Rodrigo Duterte of Davao is people’s favorite for DILG post

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Who is the people’s choice to replace the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo?

Let’s take a look at the results of an online voting survey conducted by ABS-CBN’s Anthony Taberna in his “Punto por Punto” segment of the very popular “Umagang Kay Ganda program”:

Davao City Vice Mayor Rody Duterte got 44 percent of the votes from viewers who called, texted or posted their votes on Facebook or Twitter.

Duterte was followed by former Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca, with 22 percent; Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas, 9 percent; Manila Mayor Fred Lim, 7 percent; Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, 6 percent; Vice President Jojo Binay, 5 percent; Sen. Ping Lacson, 4 percent; Cavite Rep. Emilio Abaya, 2 percent; and Executive Secretary Jojo Ochoa, 1 percent.

I called up Rody Duterte Tuesday to ask whether he would accept the DILG post if it was offered to him.

His answer: No!

Here’s a guy who’s very much qualified for the most powerful Cabinet post because of his experience and expertise as a local official, yet, he’s rejecting it.

If I were President Aquino, I would do everything short of kneeling down before Duterte to convince him to accept the position.

* * *

I have witnessed man’s brutality to his fellowman as a police reporter for many years and as host of a public service program on radio that helps the oppressed and the downtrodden.

But nothing comes close to the indignity and oppression suffered by housemaid Bonita A. Baran, 21,  reportedly inflicted on her by  her employers, Reynold and Annaliza Marzan of 75 Las Villas del Cielo, Visayas Avenue, Quezon City.

Bonita told me the Marzans beat her up every day for small mistakes she made for five years.

The Catanduanes native, who is not even a grade school graduate, has gone blind after her eyes were allegedly gouged by Annaliza.

She showed my staff and I at my radio program “Isumbong Mo Kay Tulfo” scars on her face, scalp and back allegedly inflicted by the Marzan couple.

The scars were caused by being hit on her lips with a vase, struck with the butt of a gun on her eyelid, hit with hard objects on her head, or a hot iron pressed on her face, she said.

Bonita added that the Marzans made her eat cockroaches a few times.

I thought some employers in the Middle East were brutally cruel—yes, I’ve received many complaints from former maids of these households—but the Marzans are far more cruel.

* * *

Persida Acosta, head of the Department of Justice’s Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), told me that charges of serious physical injuries and serious illegal detention have been filed by her office against the Marzans.

The charges are nonbailable.

Those are not human acts, and if the Marzans are proven guilty, they should rot in jai

Mar Roxas is the new DILG Secretary

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Jesse Robredo as the secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is a very tough act to follow.

But Transportation Secretary Manuel Roxas has accepted the challenge. He is the next DILG secretary, a highly placed source in Malacañang confirmed to the Philippine Daily Inquirer Thursday night. He takes over from the late Robredo who died in a plane crash on August 18.

Cavite Representative Joseph E.A. Abaya moves over to the Department of Transportation and Communications, the highly placed source also confirmed to the Inquirer.

Both Roxas and Abaya are stalwarts of the Liberal Party (LP), which is led by President Benigno Aquino. At the request of the Robredo family, both served as pallbearers during the state funeral rites for Secretary Robredo and both had been highly tipped to succeed the latter.

At least three LP members in the House of Representatives on Thursday said the President had made up his mind to move Roxas over to the DILG to sustain the gains made by Robredo who expanded the LP membership among governors and mayors.

No reply

Roxas has not replied to calls on whether he would accept the DILG post if offered by President Aquino.

Abaya, chairman of the House appropriations committee, on the other hand, had declared he would accept the job if offered by the President.

Others whose names had been bruited about, like Vice President Jejomar Binay, were quick to end speculations about their appointment to the DILG. Binay, who pulled a surprise win over Roxas in the May 2010 elections, has announced he will run for president in 2016, said he had no interest in the job.

He suggested, though, that Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., whom Mr. Aquino appointed officer in charge during the search for permanent DILG secretary, was qualified for the post, having been a top Quezon City Hall executive for years.

Control of DILG

Another Malacañang official said the party’s top brass had lobbied to the President to make control of the DILG by the party a priority over problems on criminality and the spread of illegal numbers games like jueteng, with the approach of next year’s midterm elections.

Another LP member of Congress, who refused to be identified for lack of authority to speak for the party, said LP leaders had made a strong pitch to the President to keep the DILG in the party’s hands during a lunch in Naga City shortly after Robredo was laid to rest last Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the LP held a meeting at its “Balay” headquarters in Quezon City to swear in new members from several provinces. An LP member present said the DILG vacancy issue was not taken up then as party leaders had already talked to Mr. Aquino in Naga the day before. The Balay headquarters is in the Araneta-Roxas family compound in Cubao.

But Iloilo Representative Jerry Treñas, another LP member who attended Robredo’s interment, said Mr. Aquino and other party leaders merely had lunch and talk of Robredo’s replacement never came up.

No discussion

“There were many guests at the lunch, including Cabinet members. No discussions were made on LP matters including the question of who would be the next DILG secretary,” said Treñas in a phone interview.

Abaya and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad Jr., another LP stalwart, did not reply to the Inquirer’s calls.

Former Isabela Governor Grace Padaca, whose name was also floated as a possible Robredo replacement, appeared uncomfortable being mentioned along with the likes of Senator Panfilo Lacson, Davao Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, who headed the DILG in the Estrada administration.

“I’m amused when the matter is talked about. They mentioned Duterte, Lim, Lacson, then Grace Padaca. It’s like I’m being lined up with these competent tough men (mga barako),” she said in Filipino in a media forum at Quezon Memorial Circle.

“Para lang akong salinggit (I’m just a runt alongside them),” she said.

But she added: “Hindi naman ibig sabihin na kami pong mga galing sa local governments ay hindi po namin kaya ’yan (But that’s not to say that we who came from the local governments cannot do the job),” she said. “Kakayanin, kakayanin talaga kung nandun yung challenge. Bakit hindi? (We’ll be able to measure up if challenged. Why not?).”

Padaca downplayed reports she was being considered for the DILG post, saying her name was mentioned probably only as part of “political chatter.” She said there were no such discussions in the Liberal Party, of which she is a member.

Meanwhile, DILG employees who are still mourning the loss of Robredo said they were ready to support his replacement, a DILG official said Thursday.

‘Back to normal’

Interior Undersecretary Austere Panadero said that while the employees were still grieving, operations were “back to normal.”

“The people are still in shock … it will take time but normal governance processes are ongoing,” Panadero said.

He said that among plans being pursued by Robredo before his untimely death on August 18 in a plane crash off Masbate was the relocation of informal settlers from Metro Manila.

“Well, of course, the new secretary would also have to pay attention to that, but at the moment what I’m saying is that Secretary Robredo had clear plans on how to deal with that so we are carrying them out,” Panadero said.

Corona face tax evasion case, BIR files

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Three months after his ouster as Chief Justice, Renato Corona was slapped with a  P150-million tax evasion charge by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

Corona said the charge filed by the BIR in the Department of Justice (DOJ) Thursday against him, his daughter Ma. Carla and her husband Constantino Castillo III was part of a continuing persecution by the Aquino administration.

Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares said that Corona had a total net worth of P161.15 million from his declared income of P26.45 million based on an examination of his SALN submitted during his  trial.

“There were underreported assets, undeclared assets, unreported cash. All of these were included and determined what his real net worth is for the end of each specific year,’’ Henares said in a news conference at the DOJ main office.

She said Corona should pay the government P120.5 million in taxes, inclusive of surcharges and interests covering 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2010.

Henares said Corona’s net worth could be even more, saying the assessment did not cover dollar accounts.

She added that Corona had revoked a waiver on all his bank accounts he signed during his Senate trial when he challenged his accusers to do the same to open a new regime of transparency. It was resoundingly ignored.

In a statement, Banco de Oro confirmed that Corona had revoked the waiver and was seeking relief from a Makati court from the BIR action against its client in view of the bank secrecy law prohibiting disclosure of accounts without the consent of the owner.

Malacañang said Henares was simply plugging loopholes in the tax system and the complaint filed in the DOJ was a natural consequence of Corona’s being found guilty by the Senate impeachment court in May of fudging declarations in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) for which he was sacked.

“Since this administration started, the filing of tax evasion cases has been ongoing,” said presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.

“This is not something extraordinary,” Lacierda said. “In this particular case, there’s already existing evidence to support the filing of a tax evasion case.”

Corona’s daughter is being sued in connection with a tax liability amounting to P9.93 million, and her husband, for a tax liability of P20.24 million.

‘We will overcome’

In a text message to reporters, Corona said he had been exchanging communications with the BIR and had complied with its deadlines. He said  the BIR charge was long expected.

“As a man of the law, I will abide by the processes. We await the service of the subpoenae and the complaint. We will respond accordingly with the assistance of counsel we will engage,” he said.

“I agree with the observation of many that my family’s persecution continues with the usual media overkill, and that there appears to be an immediate need to divert public attention from certain issues that are becoming too hot to handle. By the grace of God, we will overcome. This, too, will come to pass.”

Corona was replaced by Associate Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, President Benigno Aquino’s first appointee to the high court. The youngest junior member of the tribunal was pole-vaulted over five senior justices. Nine of the justices did not show up when Mr. Aquino swore in Sereno on Saturday.

No political persecution

In the news conference earlier in the day at the DOJ, Henares shrugged off suggestions by reporters that she was pursuing the administration-led demolition campaign against Corona.

“We are not a political office, we’re a law enforcement office and our mandate is to ensure that all people will follow the National Internal Revenue Code and if there are people who don’t follow it, we have to call their attention or we will file charges against them,’’ Henares said.

Henares, a prosecution witness during the Corona trial, said the BIR had issued a letter of authority against Corona, his daughter and son-in-law in April, indicating that the agency was investigating them.

Family sources have said that BIR agents had been conducting an investigation of Corona and his in laws as early as December. Former Supreme Court Justice Serafin Cuevas, Corona’s chief counsel, has also said BIR agents questioned him several times during the impeachment trial but told them to back off.

Undervalued properties

According to a BIR statement to reporters,  Corona undervalued three of his properties by P17.30 million, failed to declare two properties valued at P12.75 million and underdeclared the value of his cash asset in his SALNs from 2003 to 2010 with the cash underdeclaration reaching P134.44 million in 2010.

Undeclared income

The BIR said the discrepancy between Corona’s declared income and the substantial increases in his true net worth showed he earned more than what he had declared.

“In other words, this discrepancy implies that he earned income from other sources aside from his compensation as a public official,’’ the BIR said.

Corona is being sued for “willful attempt to evade or defeat tax and for deliberate failure” to file his income tax return (ITR) in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2010, it said.

The BIR said Carla failed to file her ITR in 2010 despite a substantial income that allowed her to acquire property worth P18.33 million at 57 Maranao St., La Vista, Quezon City, for which she paid documentary stamp tax of P329,000.

She declared a cumulative income amounting to P228,040.00 in her ITR for 2008 and 2009.

Castillo declared an income of P1.93 million from 2005 to 2009 although he acquired a property in 2003 on Molave Street, Project 3, Quezon City, worth P10.5 million as well as a P15-million property at No. 6 Kalayaan Ave., Quezon City, in 2009.

The BIR said Castillo failed to file his ITR for 2003 despite acquiring a P10.5-million property that year. He also  understated his income in his ITR despite buying a P15.24-million property in 2009, it added.

Bradley begging Pacquiao for a rematch

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 He sent the boxing world down laughing hoarse on the floor with an invitation to his rematch with Manny Pacquiao well ahead of their world welterweight championship fight in Las Vegas last June 9.

Sorry, but after the unthinkable happened, reigning world welterweight boxing champ Tim Bradley has been going through desperate times selling himself to Team Pacquiao.

Remember how Bradley had cried out that Pacquiao was scared of him.

That was indeed a dreadful way of selling Tim Bradley, the undefeated boxer.

Knowing the old Pacquiao, the Filipino boxing superhero would have jumped up and told tipsy Tim: “Lace on (those gloves) bum!”

* * *

Pacquiao, renewed, has remained unmoved.

Last heard of, Bradley was obviously on the bottom of the Pacman lottery list.

It’s like this. The announcement of Pacquiao’s next foe has been rescheduled again for early next week. Now, with Bradley feeling terribly threatened by Miguel Cotto and Juan Manuel Marquez, not necessarily in that order, the (cheaply) assumed world welterweight title-holder has gone begging on his knees.

“Pacquiao can choose anyone he wants to fight, but I don’t know how he can pick anyone other than me,” Bradley told Lance Pugmire of the LA Times.

“I am the champion. If he wants the belt back, he has to come through me to get it. He relinquished it to me. Regardless of what everyone might think of how I beat him, I’ve got a win on my resume over Manny Pacquiao, and it’s going to be in the history books that way.”

* * *

Bradley was neither asking nor begging. He was already twisting other people’s arms in trying to sell his dubious worth.

Of course, he has a problem. Pacquiao didn’t have to be told it was not himself but the blind judges who relinquished the world crown to the often-retreating American.

Another thing: Pacquiao is fully aware that picking Bradley (as his next opponent) would be foul, dirty as approving of the June 9 fraud, the way the blind Nevada State Attorney General has swept the on-ring robbery of the century under the rug.

* * *

Continued salesman Bradley: “There [were] less than a million PPV buys last June 9, but we’ll meet a number everyone will be happy with because of the controversy. People know who I am now because of the controversy. I didn’t get crazy beat in that fight. It was competitive.”

Meanwhile, Pugmire added Bradley will report back to his Indio camp for the first time since the June 9 bout on Monday after his broken foot and twisted ankle had healed.

There was one commentary which yesterday stated Pacquiao handlers were being “super cautious because of how bad the Pacman’s last two fights have been.”

Of course, it’s also worth noting that the last bout did drag but only after Bradley, who had called Pacquiao scared, shifted to a cheap cowering mode in the second half.

Pacquiao fight date and opponent will be known soon

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MANILA, Philippines – After weeks of speculation, the fight date and opponent of Filipino boxing icon Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao will be announced early this week, according to the fighter's promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank.
In an interview with Eight Count News last week, Arum revealed that they would decide on all the details by the weekend.
"I have had meetings with everyone and by Monday afternoon, we will announce the place, the opponent and the date," Arum said.
Pacquiao was initially scheduled to return to the ring on November 10, a date that has been in place since last June, even before his fight against Timothy Bradley.
But it was reported last week that the fight had to be moved to December 1 for various reasons, including Pacquiao's filing of candidacy for the upcoming elections.
"Don't go overboard on this statement that the fight has to be on December 1st because of Manny's election," Arum said.
"The election commission just ruled in the Philippines that Manny can authorize somebody to file for him. He doesn't have to be back in October. Manny can have an authorized representative file his papers for him," he added.
Arum confirmed that the November 10 fight date was still in play, but ended any speculation that Pacquiao could fight unbeaten American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. this year.
"From what we best can gather, Mayweather is not going to fight this year," he said. "We hope to meet with them as soon as possible to work out an arrangement for a fight with him and Pacquiao for the spring of next year."
Pacquiao is choosing among rematches against Bradley, Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez and Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto.
He is coming off a stunning split decision loss against Bradley last June, which followed a controversial win over Marquez in November 2011.

Celtics' Star point guard Rondo gives gifts to poor kids in San Juan

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MANILA, Philippines - NBA superstar Rajon Rondo capped his two-day visit in the country by donating a basketball court and basketballs to the poor, unfortunate kids of San Juan City yesterday.
The court actually came from Red Bull with the Boston Celtics guard putting on the final touches of the refurbished venue located near the San Juan National High School.
He also handed over basketballs to San Juan Mayor Guia Gomez and Vice Mayor Francis Zamora, a former basketball player from La Salle, to be given to the city’s kids.
The huge crowd, mostly public students and kids, gave Rondo a warm applause as he made his way to the court. Moved by the gesture, the NBA star waved and smiled back to the crowd.
He then shared some of his basketball secrets.
“I’m a serious student of the game, I study films or game tapes not just to see it, but to look for every edge he can get against a certain player,” said Rondo.
The other day, Rondo wowed a select group of UAAP and NCAA high school and collegiate players with his moves during the Red Bull Skills Clinic at the Ronac Art Center, also in San Juan City.
Rondo’s visit was part of his Asian Tour for the Red Bull King of the Rock that included stops in Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong.  

Rajon Rondo admires Pacquiao's dedication and passion

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MANILA, Philippines – Rajon Rondo, the Boston Celtics' All-Star point guard, still remembers the first time he watched Filipino fight king Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao in action.
"I met Pacquiao a couple of years ago," Rondo related in an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN News Monday at the Titan basketball store. "I think he beat up (Miguel) Cotto really badly."
Rondo is referring to Pacquiao's crushing 12th round knockout victory over the Puerto Rican Cotto in 2009, which for many people solidified the Filipino's standing at the top of boxing's pound-for-pound list.
"I went back to the locker room, and I saw Cotto walking back, and then I saw Pacquiao come back and he was smiling," Rondo said. "So from that point on, I started watching his fights and following him."
Rondo, like many of his teammates in the Celtics, is a fan of Pacquiao. The admiration is mutual as Pacquiao is a well-known supporter of the Boston squad, even reportedly watching the team's Game 7 against the Miami Heat prior to his fight against Timothy Bradley last June.
"Definitely, definitely," Rondo said when asked if he was a fan of Pacquiao. "He actually autographed a couple of gloves for our entire team, so we're big fans of Pacquiao, big supporters."
Rondo said that he watches Pacquiao when he is featured on the HBO reality series "24/7" and admires the boxer's work ethic.
"It's his competitiveness. He works hard at what he does," Rondo said. "I've seen '24/7,' so I've seen the time that he puts in, and the dedication and the love and passion for his craft."
Rondo is visiting Manila for the first time to check out the local basketball scene as a prelude to the Philippine leg of Red Bull’s King of the Rock tournament, which will kick off next year.
He will conduct a skills clinic for top UAAP and NCAA players today, and watch the game between the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the Far Eastern University Tamaraws Wednesday.
Rondo will also be the guest of honor in the unveiling of a restored basketball court in Corazon de Jesus in San Juan City.

Reyes brothers of Palawan is now WANTED!!!

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A hooded man claimed Wednesday he drove former Palawan Governor Joel Reyes and his brother to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) where they boarded a plane to Vietnam, purportedly facilitated by immigration personnel, to evade prosecution for the murder of environmentalist Gerardo Ortega in January 2011.

The unidentified man was presented Wednesday by former Solicitor General Francisco Chavez and Sandra Cam of the Whistleblowers Association of the Philippines at a weekly media florum at Club Filipino.

They alleged that agents of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) helped to spirit out of the country Reyes and his brother Mario Jr., a former mayor of Coron, along with their lawyer Hermie Aban, who has reportedly disappeared. The agents were identified as Rodelio Udarde, said to be a friend of Aban, and Wesley Gutierrez.

Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. has ordered the relief of Udarde and Gutierrez pending an investigation, according to BI spokesperson Maria Antonette Mangrobang. However, she said the bureau could only confirm the departure of Reyes.

Mangrobang said the bureau was coordinating with Vietnamese officials to secure records of those who arrived there from the Philippines on March 18. Officials of the BI and the Department of Foreign Affairs earlier said that Reyes left Naia on a Cebu Pacific flight on that day, using a passport under the name of Joseph Lim Pe.

“(I) pity our President. (His) advocacy is the straight path, but who are those around him? All of them are stained with mud,” Cam said, outlining what she described as a “grand conspiracy” to help the Reyes brothers escape prosecution.

The disclosures came three months after the Philippine National Police dangled a P300,000 cash reward for any information leading to the arrest of the Reyes brothers in addition to the P1.55 million previously offered by several private individuals and groups.

“All of this would not happen if we had a strong and honest leadership in the Bureau of Immigration,” Chavez said.

As Chavez and Cam spoke, the man who was covering his face with a cloth, remained quiet until reporters started asking him questions.

Chavez and Cam said they did not identify the man for security reasons, that they would arrange lodging for him in a Church institution.

They said they could not put him on the government’s witness protection program because the immigration bureau is part of the Department of Justice.

Bribe money

The man said he was a former driver of Udarde, described as an immigration officer and a friend of lawyer Aban. He said he drove the brown Montero Sport, with Plate No. TAE-676, and on several trips took the Reyes brothers to the Naia Terminal 3 arrival area, and separately Aban and Udarde, who the man suggested helped the brothers flee.

The man said Aban later gave him a thick bundle wrapped in a newspaper and was told to give it to Udarde who he had earlier fetched from his house at BF Homes in Parañaque City. He said he didn’t know if the bundle contained money. Chavez said Reyes gave the driver P2,000 for coffee before the governor left him.

Chavez said that in a written statement executed by the hooded man, Aban left the country for Vietnam with the brothers and then returned to the Philippines.

Based on the documents presented by Cam to reporters, which purportedly came from the immigration office of Vietnam, Aban left Vietnam on March 20, two days after he left with the Reyes brothers, according to Chavez. He said that on Aban’s return, the same driver fetched him at the airport.

“They proceeded to Udarde’s house because he (Aban) would reportedly get his share of the money,” Chavez explained.

Chavez said that according to the driver’s affidavit, he was given by Udarde another P10,000 for him not to say anything.

According to Cam, the former governor used the name Joseph Lim Pe, based on a purported Cebu Pacific manifest.

Cam said that she talked to a security guard named Wesley Gutierrez, who reportedly admitted signing the departure slips of both the former governor and Aban.


“Where have you seen a security guard … vested with the power of an immigration officer. You can deny or approve the departure of a passenger,” Chavez said, as he called on the Senate and the House of Representatives to look into the area of legislation pertinent to the issue now presented.

He also called on the head of offices of the Bureau of Immigration and the agency’s spokesperson to resign.

“If you do not know these things happened, then two things can happen. It’s either you’re grossly incompetent for the job, or you’re part of the job. Either way, you have no business continuing service there. You have to resign,” Chavez said.

She said that there was no record based on Philippine immigration records of the Coron mayor leaving the country, but added that she was positive he had already left.

Cam showed a document she allegedly retrieved from the Vietnam immigration office through a friend that indicated that a certain Mario Reyes Jr., Pe and Abon entered the country on March 19.

The same document purportedly showed that the brothers left Vietnam on March 21 for an unknown destination.

Based on a supposed Cebu Pacific manifest Cam presented to reporters, the three left the country via Cebu Pacific Airlines Flight No. 5J751 bound for Ho Chi Minh City at 10:50 p.m. Aban was reportedly seated on 29F, Reyes on 29E, and his brother Mario on 29D.

The Jose and Wally Concert "A Party For Every Juan" (Full Video)

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Eat Bulaga's Little Miss Philippines 2012 Grandfinals Question & Answer (Video)

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Little Miss Philippines 2012 Ryzza- Interview with Jessica Soho (Video)

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Ate Gay- Comedy Bar Stand up Comedy (Super funny!!!)

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X Factor Philippines- Top 9, Daddy's Home & Allen performance (Video)

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Leni Robredo (Wife of Jesse Robredo) Eulogy on his husband; Jess truly a family man

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Patricia "Tricia" Robredo (Daughter of Jesse Robredo) Eulogy on his Father (Video)

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Robredo's daughter "Patricia" vows to continue his legacy

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NAGA CITY—Delivering a light and anecdote-filled response to tributes to her father on Sunday night, the second daughter of the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo vowed to pursue his legacy, with statements that hinted at a career in politics in this city.

Patricia “Tricia” Robredo, 18, a premed student at Ateneo de Manila University, described her father as a family man first and then a responsible public official who rallied people to fight for good government by looking inside for the heroes within them.

“Sec, Mayor, Pogi, Bok, bright boy, Papa … it will not stop on Facebook, Twitter or TV our pledge to continue what you have started,” Tricia said at necrological rites for her father at City Hall here.

“I will be the one to take care of Mama,” she promised, drawing applause from the hundreds of mourners, including local officials, inside the main hall of the administrative building where her father was lying in state and hundreds more outside watching her on large screen monitors.

Will serve Naga

Tricia assured the mourners that they, the three daughters of Robredo, would return to Naga City to continue the legacy of their father once they have become successful professionals.

The Nagueños responded with an even louder and longer applause.

At the end of her 25-minute speech in Bicol, Tricia asked the mourners to stand up and salute her father, on whom had been heaped since he died profuse accolade and recognition for his work in public service and local government.

Jillian eyes stardom

Robredo died in a plane crash in Masbate province on August 18. He will be buried Tuesday, with President Benigno Aquino leading the ceremonies to give him state honors.

On the lighter side, Tricia said that after confirmation of their father’s death, her youngest sister Jillian, 13, asked their mother Leni how old Kris Aquino was when her father, Sen. Ninoy Aquino, died.

Tricia said Jillian also wanted to become a movie star like Kris Aquino, unlike her older sister Jessica Marie, whom she described as strong and smart, and herself, who was “shy, full of drama” but preferred to be alone.

Tricia said her father loved all his daughters, tutored them, and provided them with even the littlest of things, including tips on how to secure tickets to a basketball game.

Her father, Tricia said, was a loving husband who always had surprises for their mother. She recalled one instance when her father told her mother by phone that he was coming home to Naga from Manila the next day, when all the time he was already on a bus, together with his two daughters, traveling to Naga.

Unforgettable incident

Tricia recounted an incident that she described as unforgettable and it happened when her father was the mayor of Naga City. One day, she said, a couple came to their house, asking to be wed.

Her father was sick but did not say no. He wed the couple even though he was in his pajamas, barefoot and wired to an intravenous bottle.

Tricia said her father never said anything unpleasant about anyone, even when he was angry. When he was really angry, he bit his fingers to avoid letting out unkind words.

“He was angry with others but he vented it on himself,” she said.

Her father brushed aside dangers that came with his job in the government, she said. He kidded about them, she said, even his once narrowly escaping a bomb attack in Maguindanao.

Thanks to everyone

Tricia thanked the mourners for the prayers and moral support they had given to her family. She also thanked the fishermen and divers who helped to bring back her father’s body from the sea.

She said her family did not expect such outpouring of support, but was happy to know that many people loved her father.

Tricia said she hoped everyone would continue the legacy of her father, and to see a Robredo in everyone who cared for him.

Final rites for Jesse Robredo

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MANILA, Philippines—A man for everyone, that’s how the late Secretary Jesse Robredo was described by Fr. Kulandairaj Ambrose of the Missionaries of the Poor, one of the officiating priests in the recently ended concelebrated funeral Mass late Tuesday morning in Naga City.

“Secretary Robredo has time for everybody. He could take breakfast in Manila, lunch in Cebu and dinner in Naga. He was there for you. He was there for everyone,” Fr. Ambrose said in his homily.

The Jamaican priest said Robredo is a true friend and he had mixed emotions upon learning he was the one to officiate the funeral Mass. “If you feel the ground is shaking, it’s not because there’s an earthquake, it’s because my knees are shaking,” he said.

He enumerated the good deeds the late secretary shown as mayor of Naga.

“In his presence, we felt no worry, he gives hope to everybody,” he said.

In the end, he said Robredo died doing what he loved the most.

Tuesday marks the final day of national mourning for Robredo.

Based on a bulletin from the government official website, the Mass will be followed by the conferment of the Philippine Legion of Honor (posthumous) on Robredo to be followed by the eulogy of the President and the State Funeral proper

“The casket bearing the remains of Secretary Robredo will be escorted from the Basilica Minore de Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia to the Funeraria Imperial. The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police will render departure and arrival honors,” the bulletin said.

Eulogy of Jesse Robredo

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NAGA CITY—Eulogizing Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo on the final day of national mourning before his interment here on Tuesday, President Aquino said that the secretary had joined the pantheon of national heroes looking after his countrymen.

“Jesse is already in the ranks of heroes watching over us from heaven, and he is giving us the strength to continue with their good deeds. So let us stop weeping; instead, let us give thanks,” the President said in a speech delivered in Filipino that elicited repeated applause from the crowd at Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, where the concelebrated requiem Mass was held.

“For the brief time that he was here in this world, we were the ones blessed to be in the company of Jesse Manalastas Robredo,” said Mr. Aquino, who wore a black arm band as a sign of mourning.

“Goodbye, Jesse. In behalf of the nation, thank you very much,” the President concluded.

The funeral rites came 10 days after Robredo, 54, and the two pilots of a Piper Seneca died in a plane crash at sea in Masbate.

In his eulogy, Mr. Aquino summed up the gravity of Robredo’s death. “His family lost a husband and father; the nation lost a trustworthy and efficient leader; I lost a brother in the official family of the Cabinet who was an ally in our crusades, and a party mate. I lost a good friend,” he said.

Robredo had served for 19 years as mayor of this city before joining the Aquino administration in 2010.

‘Tsinelas people’

Fr. Kulandairaj Ambrose, Jamaican-based of the Missionaries of the Poor, who officiated the funeral Mass, declared Robredo a champion of the “tsinelas people,” referring to the poor, the abandoned, homeless, and neglected whom many considered  a “burden” on society.

Ambrose, a Jamaican missionary, was personally asked by Robredo’s widow, lawyer Maria Leonor “Leni,” to officiate the requiem Mass.

The priest said that Robredo had proven that the “Filipino is worth dying for,” borrowing the famous line of the President’s  father, slain Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr.

“I am humble and honored to do this to a friend, a great man and a friend of the poor,” said the priest, who vowed to establish a free clinic for the poor “in his honor.”

Describing Robredo as a family man, a “man of the poor,” and a “God-fearing man,” Ambrose lamented that his wards would surely miss Robredo. “He was their father; they are his children,” said Ambrose.

“He was there even when we did not need him. You may call it a tsinelas friendship.”

Crowd like ‘Ina’ feast

The throng of mourners was so huge that more than a hectare grounds of the basilica and Magsaysay and Peñafrancia Avenues filled with  people, which only happens during the annual September processions of the image of the Virgin Mary, to whom Robredo was a devoted.

Two Marian processions are held every third Friday and Saturday of September in Naga City—the Traslacion on Friday and the fluvial procession the following day.

But on the interment of Robredo, all three recognizable landmarks of this city were filled with men and women in yellow, who also wore tsinelas or rubber slippers as tribute to the simplicity of Robredo.

Thousands of Camarines Sur residents converged in Naga, mindless of the searing heat.

‘Voyadores’

The size of the crowd on the streets was comparable to the crowd that would gather every “traslacion” or fluvial  procession.

Some of the men donned the trimmings of the “voyadores,” or men who carry the Virgin Mary during the processions. They wear yellow headbands. Voyadores also wear headbands of different colors from red to blue during the Peñafrancia fiesta.

But unlike the voyadores who walk barefoot, most of the men wore slippers.

It was different, too, from the traslacion and the fluvial procession since many women came. Women are not allowed to join the main procession every September and can only trail the men.

Lea Marcelo, a teacher from Pili, Camarines Sur, who lined up with thousands of people as the bier of the late secretary was moving out of the compound of the basilica, was among those who described the funeral as “phenomenal one fit for a hero.”

“This is a manifestation of the greatest love for our secretary,” she told the Philippine Daily Inquirer as the cortege moved in slow cadence and the gun salute boomed.

“We can’t help but shed tears, yet only God knows the reason for the loss of a hero,” Marcelo said.

As Robredo’s bier mounted on an open truck decked with white and yellow flowers passed by, people waved to show they were saying goodbye to a well-loved son of Naga City. They shouted, “Pogi, pogi, pogi.”

Legion of Honor

Before the eulogy, the President conferred posthumously the Philippine Legion of Honor, with the rank of Chief Commander, on Robredo.

It was the President’s penultimate act before he handed Robredo’s widow the flag which, for many mourners here, has come to symbolize the country’s undying gratitude to a fallen son of Bicol who had devoted his life to God and country.

The future

The President talked about a future when he and members of his Cabinet would meet and discuss what they went through during their incumbency.

“Jesse will not be with us during those conversations. We won’t be teasing Jesse about how he would size up his daughter’s suitors, and in the coming years, he won’t be around to play with his grandchildren,” he said.

Mr. Aquino said many in the Cabinet had hoped that Robredo would still show up and say, “Forgive me, you were all inconvenienced by my delayed arrival.”

Simple living

He made public what could probably be Robredo’s private personality—the “what you see is what you get” attitude; his quiet but hardworking work ethic; simple living; and proximity to the masses.

Mr. Aquino also joked about Robredo’s singing “limitations,” although two of his favorite songs were “My Way” and “Impossible Dream.”

“Jesse is a trailblazer in the ‘straight path,’” the President said.

“He proved that someone could succeed in politics without becoming a traditional politician,” and that early in his political career, “he longed for deep and widespread change,” Mr. Aquino said.

Cabinet pallbearers

By virtue of a presidential edict, Robredo was accorded full military honors befitting a head of state when he was finally laid to rest here.

The funeral and interment arrangements prepared by the Palace Committee on Funeral Arrangements and Burial were followed religiously.

After the President’s eulogy, the honor guard carried Robredo’s flag-draped casket and put it on a bier.

Secretaries Leila de Lima, Rogelio Singson, Rene Almendras, Edwin Lacierda and Teresita Deles; Metropolitan Manila Development Chairman Francis Tolentino and Lualhati Antonino, the chair of the Mindanao Development Authority, served as pallbearers.

The police and military detail rendered for the last time departure honors, including a 19-gun salute, before the funeral cortege proceeded to Funeraria Imperial Crematory and Columbary, some 700 meters away from the basilica.

All Cabinet members

The President, Robredo’s immediate family—Leni, Aika, Patricia and Jillian—close relatives and friends, and all members of the Cabinet followed the bier on foot.

The cortege reached the crematory at 1:03 p.m., when the military detail rendered the final honors for Robredo and a three-volley gun salute accompanied by a sounding of Taps.

For the last time, the crowd applauded Robredo before the casket bearers removed and folded the flag. It was handed to the President, who then presented it to Robredo’s wife at 1:24 p.m.

National Days of Mourning

This ended the state funeral, which began on August 21, when the President signed Proclamation No. 460 proclaiming National Days of Mourning until interment.

Later Tuesday, Robredo’s ashes would be interred in a plot in the Eternal Gardens beside the funeral home in a ceremony exclusive to the family and close friends of Robredo.

National figure

In a span of just seven years, Robredo was the second national figure from this region to be mourned by Bicolanos.

Robredo was a close ally of the late Sen. Raul Roco—also one of the region’s most beloved sons—who died in August 2005, after a long bout with prostate cancer.

Robredo walked alongside Roco’s hearse during the funeral procession attended by some 50,000 people

Jones Cup 2012- Philippines vs Chinese Taipei (Semi- finals)

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PART 1

PART 2

Tenorio the hero for Jones Cup 2012 Title

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LA Tenorio connected on a jumper off a ball screen from Marcus Douthit with only 19.9 ticks left in the game to push the Smart Gilas Pilipinas national team to a 76-75 victory over the USA, and capture the 34th Jones Cup title in Taipei.

The spitfire from the Alaska Aces scattered 11 of his game-high 20 points to lead the Nationals to an incredible 25-16 rally from a 51-59 deficit at the start of the payoff period.  Jeff Chan, who unloaded five triples, added 18 markers, while Douthit finished with 17.

The Philippines, with a 7-1 card, was declared the tournament champion after leading the team standings in the last playing day.  It is the fourth time in the 34 year-old tournament that the country won the Jones Cup.  The USA has the most Jones Cup crowns with 13.

From a slim 13-12 advantage at the start of the second quarter, the Americans stormed to a 34-20 lead until Chan drilled a triple to end the first half at 34-23, in favor of the USA.  In the third period, both squads stepped up on offense, but Gilas prevailed, 28-25, to come to within eight, 51-59, going into the last quarter.  Tenorio also spearheaded Gilas’ offense in the third with nine points.

Then it was another Tenorio show in the fourth canto.  He hit five straight points at the start of the period before Gabe Norwood forced a tie at 59-all with a three-ball.  A seesaw battle ensued with nine lead changes until the final count.  With still 2:14 remaining and Gilas up, 72-70, James Justice uncorked a triple from the top to grab the lead for the USA, 73-72.  Then Douthit and Jermaine Dearman exchanged baskets for a 75-74 USA edge, with time down to 19.9 seconds.  

Coach Chot Reyes designed a play during the time-out that ended in the able hands of Tenorio.  Douthit provided the screen for the diminutive guard to attack and connect with his off-the-dribble shot that found its mark.  The gutsy Filipinos were able to make the necessary defensive stop forcing the Americans to foul and send Chan to the stripe, with just 1.9 seconds left in the game.  As he bungled the first shot, Reyes instructed Chan to deliberately miss the second.  The ball went out of bounds with just 0.9 tick remaining but the Americans were still able to make a desperation heave at the basket that misfired, sending the Nationals and a good number of Filipino supporters into a frenzy.

The Philippines’ only loss this year was to Lebanon, 72-91.

Last year, an almost-all amateur Gilas squad took third place honors in this tournament, behind Iran and South Korea.  The only holdovers from the 2011 squad are Douthit and Mac Baracael, while the only pros were Asi Taulava and Dondon Hontiveros.  In the present roster, only Garvo Lanete and Matt Rosser are non-pros.

Philippines vs USA - Jones Cup 2012 Replay (Championship)

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Annabelle Rama: I tried to commit suicide

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 MANILA, Philippines – Feisty talent manager Annabelle Rama admitted that she had tried to take her own life just to get rid of the pain of jealousy caused by her intense love for actor Eddie Gutierrez, who is now her husband.
“Minsan ako na lang ang naglason para matapos na rin. Uminom ako ng shampoo at saka (ano pa) kasi gusto mo nang tapusin at hindi mo na matiis, in love na in love ka,” she said in an interview on ABS-CBN morning talk show "Kris TV"  Friday.
Rama said she also thought of splashing muriatic acid on Gutierrez's face, still because of jealousy.
“Kasi nga parang niloloko ka na at ayaw mo siyang mapunta sa ibang girl. Parang gusto mo tapusin mo na lang. Parang ganoon ang nangyari noon,” she said.
Rama stressed, however, that she and Gutierrez are on good terms, adding that they have been married for over 10 years.

The talent manager said it was her eldest daughter, Ruffa, who encouraged Gutierrez to marry her mom.
"Sabi niya (Ruffa) bakit mga classmates ko laging parents nila kasama, ako hindi. So sabi ko sa kanya 'sabihin mo sa daddy mo na pakasalan ako.' Ginawa naman ni Ruffa. Pasalamat ako kay Ruffa kahit lagi kaming magkaaway niyan eh dahil sa kanya ay pinakasalan ako ng daddy niya," Rama said.

Chris Tiu: "A basketbal game to help and inspire"

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 “The aim is to teach Filipinos all over the world certain values and lessons,” said cager Chris Tiu as he explained why he thought his job as a TV host was equally important as his thriving basketball career.

“All my programs are wholesome, educational and entertaining. Television, like sports, is a powerful platform. A lot of people would love to be in my shoes, and I know that I’ve been put in this position for a purpose,” said the host of “Hanep Buhay” and “I-Bilib: The Wonders of Horus” on GMA 7.

“The day when TV offers stray from what I want to achieve is when I stop doing this,” said Chris, who is also host of “1 on 1 Tiu-torials” on AKTV 13.

Tonight at 7, Chris joins a fundraising basketball game called “Built Upon the Rock” at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

The event was organized by Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) cager Asi Taulava, cosponsored by Swatch Watch. It will also be attended by Swatch endorsers Derek Ramsay, Matteo Guidicelli and Billy Crawford. Proceeds will go to victims of the recent floods, particularly in Pasig, Rizal and Bulacan. Tickets are being sold at P1,000, P500, P200 and P100.

Other celebrity participants include Carlos Agassi and John Hall, and basketball superstars Chris Lutz, Mark Cardona, Ren-Ren Ritualo, Arwind Santos, Chris Ross, Kelly Williams, Marcio Lassiter, Dylan Ababou, Denok Miranda, Mark Barroca, Gerard Francisco, Doug Kramer and Jay-Jay Helterbrand.

“Many people say they want to help, but only a few go out there and actually do,” Chris told the Inquirer during a recent media gathering at the Diamond Hotel in Manila. “When Asi called me, I immediately said yes … More than the actual funds we can raise, this game is a symbol and an inspiration— that’s more important to me.”

Robredo known for ‘tsinelas’ leadership

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Whether responding to disasters or planning how to rescue flood victims at emergency Cabinet meetings, Jesse Robredo would always turn up looking so cool in tsinelas (rubber slippers). The image defined him, and Energy Secretary Rene Almendras, speaking at a necrological service for the late secretary of the interior in Malacañang on Saturday night, called it Robredo’s “tsinelas brand of leadership.”

It was the last night of the state vigil for Robredo in the Palace and members of the Cabinet gave their departed colleague a merry, song-filled tribute before his family took his body back to his hometown in Naga City on Sunday morning.

The colleague Cabinet members called “Pogi”—handsome —died in a plane crash in Masbate province on August 18, leaving President Aquino suddenly without a popular and respected ally to handle the consolidation of local power as his administration faced its first local and congressional elections next year.

Cabinet secretaries, along with Vice President Jejomar Binay and Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., remembered Robredo in songs, laughter and speeches.

As mourners filed past Robredo’s bier at Kalayaan Hall, they performed Robredo’s favorite songs in between eulogies, drawing smiles from the
President and Robredo’s widow, Leni, and daughters Aika, Patricia and Jillian.

Eulogy

In his eulogy titled “Tsinelas,” Almendras recalled that when
Aquino called an emergency meeting in the military headquarters in the aftermath of the August 7 massive flooding in the capital, he was amused to see Robredo looking so cool in rubber slippers.

Days later, he said, when the President and the Cabinet officials motored to evacuation centers, Robredo disappeared from the van, but showed up later on stage, wearing slippers. Robredo came prepared, as they waded in floods at the entrance to a school in Valenzuela City.

“He’d tell me: ‘Pare, this is the right footwear for floods. Flood victims use slippers,’” Almendras said. He described Robredo’s tsinelas leadership as a “pragmatic” and “a more demonstrative version of servant leadership.”

As Almendras sees it, Robredo’s leadership has many features. The first, Almendras said, is willingness to wade in floods and travel to the most far-flung areas “to be with the most disadvantaged people.”

“We all know Secretary Jesse rarely said no. That’s why he was one of the most well-traveled Cabinet members. He went to many places where some of us could not go to,” he said.

The presence of mourners from Mindanao during the first night of the vigil on Friday was a testament to how far Robredo would go “just to reach people,” he added.

Another characteristic of Robredo’s leadership, he said, was breaking down the barriers “between us and the people we serve.”

“Many years ago, a young architect told me: I will design it so nicely so that those shod in slippers will be shy to get in. We’re here in Malacañang; we’re here at Kalayaan Hall. Look around you. This place was not designed for tsinelas. And yet last night, and throughout most of today, how many thousands of slippers came into this room to pay tribute, to pay homage and honor to Secretary Jesse?” Almendras said, referring to the mourners filing into the American-era hall to pay their last respects to Robredo.

“Leaders must be acceptable, accessible to those they serve. That was Secretary Jesse Robredo,” he added.

And, of course, what is tsinelas leadership but being casual with people?

Almendras said: “But really wearing slippers is the most casual form. Being casual is being warm. Leaders must be casual with the people they serve so that they can listen, hear and empathize with the people that they serve. That was Secretary Jesse Robredo in its truest form.”

More important, this kind of leadership all boils down to base-level transformation, he said.

“It’s about transforming the expectations of people from their leaders so that the next set of leaders will be better than the good ones we now have. Tsinelas leadership is about working on the basics, no frills, something as uncomplicated and casual as the tsinelas but with a very, very clear vision. That was Secretary Jesse Robredo,” Almendras said.

Genuine concern

A day before Robredo died, Almendras said he got a call from the interior secretary who sounded so concerned about why floodwaters in Bulacan, a province north of Manila, had not subsided and what could be done about it.

Almendras said he promised to bring it up with Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson.

“The very last line he told me was: ‘All right, pare. Our countrymen are really in a pitiful state.’ That is tsinelas leadership. A genuine concern and care for the people that we serve. That is Secretary Jess Robredo in its true context,” Almendras said.

Robredo was wearing slippers long before flip-flops and Havaianas became fashionable, Almendras said.

“My wish and prayer is the tsinelas leadership begun by Secretary Jess will become fashionable,” he said. Then turning to Robredo’s widow, he said: “Attorney Len, Pogi is also a fashion trendsetter. It won’t be far-fetched for candidates in 2013 to campaign in tsinelas. I hope this won’t just be for picture-taking. I hope they will step up to the standards that have been set by Secretary Jess Robredo, and that they will be worthy to wear the tsinelas.”

After the eulogies, the Cabinet officials rose from their seats and proceeded to the front of the bier and, clutching copies of lyrics, they sang Robredo’s favorite songs, “Impossible Dream” and “My Way.”

They ended Frank Sinatra’s famous song with the lyrics: “It was Jesse’s way.” Strategic Communication Secretary Ricky Carandang, the emcee, later said, “You know, I always hated that song, but tonight I liked it.”

The Cabinet dedicated their third and final song, The Stylistics’ “Betcha by Golly, Wow” to Leni Robredo, with Justice Secretary Leila de Lima leading. The song was the Robredo couple’s favorite.

At the start of the Cabinet memorial service, Noel Cabangon performed two songs, setting the tone for a night of entertainment and laughter.

Earlier, during the Liberal Party’s memorial service, Ogie Alcasid and Christian Bautista sang gospel songs. This was capped by Bayang Barrios with “Bayan Ko.”

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Robredo’s colleague in the Cabinet and in the Liberal Party, said he and Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima discussed the meaning of Robredo’s passing.

“Cesar remarked: ‘Pare, what happened to Jesse is difficult … If we die, and we don’t get this kind of outpouring of grief, they might say we’ve done nothing,’” he said, drawing laughter. “Maybe, you should immediately get cremated.”

But then Abad said Robredo was a “tough act to follow,” saying he set an extraordinary standard as a public official, family man and servant of God.

“I, myself, have been grappling with this question and it’s clear to me that Jesse’s death isn’t the loss of this administration alone, it is the entire country’s. And our loss is defined first and foremost by Jesse’s uncanny, almost unmatched ability to navigate the delicate complexities of public service,” he said.

A good man

The sum of his achievements was founded on a basic truth: That Jesse was a “good man,” Abad said.

He wondered if it was coincidence that Robredo’s body was recovered on the 29th anniversary of the assassination of the late Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. when he returned from exile in the United States on August 21.

“Perhaps, perhaps not. But judging from the grief that swept the nation, judging from the public clamor for a new hero like Jesse, his passing invoked in us a renewed sense of commitment in much the same way as Ninoy’s death became Jesse’s impetus for public service,” Abad said.

“And here we are now at the very cusp of a revolution that the unprecedented election of our dear President Aquino into office catalyzed and which Jesse’s narrative further enhanced: A movement for effective, transparent and accountable governance and a call for the empowerment of all Filipinos, especially the poor and the disadvantaged,” Abad said.

The three-day state vigil for Robredo in Malacañang ended Sunday morning, with President Aquino leading departure honors for him at Kalayaan Hall before his remains were flown back to his hometown.

Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila said a predawn Mass prior to the sendoff ceremonies on the Palace grounds.

The President, Leni Robredo and her children, and select members of the Cabinet watched as an honor guard composed of 150 members of the Presidential Security Group rendered departure honors, paying last respects to the late interior secretary with a 19-gun salute.

The hearse bearing the remains of Robredo left Malacañang at about 7:25 a.m. for Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, where planeside honors were given by the Armed Forces of the Philippines before the remains were flown back to Naga.

The plane carrying Robredo’s casket arrived at Naga Airport a little past 9 a.m. A series of necrological services was held, with public viewing commencing at 6 p.m. and lasting until late Monday.

The President has declared Tuesday a nonworking holiday in Naga for Robredo’s interment.

The funeral Mass takes place at Basilica Minore de Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia at 10 a.m. Tuesday. It will be followed by the rendering of full military honors at 11 a.m., and by the conclusion of the state funeral at Funeraria Imperial, where Robredo’s remains will be cremated.

Aquino will deliver a eulogy at the funeral.

SMART- Gilas Philippines champion in Jones Cup 2012 against USA

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Against an American team with superior size advantage, it was the smallest man on the Philippine side who stood tallest.

LA Tenorio delivered the biggest buckets in the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national team’s 76-75 victory over USA to bring home the William Jones Cup to the Philippines for the first time since 1998.

The Alaska point guard scored 20 points, including the go-ahead basket with 17 seconds to go to lift SMART-Gilas to the win.

Before that, the 5-foot-8 Tenorio masterminded a Philippine comeback from a 13-point second half deficit. The US squad was still up, 59-46, with a minute left in the third quarter before SMART-Gilas unleashed a 15-0 run capped by a Tenorio runner to give the Philippines its first lead since the first quarter.

It was a nip and tuck affair the rest of the way, with USA grabbing the upper hand on a fastbreak layup by Jermaine Dearman, 75-74, with 36 seconds left.

SMART-Gilas coach Chot Reyes drew up a play that saw LA Tenorio breaking down his defender, dribbling left, and coolly sinking an 18-foot jumper for the win.

The Philippines won the tournament for the fourth time in its 34-year history, the last 14 years ago when the Philippine Centennial Team swept the field to bag the title.