, mainly because it featured a number of upsets, and left fans hungry for more. It also closed the curtains on the first half of the season, and created some very interesting things to look forward to in the second half.

In the very first game of the weekend last Saturday, the UP Fighting Maroons, winless in the previous season, hacked out a win over Adamson, its second, to tie the Falcons with a 2-5 win-loss record. Not really a good season for this season’s hosts, but a marked improvement after last year’s shutout.
In the second Saturday game, the UE Warriors exploited La Salle’s injury woes, the most serious being guard Simon Atkins, who landed hard on the court head first, and took a measure of revenge from last season’s loss to the defending champions, winning 68-62. Three other Archers, including Rico Maierhofer, also sported various injuries, which helped the Warriors get the win, and preventing La Salle from temporarily getting the lone top spot.

I was surprised to learn that the NU Bulldogs finally barged into the win column at the expense of the FEU Tamaraws, considering that FEU had disposed of highly-regarded UE and Ateneo in their previous assignments. I guess the Tamaraws, missing top player Marc Baracael, hit the wall sooner than expected, and finally ran out of emotional steam. It doesn’t help that they’ll be a little short-handed in the second round, as rookie import Robert Kave, who was with Baracael when he was shot, was badly traumatized by the incident, and opted to return home to his native Papua New Guinea. FEU, which was tied with Ateneo and La Salle before the weekend, dropped a second-place tie with La Salle.

When I switched on to the Ateneo game late in the fourth quarter, I thought Ateneo was going to be in trouble, as they trailed the UST Tigers 54-51. As it turned out, that was the very last lead UST held, as the Eagles proceeded to shackle the Tigers, and kept them scoreless for most of the last five minutes of the game, at the same time, scoring 13 straight points to take a 10-point lead. They conceded a three-pointer with less than a minute to go, but the game had already been decided by then. Ateneo ended the first round at the top of the heap, with a 6-1 record, while UST fell to 3-4.
In the second half, it looks like the bottom three won’t be likely to rise any higher, thanks to their inexperience or lack of talented players, although, as NU has shown, they will be capable of an upset or two; that has to be playing on the minds of the Ateneo players in particular, their loss to the Bulldogs costing them the second seed in the Final Four.

Of the remaining five, Ateneo looks to continue dominating the season, as the Eagles are well-stocked at every position. If La Salle can make it past its injury woes, the Archers look to challenge their traditional rivals down the stretch. If not, it’ll open the doors for the Warriors, still smarting from their humiliating breakdown in last year’s finals, to get the second seed. I’m not sure if the Tamaraws can manage without Baracael, and UST is always a dangerous foe, despite their current losing record. It looks to be an interesting second round.

My prediction? I’ll say Ateneo clinches the top spot, followed by La Salle, then UE, with the Tigers making a run in the second round and knocking FEU out of the fourth slot. For the Finals, while I, along with a host of fans, would like to see an Ateneo-La Salle matchup, I think it’ll be the Warriors whom the Eagles will be facing in the finals, with the Eagles flying high on the wings of a men’s basketball championship.

Tamaraw Charge

It’s amazing how an injury to a key player can fire up a team. It happened to Ateneo several years ago, when team captain Larry Fonacier was lost for the season because he tore up his ACL. In response, the Blue Eagles went on to sweep the first round of eliminations, although they hit the proverbial brick wall in the second round.

This season, it appears that the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws have gotten the same emotional boost, although the circumstances were grimmer. Star Tamaraw Mark Baracael was shot and seriously wounded last week, an apparent attempt by game fixers to permanently adjust the results against the Tamaraws. Despite this setback, the Tamaraws have gone on to win two straight games, both against highly touted opponents, University of the East and Ateneo, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak.

I managed to catch the game against Ateneo yesterday. At first, it looked like the Blue Eagles had the game wrapped up by the third quarter, with Ateneo sitting pretty with a 10-point lead at 56-46. That lead quickly evaporated in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, with FEU scoring five unanswered points to cut the lead down to five.

It was apparent that the Blue Eagles were shell-shocked by the Tamaraw charge, unable to mount any cohesive defence. Despite the fact that he had scored 31 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in the first three quarters, Blue Eagle forward Rabeh al-Hussaini only managed three attempts in the fourth quarter, making one, shackled by the Tamaraw defence. Key Eagle guard Chris Tiu had an off-game, managing only seven points after averaging 15 the previous five games.

In the end, the Tamaraws managed to win the game, 71-66. As a result, there is now a three-way tie at the top, with Ateneo, FEU, and La Salle all sporting 5-1 win-loss records. With La Salle going up against a resurgent UE on Saturday, and Ateneo facing always-dangerous University of Sto. Tomas (UST) on Sunday, FEU stands a chance of grabbing the top spot, as their next assignment is still-winless National University (NU) on Sunday.

One can only wonder how long FEU can manage without Baracael. But if yesterday’s game is any indication, FEU looks like they can manage very well with Baracael’s condition their spur to victory.

As for the Blue Eagles, hopefully, they'll be able to learn whatever they can from this loss, and bounce back even stronger in their next game.