Bangsamoro Organic Law hurdles bicam

A bicameral conference on Wednesday approved a bill that grants wider self-rule to the Muslim minority in the south, paving the way for President Rodrigo Duterte to sign it into law.

The proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, renamed Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, is one of the requirements under a 2014 peace agreement between Manila and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the country's largest Muslim rebel group.

Duterte, the first president from Mindanao, had certified the measure as urgent.

Senators and congressmen reconciled their versions of the measure in bicameral meetings.

Malacanang said the President hopes to sign the proposed BBL into law before his third State of the Nation Address on July 23.

House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri jointly presided over the bicameral conference.

Duterte's predecessor, former President Benigno Aquino, forged the peace agreement with the MILF but failed to get Congress to pass the BBL before he stepped down in 2016.

Congress halted debates on the BBL due to public outrage over the deaths of 44 police commandos in a botched anti-terrorism raid in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in January 2015.

The operation, which targeted a Malaysian bomb-maker wanted by the US, was overseen by then-suspended Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima, Aquino's shooting buddy.

Some provisions in the BBL's earlier versions also faced questions on constitutionality. 

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Will Ironman 70.3 return next year?

CEBU is supposed to host the Ironman 70.3 until next year.

But Sunrise Events, Inc. (SEI) general manager Princess Galura said they will have to wait for the reactions of the participants to the new 90-kilometer bike phase of the Regent Aguila Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship happening on August 5 before deciding if they will return for another year.

“We have to see how the people will accept the changed course because right now, they did not have any violent reaction, they welcomed the change given that that they know the hardships that we went through to get it but let’s see how they will feel after the race, then let’s see if we will get a second course because we don’t know if we will get SRP back,” said Galura.

This, despite the Cebu Ironman 70.3 earning the most spectator-friendly tag by members of the Ironman community all over the world, besting events like the Ironman European Championship, Frankfurt and Ironman Australia and Ironman Mont-Tremblant, which has been described as a “postcard” race.

Since the first staging in 2012, the international race has been using the Cebu South Coastal Road (CSCR) that traverses the South Road Properties (SRP) as a major part of the bike phase.

But Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña denied SEI the use of the CSCR this year due to traffic congestion concerns brought about by the construction of the P638 million underpass along N. Bacalso Avenue.

The race will now have a new bike route within the cities of Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue.

The bike phase is the only change as the participants will still start with the 1.9-kilometer swim phase at the waters fronting the Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa and after the bike phase will cap their race with the 21-kilometer run in barangay Punta Engaño in Lapu-Lapu City.

Mayor Osmeña, however, has stated that he will resume supporting the Ironman races next year once the tunnel is done.

Czech brings act to Cebu

FROM Subic to Davao, Czech Radka Kahlefeldt tries to bring her winning act to what has long been considered as home of Ironman 70.3 Philippines in Cebu, shooting for a third crown in the Ironman 70.3 Philippines Asia-Pacific on August 5 at the Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa in Lapu Lapu City.

Kahlefeldt, a former No. 1 in the European Triathlete Union, dominated the Ironman 70.3 Subic last year, besting four-time Philippine champion Caroline Steffen then came out strong from the birth of her first child to rule the first Ironman 70.3 in Davao City last March.

Against a souped-up field in Cebu, the 33-year-old ace will surely be banking on her strong points—swimming and biking—where she expects to build enough cushion going to the concluding run part of the grueling 1.9k-m swim/90km bike/21.2-km run event.

But she admits gunning for a three-peat will take a lot of hard work and determination plus a big fighting heart needed in a down-to-the-wire battle for supremacy in the blue-ribbon event put up by title sponsor Aguila Energy Drink and Regent Food Corp. and organized and produced by Sunrise Events Inc.

For one, Kahlefeldt will be going up against the likes of Steffen and former Ironman Australia titlist Beth McKenzie, both veteran campaigners who have also primed themselves up for the upcoming event backed by presenting sponsors Alaska Milk Corp., the Department of Tourism and Tourism Promotions Board Philippines.

An equally fierce battle looms in the men’s side of the event held in conjunction with SEI’s decade-long staging of triathlon events in the country with Tim Reed eyeing a record fourth straight championship against former three-time world titlist Craig Alexander, former Xterra world champion Mauricio Mendez, former Ironman As-Pac winners Tim Van Berkel, Josh Amberger and Braden Currie along with former Ironman South American winner Brent McMahon.

Organizers, meanwhile, said record field of 2,700 from over 51 countries will compete in the event which also boasts of the one biggest and most complete triathlon expos to date. All finishers will receive podium trophies and medals designed and hand made by world class Cebuano designer Kenneth Cobonpue.

Local celebrities will also get some slice of action in the event, supported by venue hosts province of Cebu, City of Lapu Lapu and Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa and bike course partners City of Cebu, Mandaue and Talisay, official logistics and courier partner 2GO Express, official hydration partners Gatorade, official energy gel Gu, official swim cap TYR, official footwear and apparel Asics and official registration partner Active Network and official hotels BE Resorts Mactan, Crimson, Waterfront Airport Hotel and Casino Mactan and Mont and Michel and Metropolitan Cebu Water District.