Thai soldier dies in fresh fighting at Cambodia border

PHNOM PENH – A Thai soldier was killed in clashes with Cambodian troops at the two countries' border early Saturday, bringing the toll to three in the deadliest fighting between the neighbors in almost two years.

Renewed gunfights broke out briefly near a disputed 11th-century temple, officials on both sides said, just hours after earlier skirmishes left a Cambodian soldier and a Thai civilian dead.

"One Thai soldier was killed by shrapnel and four were injured in a clash lasting about 30 minutes early this morning," said Thai army spokesman Colonel Sunsern Kaewkumnerd.

In a statement, the Cambodian government accused Thai troops of "firing mortar rounds into Cambodia's Preah Vihear province."

A Cambodian military commander who did not wish to be named said that one Thai soldier had been captured in the morning skirmishes.

Clashes between the neighbours erupted for the first time in more than a year on Friday as simmering border tensions boiled over.

Six Thai and at least four Cambodian soldiers were also injured in the first bout of fighting, and four Thai troops were captured.

Cambodia has called the fighting an "invasion," while Thailand has branded it an "act of aggression" by its neighbour as both countries accused the other of starting the violence.

"The United States urges both sides to exercise maximum restraint and take all necessary steps to reduce tensions and avoid further conflict," said a US State Department spokeswoman in response to Friday's clashes.

The Thai foreign ministry issued a statement early Saturday accusing Cambodia of attacking first, calling it a "clear violation" of Thai "territorial integrity."

Thailand claimed Cambodia fired mortars, rocket propelled grenades and artillery shells into Thai territory, and said three thousand civilians living along the border had to be evacuated.

The Cambodian foreign ministry released a similar statement about Friday's clashes, saying "300 Thai troops entered Cambodian territory and attacked Cambodian troops."

"This aggression by Thai armed forces was also followed by the firings of many 130mm and 155mm artillery shells which reached as far as about 20 kilometers (12 miles) inside Cambodian territory," it said.

The area around the temple is claimed by both sides, and Cambodian foreign ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said Phnom Penh planned to complain to the United Nations on Saturday.

Ties between the two countries have been strained since July 2008 by a series of deadly border clashes over land surrounding the temple after it was granted UN World Heritage status.

Thailand and Cambodia have both been talking tough on the border issue, which some observers say serves nationalist goals at home on both sides.

The World Court ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear itself belonged to Cambodia, although its main entrance lies in Thailand. The exact boundary through the surrounding grounds remains in dispute.

The Thai-Cambodia border has never been fully demarcated, partly because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia.

Another border spat has focused on the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda, which is built in the disputed area. Thailand on Monday demanded that Cambodia remove its flag from the pagoda, which it said was "situated on Thai territory" -- a claim Cambodia vehemently rejects.

Tensions between the two countries have flared in recent weeks in the wake of the arrest of seven Thai nationals for illegal entry into Cambodia in late December.

Five of the group were given suspended sentences and have since returned to Thailand. The other two, high-profile nationalist activist Veera Somkwamkid and his secretary, were sentenced to lengthy jail terms for spying, in a case that has caused outrage among Thailand's influential "Yellow Shirts".

Hundreds of Yellow Shirt protesters have camped out around Government House in Bangkok since last week, demonstrating against its handling of the border dispute, and the group plans a larger rally on Saturday. (report from Suy Se, Agence France-Presse)

Taiwan seeks return of suspects sent to China

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan's government has called on Beijing to return 14 Taiwanese fraud suspects that the Philippines mistakenly deported to China this week.

Premier Wu Den-yih said Saturday that Beijing should send the suspects home based on a bilateral agreement on combating crime.

The Taiwanese were deported this week together with 10 Chinese citizens arrested in Manila last year on charges of swindling $20 million in a scam targeting mainland Chinese.

A statement by China's Ministry of Public Security says Chinese police had escorted 24 suspects back. It did not elaborate.

Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949, and Beijing views the self-ruled island as a renegade province. Taiwan insists it has jurisdiction over its citizens involved in crime. (report from Associated Press/Inquirer.net)

MILF admits major split ahead of talks

SULTAN KUDARAT, Philippines — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said Saturday it has a potentially serious rebellion in its ranks after a key leader broke away ahead of peace talks with Manila.

Ameril Umbrakato resigned from the MILF seven months ago, taking with him at least a thousand MILF fighters, top MILF leaders told a news conference.

The development poses a potentially major problem to formal peace talks scheduled to start in Malaysia on Wednesday, conceded Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the 12,000-member MILF, the Philippines' largest Muslim insurgent group.

"We are talking with them and urging them to toe the line on the MILF position," Murad said.

Previous peace talks collapsed in 2008 after the Supreme Court outlawed a draft peace settlement that would have given the MILF control over large areas of the mineral-rich southern island of Mindanao.

The group has begun waging a rebellion since 1978 for an independent Muslim state on Mindanao, which makes up the southern third of the largely Roman Catholic Philippines.

The Supreme Court's decision triggered attacks by MILF commanders including Umbrakato on Christian communities in Mindanao. The resulting surge in violence displaced 750,000 people and left nearly 400 dead, according to official data.

More than 150,000 people have died since the early 1970s due to the rebellion, according to the government.

Mohagher Iqbal, head of the MILF peace negotiating panel, said Umbrakato accused the leadership of turning its back on the original goal of an independent Muslim nation.

"He said the MILF is a revisionist group," Iqbal said.

"We have sent ulamas (Muslim elders) to talk to him and we are trying to engage him," Iqbal added.

The MILF itself is a 1978 splinter of the Moro National Liberation Front, which signed a 1996 peace treaty that won the large Muslim minority limited self-rule in four Mindanao provinces. (report from Agence France-Presse/Inquirer.net)

DoJ to stop manhunt if arrest order vs Lacson voided — Palace

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice will comply when it gets the order lifting the warrant for Senator Panfilo Lacson’s arrest, Malacañang said on Saturday.

Communications Strategic Planning Secretary Ricky Carandang made the remark a day after Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said the manhunt for the senator continues as the warrant for his arrest remains in force.

The authorities want Lacson arrested for double murder in connection with the deaths of publicist Salvador Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in 2000.

“I’m sure as soon as our DoJ get that order of lifting the warrant then they will comply with that,” Carandang said over state-run radio dzRB.

The Court of Appeals on Thursday cleared Lacson of involvement in the murders. (report from Norman Bordadora, Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Cotabato vice mayor denies kidnap allegations

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Cotabato City Vice Mayor Muslim Sema asked that he and the other officials being linked to kidnappings here and in nearby Maguindanao be given their day in court.

Speaking to reporters on Friday afternoon, Sema, who was previously mayor of Cotabato, said allegations of his involvement in a spate of kidnappings of Chinese-Filipino and other wealthy businessmen were politically motivated.

On Wednesday, the police said formal charges had been brought against Sema, who heads a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front, and more than 20 others for kidnapping with illegal detention.

Also included in the suit were Sema’s brother, Councilor Sukarno Sema; former city administrator and retired police colonel Ismael Daulog; and Mayor Salaban Diocolano of Kabuntalan, Maguindanao.

“This is politically motivated,” he said.

Sema said he was denying any involvement in the kidnappings, including the Jan. 8 abduction of hardware store owner Eulogio Yu.

“I am denying any involvement in kidnapping,” he said.

Sema said when he was mayor, his administration worked closely with the military and the police to resolve kidnappings, which, he said, were stalling the city’s economic development.

"Now, I am being implicated in this," he said.

Sema’s lawyer-son Omar, who volunteered to be part of the battery of defense lawyers, said they planned to file an "administrative case" against city prosecutor Wilfred Buyco for endorsing the indictment, which has been docketed in court as criminal case No. 2011-4296.

Chief Supt. Gil Meneses, Central Mindanao police chief, said the revised information was filed after seven kidnap suspects arrested in General Santos a few weeks ago implicated Sema and the other personalities in a kidnapping syndicate operating in the region.

"I do not know these witnesses that implicated us in the case. I have been an anti-kidnap advocate since 1998 when I assumed as mayor of the city and now they are telling us we are involved in this?" said Sema.

He vowed to face his detractors and “will not stop until the people behind it are unmasked and made answerable for what they are doing.”

Sema said he was confident he would be able to prove the allegations wrong.

“We will have our day in court and defend our innocence,” he said. (report from Charlie Señase and Edwin Fernandez, Inquirer Mindanao)

Fire razes 30 houses in Naga City

NAGA CITY, Philippines -- An estimated 30 structures, including a boarding house, homes and small stores, were razed to the ground by a fire that started at around 4:30 a.m. Saturday.

Naga Fire Marshall Achilles Santiago said firemen responded to the call at 5 a.m. and immediately sent four fire trucks to stop the blaze that started in the Barrameda boarding house on Bayabas Street, Abella, Naga City.

The fire victims were mostly students in universities around the area. The boarding house was owned and operated by Purificacion Barrameda and was made up mostly of wood.

The fire was suspected to have been started by a candle left burning in the night by a boarder. The boarding house did not have electricity as its connection was cut a few days ago due to outstanding balances. (report from Shiena Barrameda, Inquirer Southern Luzon)

Rape charges filed against police official in Davao

MANILA, Philippines – The chief of police of Digos City, Davao del Sur is now facing criminal charges for allegedly sexually abusing his housemaid, a radio report said today.

Police Superintendent Ric Cuevas is now facing rape charges before the Prosecutor's Office in Digos for purportedly molesting his teenage maid the other night.

The report said a drunk Cuevas sent a text message to the victim around 10 p.m. asking if he could sleep with her because he is restless without someone beside him.

Around midnight, the police official allegedly entered the maid's quarters and raped her.

Cuevas reportedly sent another text message to the victim apologizing for what happened and after learning of the criminal raps. (report from Dennis Carcamo, Philstar.com)

Internet addresses depletion reflects wired world

SAN FRANCISCO - Thirty years after the first Internet addresses were created, the supply of addresses officially ran dry on Thursday.

But don't panic. The transition to a new version of addresses is already well under way and, for most people, should occur without even being noticed.

At a special ceremony in Miami on Thursday, the organization that oversees the global allocation of Internet addresses distributed the last batch of so-called IPv4 addresses, underscoring the extent to which the Web has become an integral and pervasive part of modern life.

Every computer, smartphone and back-end Web server requires an IP address -- a unique string of numbers identifying a particular device -- in order to be connected to the Internet. The explosion of Web-connected gadgets, and the popularity of websites from Google Inc to Facebook, means that the world has now bumped up against the limit of roughly 4 billion IP addresses that are possible with the IPv4 standard introduced in 1981.

The solution is IPv6, a new standard for Internet addresses that should provide a lot more room for growth: There are 340 undecillion IPv6 addresses available. That's 340 trillion, trillion, trillion addresses.

"If all the space of IPv4 were to be sized and compared to a golf ball, a similar-sized comparison for IPv6 would be the size of the sun," said John Curan, the CEO of the American Registry for Internet Numbers, one of five nonprofit organizations that manage Internet addresses for particular regions of the world.

Just in case you're worried, Curan added that "we don't ever intend to see another transition."

For companies with websites, the transition to IPv6 means configuring their computer equipment to support the new standard rather than upgrading hardware, Curan said. Those that don't could see the performance of their sites slowed down, and potentially cut off to some users in the future.

Laptops, smartphones and other Web-connected gadgets, as well as Web browsers, already support IPv6, though Curan notes that according to some estimates less than 1% of Internet users may not have their equipment configured properly and will need to adjust their settings in the months ahead, as websites increasingly adopt the new standard. (report from Alexei Oreskovic, Reuters)

BSP says policy remains appropriate

MANILA, Philippines - The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' monetary policy remains appropriate, Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said on Friday after data showed annual inflation in January rose to its highest since September.

"Unless inflation expectations becomes disanchored, and we have no evidence of that as yet, we can say that monetary policy continues to be appropriate," Guinigundo said in a mobile text message to Reuters.

"BSP remains alert as to potential inflation shocks and prepared to adjust as and when necessary."

The BSP will hold a policy meeting on February 10. The overnight borrowing rate has been at a record low of 4% since July 2009. (report from Reuters / abs-cbnNEWS.com)

Floods hit 8 Jolo villages; destroy houses

MANILA, Philippines - Floods destroyed houses and submerged at least 8 barangays in Jolo, Sulu Friday after a heavy downpour hit the city Thursday night.

Initial radio reports said the floods affected the following villages: Asturias, Alat, Tulay, Takut-Takut, Chinese Pier, Walled City, San Raymundo and Busbus. At least one resident was allegedy killed but the report remains unconfirmed.

Jolo Mayor Hussin Amin said he will meet barangay officials and representatives of other government line agencies to discuss relief efforts for flood victims. He said the major concern now is food for the flood victims who are scattered in different areas. (report from abs-cbnNEWS.com)

Filipinos deserve a good, honest media -– Aquino

MANILA, Philippines (PNA) -- President Benigno S. Aquino III underscored the importance of having a good and honest media, one that not only dwells on the trivial issues but on the relevant ones as well.

In his speech keynoting the 111th Anniversary of Manila Bulletin on Wednesday at its main office in Intramuros, Manila, the President said Filipinos deserve no less than this.

“I always make it a point to remind our friends in media to help elevate the level of discourse in our country. And while I accept that there are certain things about my private life that will always be of interest to the public, it would be better if you give the same amount of attention to issues that matter as well,” the President said.

The President lamented that instead of highlighting the P29-billion worth of government owned and controlled corporations’ dividend that went into the country’s coffers last week, media chose to “speculate about whether I will have a date this Valentine’s Day.” “It was discouraging,” the President said.

He, however, said that he believed in media’s ability to weed out the relevant issues from the not.

“I believe in your (media’s) ability to discern what is relevant, the same way I believe in our people, that they are capable of rebuilding this country,” the President said.

“What our country asks of us is simple: that the media remain fair, that the people work hard while maintaining their calm demeanor, and that our public servants do their jobs with honesty and competence. These are very challenging things, but if we hold strong and remind ourselves of our dreams of this country reaching its actual potential, then what can we not do?” he added. (report from Manila Bulletin)

3 ex-military chiefs linked to bidding scam

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 2) Three former chiefs of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines have been implicated by its former budget officer in the purchase without bidding of multimillion-peso military equipment.

Lieutenant Colonel George Rabusa told a Senate inquiry Thursday that Generals’ Angelo Reyes, Diomedio Villanueva and Roy Cimatu, and former military comptrollers Carlos Garcia and Jacinto Ligot were all involved separately in the purchase of P200 million worth of ammunition in Thailand and another $2 million for the purchase of unmanned aerial vehicle.

Both purchases, Rabusa said, were done without public bidding.

Rabusa said Reyes participated in the purchase of P200 million worth of ammunition while he and Ligot facilitated the sale.

Reyes, Villanueva, Cimatu and Garcia were also involved in the $2 million purchase of unmanned aerial vehicle, the witness claimed.

It was Villanueva, he said, who instructed him to produce the $2 million.

Earlier in the hearing that is investigating the plea bargaining agreement between Garcia and government prosecutors, Rabusa disclosed that Villanueva and Cimatu also received send-off money when they retired.

“Meron po [There was],” said Rabusa during the continuation of his testimony before the Senate blue ribbon committee.

Rabusa was responding to Senator Jose Jinggoy Estrada's question if Villanueva was also given send-off money upon his retirement.

He said a total of P240 million was supposedly given as “send-off” money to the two generals--P160 million, not P200 million as earlier claimed, supposedly to Villanueva and P80 million supposedly to Cimatu.

Rabusa said it was Garcia who instructed him to produce the P160 million for Villanueva.

“Ito ay sinabi po sa akin ni Gen. Garcia ma maglaan kami ng P160 million supposedly to be pabaon kay Gen. Villanueva (This was what Gen. Garcia told me to do, to set aside P160 million supposedly as send-off money to Gen. Villanueva),” said Rabusa.

When Estrada asked Rabusa if Gen. Vilanueva took all that money, he said he did not know.

Rabusa said he deposited the P160 million at the Security Bank located at Herrera Street in Makati City-- the first deposit, P95 million, was made on July 19, 2001, and the remaining P65 million was deposited on September 12, 2001.

Rabusa said he wanted to call Villanueva to ask him if he received the money but did not do it because he said he wanted to follow protocol.

Estrada then asked Garcia, who was present at the hearing, if he gave the money to Villanueva, but the latter invoked his right against self-incrimination.

This angered Estrada who moved for Garcia's detention at the Senate because of his repeated invokation of his right to self-incrimination.

“Kapag ganito lahat ang sagot nitong henearal na ito, kung hindi kaya ng Ombudsman na ipakulong ito , tayo na ang magpakulong nito (if this is what this general [Garcia] is giving us as his answer, then let the Senate detain him if the Ombudsman could not detain him) ,” said Estrada.

The hearing was temporarily suspended to cool things down. When it resumed a few minutes later, the chairman of the committee ruled that it could not decide on Estrada's motion for lack of quorum.

Villanueva was invited to the hearing but begged off because his wife just died.

Before this, Rabusa disclosed that other sources of funds were being created only to “preserve” the provisions for directed-command activities (PCDA).

Rabusa had claimed that the PCDA was the source of the P50-million send-off money received by Reyes who retired in 2001.

Reyes has repeatedly denied the allegation. (report from Maila Ager, Inquirer.net)

13 killed in Moro factional fighting

MANILA, Philippines — (UPDATE) Thirteen people have been killed and thousands displaced in fighting over land between rival Muslim separatist groups in North Cotabato, the military said Thursday.

Skirmishes led by commanders of the rival factions on Mindanao island have been going on for weeks in Barangay (village) Nanga-an in Kabacan town, with the latest clash occurring on Wednesday, said regional military spokesman Major Marlowe Patria.

"There was some posturing at first but the firefights began on January 9. Then it would stop, then start up again, on and off," Patria told AFP.

Maj. Marlowe Patria, a spokesman for the military’s 6th Division, said the fighting between the group of Moro Islamic Liberation Front Commander Kineg and Moro National Liberation Front Commander Dima Ambil continued as of Wednesday evening.

Patria said 13 people from both sides had been killed and nine others wounded, while 800 families had fled the area due to the fighting and were being sheltered by the local government.

The evacuees sought refuge near the highway in Lumayong and Kayaga villages, which are closer to the Kabacan town center.

MILF spokesman Mohager Iqbal said the two commanders were fighting over 1,000 hectares (2,470 acres) of land, and that leaders of both factions were trying to intercede to stop the violence.

"It is not the MNLF and MILF that are at war. It is just some members of the MILF and some members of the MNLF," Iqbal told AFP.

Eid Kabalu, MILF civil-military affairs chief, said his organization has already sent emissaries to settle the conflict, supposedly brought about by land claims.

“Some of them have already agreed to stop but last night (on Wednesday) a group from the MNLF shelled the position of our members,” Kabalu said as he confirmed reports of fatalities.

The MNLF signed a peace agreement with the government in 1996 but its members continue to bear arms.

The erstwhile rebel group said its forces in Nanga-an and Semone were merely defending themselves from MILF attacks.

Last week, seven combatants from the MILF and the MNLF were also killed in clashes over land ownership in Maguindanao. (report from Jeoffrey Maitem, Agence France-Presse/Inquirer Mindanao)

NPA says military, not Davao mayor, was target of attack

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The New People’s Army operating in the hinterlands of the city on Thursday denied military reports that it targeted Mayor Sara Duterte for an ambush in the Paquibato district using a command-detonated land mine on January 30.

Leoncio Pitao, leader of the Merardo Arce Command, said the explosion was meant for a supply unit of the 69th Infantry Battalion.

A soldier was wounded in the blast, which prompted Duterte to cancel a city government-sponsored service caravan to Paquibato district.

Pitao, also known as Commander Parago, said in an emailed statement that the soldiers did not act as Duterte’s advance security as claimed by Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Santiago of the military’s 10th Infantry Division.

“Santiago ludicrously referred to the 69th IB supply team as advance security forces for Sara Duterte to camouflage their combat and supply personnel that have been engaged in continuous full-scale combat operations in Paquibato since January 10,” he said.

Parago said the ambush could not have targeted Duterte as the blast occurred in Purok (zone) 5 in the interior barangay (village) of Mapula, which was “far away from the actual route and destination of Sara Duterte’s personnel in Barangay Paquibato Proper.”

“It is not in the best interest and principle of the NPA and the masses to attack GRP civil servants like Sara Duterte, who has worked for dialogue in base areas like Paquibato, where poor peasants have been at the receiving end of the 10th ID’s continuing brutality,” added Parago, whose daughter was allegedly abducted and killed by military intelligence agents a few years ago.

He said the NPA would like to assure Duterte that she will never be harmed in NPA areas.

“The revolutionary mass base looks forward to her visits and assures her safety,” Parago said.

The rebel leader, a known friend of Duterte’s father, Rodrigo Duterte, said “the Davao City mayor need not tag along an entourage of heavy military escorts just to deliver social services to the people.”

“Because the revolutionary mass base and the People’s Democratic Government shall be her protection,” he said.

Duterte has yet to respond to the NPA statement. (report from Allan Nawal, Inquirer Mindanao)

Sale of ‘junk food’ banned in ARMM public schools

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Education and health officials in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao have agreed to ban the sale of “junk food” inside campuses of state-run schools.

“This is to ensure that pre-schoolers in the region grow up stronger and healthier by patronizing tropical fruits and other native delicacies considered more nutritious," Baratucal Caudang, ARMM Education secretary, said.

Regional Health Secretary Kadil Sinolinding Jr. said he strongly endorsed Caudang's directive to ban the sale of snacks loaded with preservatives in schools in Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Marawi City, provinces that constitute the ARMM.

Sinolinding said he has directed the National Nutrition Council to help in the regionwide drive by imposing sanctions on school violators.

Both Caudang and Sinolinding believe that "quality education" among the young includes"proper nutrition and health care." (report from Charlie Señase, Inquirer Mindanao)

Rains force evacuation of 62,000 families in 10 provinces

MANILA, Philippines – Thousands of families have been affected by rains brought about by the low pressure area prevailing over Regions 8, 10, CARAGA and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, the national disaster council said Thursday.

In its latest report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that at least 62,302 families or 309,779 persons have been displaced in 429 villages in the provinces of Southern Leyte, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Camiguin, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Sulu and the Dinagat Island.

Seven coastal villages in Sulu are still experiencing storm surges and strong winds, the NDRRMC said.

Likewise, heavy rains also triggered flashflood in Hijo River in Purok 2, Barangay Panibasan, Maco, Compostela, the disaster council reported.

Four persons have also been reported dead in separate incidents of drowning. The NDRRMC identified the fatalities as: Christopher Laraga, 20, and Alger Jorge Boholano, 42, both from Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental; one child from Maco Compostela Valley who died after crossing the Hijo River. One unidentified victim from Tubay, Agusan del Norte remains unidentified but had also died of drowning, the NDRRMC said.

Meanwhile, the low pressure area was seen 140 kilometers south of Zamboanga City as of 11 a.m., Thursday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.

“This weather system is expected to bring scattered to widespread rains over Zamboanga provinces particularly the western sections which may trigger flash floods and landslides,” the state-run weather bureau said.

The low pressure area entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility Monday and brought widespread rains over Visayas and Mindanao and triggered flash floods and landslides in some provinces. (report from Katherine Evangelista, Inquirer.net)

4 hurt in another Maharlika Highway accident

LUCENA CITY, Philippines — Four people were injured when a bus fell into an open canal beside the Maharlika Highway in Pagbilao, Quezon, shortly after midnight Wednesday, police said.

Police Officer 2 Darwin Balisalisa, Pagbilao police investigator, said that while a Manila-bound Super Lines bus from Libmanan, Camarines Sur, was traversing the zigzag diversion road in Barangay (village) Silangang Malicboy, it lost its brakes and bumped another passenger bus, Mark Eve’s Transit, which was ahead of it.

After the collision, the Super Line bus went straight into the open canal, causing injuries to three passengers—Jonie Lebrora, Alvin Recto, and Rosario Recto— police said.

The driver of the other bus, Efren Casimiro, also suffered injuries in different parts of the body. The four wounded were rushed to Jane County Hospital.

The driver of the Super Lines bus, Ernie Pedregosa, is detained at the Pagbilao town jail, police said.

Last Monday, 39 people were also injured after a Manila-bound bus fell into a 20-foot-deep ravine along the zigzag road also in the same village. (report from Delfin Mallari Jr., Inquirer Southern Luzon)

Bishop asks faithful not to join rallies vs birth control bill

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines — A Mindanao prelate has asked Catholics not to join street protests against the Reproductive Health Bill, saying that rallies will not help people understand the issue.

The RH Bill, which the Catholic Church and Pro-life groups oppose, passed the House’s health committee last week.

Bishop Romulo Dela Cruz of the diocese of Kidapawan told people attending Mass at the Our Lady Mediatrix of All Grace cathedral here Wednesday morning that the issue could be more easily understood if it was discussed in the proper forums, not in the streets.

“The issue should not be discussed in the street, that is why we are discouraging our followers to air their sentiments in the streets,” Dela Cruz said.

He said the Catholic Church has decided to integrate its campaign against the RH Bill in Masses.

Starting this week, he said, priests will be reading a pastoral letter issued by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, which details the bill’s “negative repercussions to the family and the society once the House and the Senate approve it.”

He said Catholics in turn could help in the campaign by talking to their neighbors.

“Let’s unite in preserving life by not supporting the RH bill,” Dela Cruz said.

“Life is important, so let us preserve it. Let all baptized Christians do his or her share. We should preserve life by saying no to RH bill,” he said.

Dela Cruz also repeated the Catholic Church’s stand that poverty was not brought about by the burgeoning population but by corruption in government.

He cited the current controversy over allegations of corruption in the Armed Forces of the Philippines as an example. (report from Williamor Magbanua, Inquirer Mindanao)

PDEA nabs ex-cop in cocaine buy-bust

MANILA, Philippines - Anti-narcotics agents arrested a former policeman and another suspect for attempting to sell a brick of cocaine in Palo, Leyte last week.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) identified the arrested suspects as former Police Officer 2 Elmer Ampong and Alfredo Lacbayo Jr., residents of Barangay A, Borongan City, Eastern Samar.

The PDEA said that the suspects were arrested during a buy-bust operation in Palo town last January 28.

Seized from the suspects were one brick of cocaine, a Colt Mark IV series 80 caliber .45 pistol, a knife and buy-bust money worth P50,000.

PDEA director general Jose Gutierrez said that the cocaine brick seized from the suspects could have been part of a drug shipment dumped from a Chinese vessel in December 2009.

Drug charges are being prepared against the suspects. (report from abs-cbnNEWS.com)

Fire razes 60 houses in Tondo

MANILA, Philippines - Fire razed at least 60 houses in Tondo district in Manila on Thursday, leaving 120 families homeless.

Chief Inspector Bonifacio Carta of the Manila Fire District said the fire struck around 3 a.m. and was put out around 4:30 a.m..

Carta said that the fire started from the house of a certain Carlos Maximo.

He said the fire quickly spread because majority of the houses that were affected were made of light materials.

The damage was pegged at P2.5 million.

Carta said they have yet to determine the cause of the blaze. (report from Jasmin Romero, ABS-CBN News)

DND: ‘Let ax fall’ on corrupt military officials

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of National Defense (DND) is feeling the pressure to take immediate action on the reported diversion of funds to create a slush fund for military brass.

A special DND fact-finding panel formed last week will hold a public hearing on Friday about the workings of the once powerful military comptroller’s office before it was disbanded in 2005.

“It really affects the whole institution,” DND spokesperson Eduardo Batac told reporters, referring to the purported slush fund.

“Among government agencies, the DND and the [AFP] have imposed upon themselves the most stringent measures on integrity. That’s why this is very important to us. It has to be resolved. The truth should come out,” he said.

Batac said Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin had vowed that “if there are offenses uncovered, all these offenses are going to be pursued relentlessly, and nobody is going to be spared. Let the ax fall where it will fall.

“What's important is to get to the bottom of this and ferret out the individuals who committed these abuses and offenses,” Batac said.

“It is very unfair to come up with general accusations involving people who don’t even know about this. It’s very unfair. There are many people in the [AFP] and the [DND] who are now trying to tread the narrow and straight path. That is why we want to get to the bottom of this,” he said. (report from Philippine Daily Inquirer)

3 insiders on Comelec shortlist

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang’s shortlist of nominees to the two vacant seats in the Commission on Elections (Comelec) includes some “insiders,”according to Comelec Chair Sixto Brillantes Jr.

He said Comelec law department director Rafael Rafanan, personnel department director Adolfo Ibañez and Bicol regional election director Zacarias Zaragoza were on the shortlist.

Brillantes led Comelec officials Wednesday in ceremonies to mark the retirement of Commissioners Gregorio Larrazabal and Nicodemo Ferrer, whose terms expire Thursday, leaving the poll body with only five commissioners.

Brillantes said two “outsiders” who are in the short list are lawyer Carlos Medina Jr., a member of the truth commission and co-convener of the Legal Network for Truthful Elections; and former education undersecretary Chito Gascon, director general of the ruling Liberal Party.(report from Jerome Aning, Philippine Daily Inquirer)

More information on CCT needed, senator tells DSWD

MANILA, Philippines -- Senator Edgardo Angara is seeking an update from the Department of Social Welfare and Development on the implementation of the conditional cash transfer.

In an interview with Radyo Inquirer Thursday, Angara said the public should be kept abreast of how the program was being implemented to determine if the P21 billion allocated was going to the rightful beneficiaries.

Under the cash transfer program, poor families will receive a maximum of P1,400 each provided that mothers undergo regular check-up and their children attend school.

The program targets some 1.3 million beneficiaries this year. (report from Inquirer.net / DZIQ-Radyo Inquirer)

Car hits Ortigas center island, driver missing

MANILA, Philippines -- A car hit the center island along Ortigas in Pasig City early Thursday, with the driver nowhere to be found, according to a report on Radyo Inquirer.

The report said the vehicle, a Ferrari with plate number XRJ-373N, was left on the scene by its driver, who identified himself as Vincent Escobar.

The report said Escobar claimed to be the nepwhew of a general but didn't name him. (report from Inquirer.net / DZIQ-Radyo Inquirer)

Military graft allegations unsettle govt and armed forces

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — New allegations that former Philippine military chiefs benefited from massive corruption led to calls Wednesday for the government to get serious about reforming the armed forces.

Corruption is an explosive issue in the 120,000-strong military and has sparked several rebellions in the last two decades by disgruntled soldiers, who have struggled with a dearth of weapons and equipment while battling communist and Muslim insurgencies along with threats from al-Qaida-linked Filipino militants.

In a startling testimony during a Senate investigation last week, retired military budget officer Col. George Rabusa claimed that huge amounts had been diverted from key military units into an all-purpose kitty for all kinds of illegal payoffs.

Among the recipients of the unaudited payoffs, he said, were past military chiefs of staff who each month collected millions of pesos (dollars) for personal use plus a huge "send-off" money when they retire.

Rabusa alleged that former military chief Angelo Reyes, who attended the hearing, was among the recipients of the payoffs, which had to be converted into U.S. dollars because the peso equivalent was too bulky.

Rabusa said under oath he was among the officers who delivered the money to Reyes when he headed the military from 2001 to 2003 — including more than $1 million when he stepped down. Rabusa also acknowledged that he benefited from the illegal funds.

Reyes angrily confronted Rabusa and early this week filed graft charges against him and a senator whom he accused of conspiring to malign him.

On Tuesday, former government auditor Heidi Mendoza separately testified at the House of Representatives that the military funds lost to corruption included U.N.-provided money intended for Filipino peacekeepers on overseas missions.

Breaking into tears, Mendoza sought government protection for her and her family. During the House hearing, five retired military chiefs denied receiving any payoff.

Former marine Col. Ariel Querubin, detained for more than four years for alleged involvement in a 2006 plot to overthrow former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo because of corruption allegations, said he was hopeful that her reformist successor, Benigno Aquino III, would take steps to end graft in one of Asia's most ill-equipped militaries.

If those suspected are not prosecuted and military graft continues to flourish, military restiveness could return, Querubin warned.

"The antidote to all these military adventurism is good governance," Querubin told The Associated Press. "If the idealist junior officers won't see any change, and I'm not sounding like an alarmist, there maybe some group who may become restive again."

The Association of Generals and Flag Officers Inc., a group of about 700 retired and active military and police generals, said in a statement that the new corruption scandal has demoralized soldiers. They backed ongoing congressional investigations.

The government also said it will support the investigations. The Department of Justice has temporarily placed Rabusa and Mendoza under its witness protection program.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, an Aquino ally, urged soldiers to view the scandals rocking their establishment not as a problem but as an opportunity to clean up the military so they can have "new boots, housing and education for your children." (report from Philstar.com)

Chinese shoppers to Japan set to surge for lunar holiday

TOKYO — Japan is expecting a surge in Chinese visitors during the lunar New Year holiday period, with tourists eager to snap up electronics and other goods in a welcome boost for retailers.

A record 9.44 million foreigners visited Japan last year, with inbound Chinese tourists rising over 34 percent to about 1.6 million, surpassing Taiwan to become no. 2 after South Korea, the nation with the most visitors to Japan.

Even before the start of the holiday on Feb. 3, Chinese shoppers were piling off buses in Tokyo's Akihabara electronics shopping mecca, which some 40 percent of inbound Chinese are believed to visit.

"The number of Chinese customers in our store has increased a lot compared to last month because of the Chinese New Year holiday," said Chen Rui, a sales clerk at the Laox electronics shopping centre, who is originally from the Chinese city of Xian. "Most of them buy electronics such as watches, rice cookers, cameras and camcorders."

To deal with the influx of Chinese shoppers, who surged after visa restrictions were eased last year, the shopping centre has Mandarin-speaking staff, uses signs written in Chinese, and accepts mainland credit card without additional processing fees.

Many customers said they were attracted by the high reputation of Japanese goods as well as a sense that better quality products might be found within Japan itself.

"Japanese products have good quality, and we don't have to worry about buying imitations because they are all genuine," said 50-year-old Li Tienan, who works for a Shanghai-based electronics company.

Chinese tourists spend an average of $1,300 per person, according to estimates by Japan's tourism agency, and are not put off even by the strength of the yen, which last year hit a record high against the yuan.

"I don't care. I would definitely buy some 'Made in Japan' goods since I'm in Japan now," said Liu Hailing, a 39-year-old visitor from Qingdao.

Though the number of Chinese visitors to Japan fell off in the last quarter of 2010 as a long-term territorial dispute between the two nations flared up, Japan's foreign ministry expects that inbound Chinese visitors will eventually reach 10 million a year.

To make visiting still easier, Japan also plans to offer multiple-entry visas for frequent Chinese visitors from this summer. (report from Hyun Oh, Reuters)

(Update) Local stocks end higher on US market rally

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) – The U.S. market's rally on Tuesday enticed investors to go buy Philippine issues that were battered by Egypt's political unrest in the past two sessions.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange jumped by 1.58 percent or 60.58 points to 3,891.07. The broader all-share index gained 1. 29 percent or 38.67 points to 3,033.76.

Trading volume reached 7.96 billion shares valued at 4.07 billion pesos (92.06 million U.S. dollars) with 76 issues advancing, 38 declining and 62 were unchanged.

All six counters finished in the positive, led by the holding firm sector which jumped by as much as 2.45 percent.

"After defying global and regional trends Tuesday, the Philippine Stock Exchange joined its peers Wednesday and finished in the green, snapping a three-day slide," analyst Justino Calaycay of Accord Capital Equities Corp. said.

"Wednesday's rise was widely expected after the local index had given up nearly 4 percent in three days," he added.

Calaycay said the recent developments in both the domestic front and overseas arena has been positive. Investors, he said, are slowly factoring in the political turbulence in Egypt and its near-term impact.

Hence, the analyst said, investors have no further reasons to sell their positions and instead position on the heavily battered issues.

Providing impetus among investors was the 148-point rally of the Dow Jones industrial average index Tuesday after companies continue to report decent earnings and the U.S. manufacturing sector accelerating at its fastest rate in over six years.

Analysts said Philippines' Wednesday performance suggests a possible spillover of the momentum on Thursday's trades. The index will make an initial attempt to restore the 3,900 to 3,930 mark.

Most stocks in the 30-company index closed higher. These issues include Banco de Oro Unibank, Inc., holding firm Alliance Global Group, Inc. and Jollibee Foods Corp. (report from Philstar.com)

3 found dead inside Cavite house — police

Three people were found dead with multiple stab wounds and their heads wrapped with packaging tape inside a house in Cavite on Wednesday, police said.

Cavite police spokesman Chief Inspector Milagros Sanchez identified the victims as Cristy Chavez Saromo, 36; her live-in partner Edgar Zerida; and cousin Dennis Chavez Panganiban, 20.

Police said the victims may have been killed four or five days ago as their hogtied bodies were already in an advance stage of decomposition when found by Saromo’s aunt.

Sanchez said Saromo and Panganiban’s bodies were found in a room while Zerida’s body was found inside the comfort room.

Investigators have yet to establish if valuables were missing from the house of the victims located at Bautista Compound in Barangay Tramo in Kawit town. No weapons were also recovered.

Sanchez said Saromo was about to meet some friends last Saturday morning, but her friends said she did not arrive and did not answer phone calls. They said they even visited her house in the morning and evening.

Sanchez said Saromo’s aunt, Leticia Chavez Solis, 59, tried but failed to contact her by phone for several days. It was Solis who discovered the bodies and reported it to the police. (report from Paterno Esmaquel II/KBK, GMANews.TV)

Chinatown has 'special' parking scheme for Chinese New Year

As the Chinese New Year on February 3 draws near, the police implemented a special parking scheme and tightened security measures in Manila's Chinatown district on Monday.

To ease traffic flow, the Manila Police District (MPD) started implementing on Monday a parking scheme along Ongpin Street in Chinatown where vehicles can only park on one side of the street.

The MPD also deployed additional personnel including tourist police to Chinatown to assist last-minute shoppers, according to radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo.

MPD spokesman Chief Inspector Erwin Margarejo said preparations are being undertaken for the New Year's Eve celebration at the Quirino Grandstand on Wednesday.

Margarejo said they expect some 50,000 people to attend the event on February 2.

Stores asked to use CCTV

The dzBB report said the police also asked store owners in Chinatown to set their closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems on record mode as criminals could exploit the situation.

The police also advised shoppers to take precautions against snatchers and petty thieves.

'Kuligligs' thrive

Meanwhile, "kuligligs" (motorized pedicabs) continue to ply the streets of Chinatown even thought they have been banned from Manila's main roads.

The city government had banned the motorized pedicabs from the city's main streets in December, citing the drivers' tendency to disrupt traffic.

On December 1 last year, the first day of the ban, kuliglig drivers barricaded a key road in Manila and clashed with police.

However, the kuligligs have been observed to continue operating during the holidays and even until now. (report from VVP, GMANews.TV)

Pinoy Tasty a hit among price-conscious Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines - "Mura, masarap, masustansiya" (Cheap, delicious, nutritious).

This is the tagline behind the Pinoy Tasty, a result of the local bakery industry's effort to provide a cheaper alternative to branded loaf breads sold in the market today.

About 400,000 of the 450-gram loaves are bought in supermarkets, groceries, bakeries and convenience stores every month, according to Victorio Dimagiba, director of the Department of Trade and Industry's (DTI) Bureau of Trade Regulation and Consumer Protection.

"It's generic, in a sense. Pinoy Tasty serves the purpose, it's still bread," he said in an interview at Mornings@ANC on Monday.

A number of well-known local bread brands have been manufacturing Pinoy Tasty, but Dimagiba assures that they all follow a standard recipe.

He added that no matter where it is sold, a loaf of Pinoy Tasty costs P38.

Currently, bread is sold at P47 to P57 per loaf.

Aside from the color, it's hard to notice the difference between Pinoy Tasty and the usual loaf bread, Dimagiba claimed. Big bakers were able to slash the price of Pinoy Tasty by taking out non-essential ingredients like eggs, milk, margarine and butter.

"They don't use white sugar or refined sugar, but the cheaper washed sugar. So it's a little bit brownish compared sa branded na white," he said.

He continued, "You won't notice the difference. It tastes the same...It also has iron and vitamin A."

With more bakers joining their cause to offer quality bread at affordable prices, Dimagiba is expecting more than 400,000 Filipinos to patronize the Pinoy Tasty loaf each month. (report from ABS-CBN News)

PAGASA monitors low pressure area off Southern Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines (PNA) -- The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) spotted early Monday morning a low pressure area (LPA) estimated at 480 kilometers east of Southern Mindanao.

PAGASA weather forecaster Raymond Ordinario said that based on satellite and surface data, the weather disturbance, if it retains its present condition, will last until Feb. 5 or 6.

Ordinario said the LPA also has the possibility to develop into a tropical depression, in which case it will be named "Amang."

He said if it maintains its present westward movement, the LPA will course through the southernmost part of Mindanao, possibly affecting parts of the Visayas, and will exit in the eastern section of Southern Luzon.

Meanwhile, Ordinario explained that the rains being experienced in Metro Manila are not the effect of the LPA but of the prevailing northeast monsoon (amihan) throughout Luzon.

According to Ordinario, based on forecast data, rainfalls are now also occurring in Eastern Visayas and Eastern Mindanao. (report from Manila Bulletin)

Writ of kalikasan vs high voltage wires junked

MANILA, Philippines - The Court of Appeals (CA) dismissed a writ of kalikasan petition filed by residents of Magallanes Village, in Makati City and Villamor Air Base, Pasay City that sought a halt to the installation and operation of high-voltage power lines in these subdivisions.

Forty-one residents of Barangay 183, Zone 20 in Villamor, Pasay City, and Magallanes Village, Makati City, filed the petition in November against the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal (NAIA) 3 administrators, Manila International Airport Authority, and the Barangay chairman and council members of Barangay 183, claiming the electromagnetic fields (EMF) produced by the operation of the power lines and the Extreme Low Frequency (ELF) generated by the 115-kilovolt high-voltage wires could lead to "cancer, leukemia in children, Alzheimer's disease, depression, miscarriages, headaches, memory loss, insomnia" and other diseases.

But the court's 24-page decision promulgated last January 20 by the former 17th Division junked the petition stating that petitioners were not able to establish a solid link between the EMF and its impact on petitioners' health and the environment.

"In failing to prove the causal link between the illnesses feared and the EMF generating from Meralco's [Manila Electric Co.] power lines, petitioners have, in fact failed to discharge evidentiary burden," the decision read.

"There is admittedly a glaring absence of any allegation directed against violation of petitioners' right to a balanced and healthful ecology (or the right to health, as insisted by petitioners) and the purported environmental damage arising from the installation and energization of Meralco's sub-transmission lines," the decision read.

The court also found inconclusive, reports of studies on EMF and ELF and its impact on health presented by petitions.

"At best, the data gathered are purely statistical in nature with no scientific evidence or conclusion as to whether the leukemia suffered by the subjects had been caused initially by their exposure to EMF-ELF or the direct impression of some other factor, environmental or otherwise," the decision read.

Petitioners cited Presidential Decree No. 856 or the Sanitation Code of the Philippines, a provision of which states that "high-tension transmission lines shall never pass overhead or underground of residential areas."

But the appellate court ruled that "the construction of the poles and the energization of the sub-transmission lines are far from unauthorized or unlawful. In fact, they are more of a necessity than anything else."

Meralco's evidence indicating that the power lines emit a magnetic field of 16.7 milliGauss (mG),"way below the 833mG exposure limit set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection and adopted by the Department of Health (DoH)" was given weight by the appellate court as well as compliance certificates obtained by the power distribution firm from the local government of Pasay City, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and DOH. (report from Ina Reformina, ABS-CBN News)

Willie Revillame to John Estrada: "Magsolian na tayo ng kandila!"

Ipinahayag ni Willie Revillame ang sama ng loob niya sa kaibigan si John Estrada habang nagaganap ang Willing Willie nung Miyerkules, Jan. 26.

Nabalitaan kasi ni Willie ang pagtanggap ni John sa alok ng ABS-CBN na noontime show. Ani Willie, tinatrabaho na niya ang pagkakaroon ni John at ng isa pa niyang kaibigan na si Randy Santiago na magkaroon ang mga ito ng sariling noontime show sa Singko.

Masama ang loob ni Willie dahil nga sa kasalukuyang kaso niya sa korte laban sa ABS-CBN.

Nasabi tuloy ni Willie kay John: "Maghanap ka na ng ibang best man sa kasal mo!" at "Magsolian na tayo ng kandila."

Matapos makipag-usap kay John sa cellphone, hinarap ni Willie ang audience niya na nakisimpatiya pa sa kanya.

At bago magpatuloy sa game, isinigaw ni Willie ang di inaakalang lalabas sa labi niya: "Eat Bulaga tayo!" (report from PEP.ph)

Soldier hurt in landmine explosion in Davao City

One soldier was injured in a landmine explosion in Paquibato, Davao City, a military spokesman said.

In a statement, Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Santiago said that troops from the 69th Infantry Battalion were securing a road near Paquibato proper when an improvised explosive device fashioned as a landmine exploded at around 6:30 a.m.

The identity of the injured soldier was withheld.

The Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army were tagged by Santiago to be behind the latest bombing.

Due to the explosion, authorities in Davao City postponed their “Service Caravan,” an outreach program by 14 government agencies to provide basic services for Paquibato residents in line with the celebration of “Araw ng Paquibato,” Santiago said. (report from Katherine Evangelista, Inquirer.net)

Starting HRT early raises breast cancer risk: study

WASHINGTON - Women who start hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as they begin to go through menopause have a higher risk of breast cancer than women who start taking the drugs later, researchers reported on Friday.

The findings, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, help answer lingering questions about just who is and who is not at greater risk of side-effects from taking HRT.

The study of more than 1 million British women showed that those who waited five years or more to take HRT had little or no increased risk of breast cancer. But those who started it as they entered menopause had a 43% higher risk.

"In this large study, we found greater risks of breast cancer if hormonal therapy use began either before or soon after menopause than after a longer gap," Dr. Valerie Beral of Britain's Oxford University and colleagues wrote.

"And this pattern of risk was seen across different types of hormonal therapy, among women who used hormonal therapy for either short of long durations, and also in lean and in overweight and obese women."

The findings match those of the US-based Women's Health Initiative, which found women who took HRT right at menopause had a 41% higher risk of breast cancer than those who waited, said Dr. Rowan Chlebowski of the Los Angeles BioMedical Research Institute and Garnet Anderson of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

But, in a commentary on the findings, Chlebowski and Anderson pointed out that the opposite is true of heart disease -- women who start HRT earlier have a lower risk than women who start later.

Before 2002, doctors widely prescribed hormone replacement therapy to lower the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis, both of which go up sharply after menopause, as well as annoying symptoms such as hot flashes.

But the Women's Health Initiative study found HRT raised the risk of heart disease, stroke and breast cancer. Sales of HRT plummeted, especially Wyeth's estrogen-progestin Prempro pills, which have fallen by about 50% since 2001 to around $1 billion a year. Wyeth is now owned by Pfizer.

In 2001, more than 16 million US women took some form of HRT pill, but by 2009 only 6 million did.

Doctors noted that the Women's Health Initiative study involved women whose average age was 63, who took relatively high-dose Prempro pills and who were mostly overweight.

No one was sure what would happen for younger, healthier women taking different formulations.

Beral's team confirmed that no matter which formulation, younger women using HRT raised their risk of breast cancer, but this risk disappeared almost as soon as they stopped.

The overall risk of breast cancer remains low in either group -- less than 1% a year.

Other studies have also shown that breast cancer rates fell as soon as women stopped using HRT. A study from Canada last September found breast cancer rates among older women fell 10% after 2002.

Chelbowski's team reported last October that women who took hormone replacement pills had more advanced breast cancers and were more likely to die from them than women who took a dummy pill. (report from Maggie Fox, Reuters)

Assumption College bomb threat a hoax

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE) - The bomb threat received by the Assumption College in Makati is a hoax, Makati police chief Senior Superintendent Froilan Bonifacio said.

Students of the Assumption College in Makati have been sent home early on Monday after receiving a bomb threat.

A bomb squad had combed the area to check if the threat was real. It was supposedly received at around 9:00 a.m.

ABS-CBN Business Correspondent Maiki Oreta said: “My daughter is in kindergarten there. This morning we've received texts from parents, [it] was also confirmed by a friend of ours from the college department that around 9am this morning they received a bomb threat at the College Department.”

There have been rumors that Ateneo, Mapua and Miriam College also received bomb threats.

An Ateneo media officer denied the news.

The bomb threat comes less than a week after the bus blast in EDSA Avenue in Buendia that killed 5 people and hurt 13 more. (report from abs-cbnNEWS.com)

Report: Bomb threat prompts class suspension in Makati school

An alleged bomb scare prompted the suspension of classes at a private school in Makati City on Monday morning.

Radio dzBB's Denver Trinidad reported that students at the elementary, high school and college levels of the school were instructed to go home.

The report quoted Makati police chief Senior Superintendent Froilan Bonifacio as saying they received the bomb threat as early as Sunday night.

On the other hand, the dzBB report said the school's Office of Student Affairs said the students were sent home "for security reasons."

As of Monday morning, rescue patrols by San Lorenzo village, K-9 units, and a fire truck were deployed to the areas around the school.

No one among the students was seen panicking, the report added. (report from VVP, GMANews.TV)

Indonesian pop star goes on trial for sex tapes

JAKARTA, Indonesia — The trial has opened for an Indonesian pop star who faces possible jail time for making homemade sex videos that found their way onto the Internet — rocking this predominantly Muslim nation.

Singer Nazril "Ariel" Irham has been charged with violating the country's strict anti-pornography law. He faces a maximum of 12 years behind bars and a fine of $600,000.

The 29-year-old said the videos made with two celebrity girlfriends in the privacy of his home were stolen and posted online.

The courtroom was packed with supporters Monday. Outside, hundreds of hard-line Muslims held placards demanding Irham face the maximum penalty. (report from AP / GMANews.tv)