TRINKLED

De La Hoya says one more fight before retiring

Reuters

NEW YORK - Oscar De La Hoya said on Wednesday he was committed to just one more fight this year before retiring.

"One more and that's it. ... This is my final year. I'm doing one fight and hanging up the gloves," De La Hoya told Reuters in a telephone interview to promote his new autobiography, "American Son."

De La Hoya threw down the gauntlet to the recently retired Floyd Mayweather Jr, saying if Mayweather wanted to fight him again it had to be soon.

The undefeated Mayweather, 31, announced his retirement from boxing last week, denying fans a rematch with De La Hoya after Mayweather defeated the "Golden Boy" in a split decision last year in a WBC light middleweight title bout.

They were due to fight again in September but Mayweather retired.

"The time is running out. If Mayweather is playing these little games thinking he can catch me at an older age next year, it's not going to happen. It has to happen by this year," said De La Hoya.

De La Hoya previously had planned one final bout in December after the Mayweather fight but was clear on Wednesday there would be just one more fight in 2008. He said he is committed to fighting at 154 pounds , meaning any opponent would have to adjust to that weight.

"Manny Pacquiao is calling me out. He can jump up two or three weight classes and challenge me," De La Hoya said. "There's and interesting fight happening, Miguel Cotto against Margarito , that should be interesting to watch. Maybe I can get the winner. We'll see."

De La Hoya, born in East Los Angeles to Mexican parents, rose to fame by winning a gold medal for the United States in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and won the nickname "Golden Boy" for his good looks and wholesome image.

He won professional acclaim by defeating Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez in 1996 and has won championships at six weight classes. At age 35 he has a record of 39-5 with 30 knockouts.

OFW remittances up 16% in Feb vs year ago

Reuters

Remittances from Filipinos working overseas rose 16 percent to $1.3 billion in February from a year ago, the central bank said on Tuesday.

Remittances from over eight million Filipinos, around 10 percent of the population, have boosted domestic consumption and the inflows are a key plank of the economy.

Ancestral domain accord opens door to MILF declaration of independence: analysts

By ISAGANI DE CASTRO, JR.
/Newsbreak

The ancestral domain agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front grants the armed separatist group the status of belligerency and opens the door for a self-declaration of independence, a former member of the governments negotiating panel said.

In a panel discussion last Monday organized by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and the Cotabato-based Institute for Autonomy and Governance , Fr. Eliseo Mercado said that if the Arroyo government fails to implement the ancestral domain accord, it gives the MILF reason to declare independence.

Mercado, a former member of the government negotiating panel with the MILF, said the essence of the agreement on ancestral domain is not on the expansion of the Moro homeland but on its concept.

"This is the first time that Ive seen a document as such. You have all the elements of a state," he said. "That entitles the Bangsamoro to a self-declaration . Because its all there: youve been recognized, you have territory, you have self-determination, your ancestral domain is your birthright, its not part of the public domain."

Camilo Montesa, a lawyer and policy adviser of the think-tank IAG, agreed with Mercado, saying the MOA already contains the elements of the stateā€”government, people, territory, and "concedes international recognition."

Mercado praised the MILF negotiators for doing a good job pushing their agenda in the peace talks through the MOA on ancestral domain.

Mercado said the MOA is not just a "symbolic recognition" of the Moro people and state but "a real recognition."

He said the government may have agreed to grant this as "restitution of historical injustices" against the Moro people or it could be a "formula for peace and development."

Must show good faith

In order to avoid a situation that would push the MILF to declare independence, Mercado said the Arroyo government must implement the next steps of the accord, particularly the plebiscite that would expand the ARMM.

Under the MOA, the ARMM, composed of Sulu, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, and Marawi City, will be expanded to include more than 700 villages in the provinces of Sultan Kudarat, Lanao del Norte, and North Cotabato, "subject to plebiscite."

If it fails to realize this, Mercado said this situation would give the MILF the chance to say the government "negotiated in bad faith," which will "open the MILF to go for a self-declaration [of independence]."

While President Arroyo may be able to convince Congress to support a plebiscite, Mercado said the more difficult part of the next phase is the need to change the constitution that would legitimize the Moro homeland through a shift to a federal system of government.

Mercado said it may not be feasible to have this shift under Arroyo, and the MILF may be willing to wait for the next president instead of going to war to achieve its goals.

Montesa had the same view as Mercado. He said: "If GRP fails to convince Congress to go on a campaign for cha-cha, then the MILF has two decisions: either they will let it pass, wait for the next President; or, they will break the talks and do a self-declaration ala Kosovo. Why? Because the elements of a state are already agreed upon in the MOA."

Can Arroyo deliver?

On whether President Arroyo can really deliver on what the government has promised the MILF, Mercado said "the president will deliver what is deliverable on the part of the president."

However, he said the president will not guarantee the deliverable that needs an act of Congress, such as a law calling for a plebiscite and the eventual shift to a federal form of government. "That depends on Congress. Congress should do the best effort."

Mercado said he believed that the Arroyo government was negotiating with the MILF in bad faith since it doesnt appear that it will be able to deliver on its promises.

He said the Arroyo government is now "unpopular" and incapable of fulfilling its commitments in the MOA on ancestral domain.

"The government has no social capital, it is unpopular. So that means, if they sign now, Im asking government, are they signing this MOA for a feather in their hat but they will not deliver? If there is no intention to deliver, then the government has negotiated in bad faith, and the MILF will be on high moral high ground. Then they will declare a Kosovo type-independence," Mercado said.

North Cotabato Vice-Governor Emmanuel PiƱol said that if the Arroyo government signs the MOA on ancestral domain, it would "open a new door" for the MILF and allow it to claim that they "have already established a state."

Give accord a chance

Lawyer Soliman Santos, a peace advocate and an expert on peace talks with Moro separatists, stressed the need for a national discussion that would help clarify and educate the people on the peace process, including on the ancestral domain agreement and issues such as belligerency.

He said the signing of the MOA on ancestral domain represents an opportunity to finally settle the armed conflict with Moro rebels in southern Philippines.

"Weve had this Bangsamoro problem with us for so long, and maybe this is the opportune moment," Santos said. "This could be some kind of a watershed for taking stock of things."

He suggested that the period between the signing of the MOA on ancestral domain and the final comprehensive peace agreement with the MILF is the "critical period" for a national discussion on the peace process.

"In questions of process, questions of substance--is this granting belligerency status to MILF, is this a prelude to a Kosovo-type solution, lets clear the air on this and try to focus energy and concerns in getting clear about what are problems, what are solutions, how we should go about this as much as possible without a return to arms, or a return to war, even on the MILF side," Santos said.

Air21 aims for solo lead

The Air21 Express will attempt to gain the number one spot at the PBA standings when they face the Welcoat Dragons at the Araneta Coliseum Wednesday.
"Everyone in the team pretty much understands the significance of this game," Air21 coach Bo Perasol was quoted as saying in a report posted on PBA.ph.
Air21 is currently tied for first place with Coca-Cola and Red Bull at 9-6 after scoring a 112-111 victory over Talk ā€˜N Text.
The last time the Express was close to getting the top spot was before they faced Alaska. The Aces, however, escaped with an 84-82 decision.
To make sure his troops will not fumble on their newfound chance, Perasol urged his players "to keep on aiming high and be consistent with what we do."
Meanwhile, Welcoat only has three more games remaining in their campaign.
It, however, remains hopeful to stay in contention as its team management decided to axe import guard Corey Santee in favor of assistant coach Alex Compton.
In their first meeting that took place two months ago, Air21 defeated Welcoat, 105-96. Nothing much has changed from then as the Dragons continue to struggle and have lost seven of their last nine games.
Nevertheless, the possibility of the Dragons getting back at the Express is not completely remote.

US, Asian powers call for gradual end to subsidies

Agence France-Presse
AOMORI - The United States and Asia's four largest economies called here Saturday for a "gradual" end to fuel price subsidies, but India and China signaled they would not move soon.
US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman met with leaders of Japan, China, India and South Korea in Aomori, Japan, for talks that come one day after the highest single-day rise in crude oil prices.
"We recognize that, moving forward, phased and gradual withdrawal of price subsidies for conventional energies is desirable," the five nations said in a joint statement.
They said subsidies "should be replaced wherever possible by better targeted policies for intended beneficiaries."
Developing economies tend to heavily subsidize fuel costs in a bid to ease the burden on the poorest members of society.
India and Indonesia have recently been forced to hike prices amid soaring global crude oil costs, triggering large anti-government demonstrations in the two countries.
India's oil minister, Murli Deora, cancelled his attendance at the talks in Japan at the last minute. He was replaced by India's ambassador to Japan, Hemant Krishan Singh.
Singh said it was not "accurate or correct" to describe the statement as an agreement to remove subsidies now.
"This matter was raised in the meeting and responses and comments were exchanged. But no, there was no agreement to remove subsidies," he said.
"We are still not in the position to move to the fully market determined pricing. In the long-term, I would say each country would have to devise its own plans with regard of levels of subsidies," he said.
He said the minister could not come to Japan "because of the important, difficult but essential decisions which we have been taking back home" regarding fuel price hikes.
Zhang Guobao, vice chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission, also did not indicate any time frame for moving towards lowering subsidies.
"China is still a developing country and has weak industries, such as agriculture, and public transport, such as taxis," Zhang told reporters.
"We have to move while giving careful consideration to social and political stability," he said. "We need elaborate political preparations."
Japan, which imports nearly all of its oil, has pushed for an easing of subsidies, arguing that they artificially move prices on the market.
Akira Amari, Japan's energy minister and host of the talks, said what they agreed upon was "the need" to remove subsidies.
He said removing subsidies was "a painful decision," but "there is great significance in that we agreed to tackle this matter with courage."
"There would be difference in speed depending on situations individual countries are facing," Amari acknowledged.
The joint statement said "undistorted and market-based energy pricing" would help "enhance energy efficiency and increase investment in alternative sources of energy."
"This could also lead to reduction in the government cost and greater integration of the domestic and global energy economies," it said.

China offers 10 million dollars for Myanmar cyclone: Wen

Agence France-Presse
YINGXIU, China - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Saturday pledged 10 million dollars to a global effort to help Myanmar overcome the devastation left by the cyclone that struck the neighboring nation this month.
China is the closest political ally of military-run Myanmar, which faced heavy international criticism for rejecting foreign aid workers.
Wen pledged the 10 million dollars when meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who toured the destroyed epicenter of the May 12 earthquake that struck southwest China.
Ban had one day earlier held talks in Myanmar with the ruling generals and said he had persuaded them to accept international relief some three weeks after Cyclone Nargis, which left 133,000 people dead or missing.
Ban, who praised China's response to the disaster, returns to Myanmar on Sunday where he will chair an international donor conference to help the nation.
China has also been accepting international aid after the earthquake, which has killed more than 60,000 people and which Wen said may claim more than 80,000 lives.
The UN has pledged eight million dollars in relief supplies to China.

Jimmy Fallon to succeed Conan on NBC talk show

LOS ANGELES - "Saturday Night Live" veteran Jimmy Fallon will take Conan O'Brien's place on NBC next year when O'Brien succeeds Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show, a person familiar with the deal said on Thursday.
The two leading showbiz trade magazines, Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, both reported that a formal announcement of plans to install Fallon in O'Brien's place as host of NBC's "Late Night" show would likely come next month.
Fallon, long considered a leading contender for the 12:35 a.m. slot, will complete an NBC talent shuffle set in motion when the network announced in 2004 that Leno would retire from "Tonight" in 2009 and that O'Brien would replace him.
Fallon's publicist had no comment. Nor did NBC, the flagship broadcast company of the General Electric Co-controlled NBC Universal.
But network executive Rick Ludwin said last year that the former "Saturday Night Live" writer-performer was a front-runner to succeed O'Brien.
Fallon, 33, appeared on "SNL" for six seasons and co-hosted its "Weekend Update" segment. He left the show to focus on making features, although such efforts as "Fever Pitch" and "Taxi" fell flat at the box office.
His impending move to "Late Night" stems from a development deal he signed with NBC in early 2007.
It was not clear whether he would move into O'Brien's New York studio, which will become vacant when O'Brien moves to Los Angeles to take over the 11:35 p.m. slot.
Like Fallon, O'Brien cut his comedy-writing teeth on "Saturday Night Live" before landing the "Late Night" job, but he had far less on-screen time than Fallon. "SNL" is produced by Lorne Michaels, whose company co-produces "Late Night."
O'Brien made his "Late Night" debut in 1993 after the original host of the franchise, David Letterman, jumped to CBS to go head-to-head against Leno, following Johnny Carson's retirement from "The Tonight Show" a year earlier.
Leno is said to be privately unhappy about his planned departure, and rival networks are quietly, unofficially courting him with offers to come work for them once his NBC contract is up.
However, NBC executives have said they are looking at various options for keeping Leno in the network fold, including a possible move to prime-time television.

Nograles mulls E-VAT removal on farm inputs

Despite a proposed increase in governments agricultural spending for 2009, the House of Representatives may consider adjusting the executive departments projections on funding sources of the proposed P1.415 trillion national budget for 2009 to give way to proposals that would remove the expanded value added tax on farm inputs, the Speaker said on Friday.

Speaker Prospero Nograles said, in a statement, that while the proposed national spending budget showed a huge increase in funding for the agriculture sector, particularly on its FIELDS program , the removal of the EVAT on certain farm inputs might still be necessary to increase the country's food production.

Based on the initial findings of the House Committee on Agriculture chaired by Palawan congressman Baham Mitra which is conducting regional consultations nationwide, one of the biggest problems confronting our farmers is the high cost of fertilizers and other farm inputs, aside from the severe shortage in post-harvest facilities, he explained.

Nograles said that he assigned Mitras committee to find out if the P70.3 billion proposed appropriation for the agriculture and agrarian sectors, is really enough to support the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act which is besieged with funding problems.

The P70.3 billion proposed appropriation for the agriculture and agrarian sectors represent a 63.5% increase in funding, from its 2008 level of P27.3 billion.

Indeed this is a huge increase in funding for our agriculture sector but the lifting of the EVAT on farm inputs might be a more direct approach to help our farmers. Since we have already given up any prospect of having a balanced budget for 2009, we might as well absorb some damage in terms of EVAT revenues and go all-out to help our farmers, Nograles said.

Nograles said that Mitra's concern should prompt Congress to continue its comprehensive review of the country's fiscal policies to find ways to bring down food production cost and increase the viability of the agriculture sector.

Apart from education, we have to invest on our agriculture sector to achieve food security. Agriculture is one sector that the Philippines have so much potential. We may not be able to produce our own fuel but as long as we have enough food to feed our people, we can survive the economic challenges that confront even the world's leading economies, Nograles said.

Perry keeps cool for third win

Reuters

CHICAGO - American Kenny Perry won a three-way play-off to win the John Deere Classic at Silvis, Illinois Sunday and claim his third win in his last five PGA events.

Perry went into the final hole with a one-shot lead but made a hash of a chip to the green and bogeyed the 18th to leave him in a three-way play-off with Brad Adamonis and Jay Williamson.

The 47-year-old Perry kept his cool in the play-off, making a par while his two rivals found water and bogeyed.

"I felt like I gave it away and they gave it back to me. But I fought hard, produced key shots at the right time. That was a great win for me," said Perry.

Williamson's finish was enough to earn him an invitation to next week's British Open.

Organizers of the John Deere Classic, in order to attract the best possible field, had organized on a chartered plane to take players directly to Manchester to prepare for the Open.

Perry has already decided not to play the tournament, which starts at Royal Birkdale on Thursday and confirmed after Sunday's play he would not change his mind and would play instead in the Milwaukee Championship next week.

Perry, who focused his entire season on the Ryder Cup and was reluctant to change plans, has now risen to second in the FedEx Cup standings after adding to his victories at the Memorial Tournament and the Buick Open.

Perry's victory equals his previous best season, in 2003 when he also picked up three tournament wins.

"It's just my time. I don't why it is happening but things are just going my way," said Perry.

The win should have come inside regular play but with victory in sight on the 18th, he chipped right over the green to the back verge. Forced to chip again he fell short with a chunky shot and ended up bogeying the par four hole.

In the playoff, the water to the left of the green on 18 proved to be the downfall of first Adamonis, who drove from the trees into the lake with his second shot and then Williamson, who from a decent fairway position hooked into the water.

Federer sent crashing by Blake

BEIJING - Top seed Roger Federer was sent crashing out of the Olympic Games on Thursday when US number one James Blake pulled off a shock 6-4, 7-6 quarter-final victory.

Federer, who is enduring the worst season of his career, was broken when serving for the first set and crushed in the second-set tie-break, ending his bid for a first Olympic medal.

It was Federer's third defeat in six matches since losing his five-year Wimbledon crown. The 27-year-old Swiss is also set to be supplanted by Rafael Nadal on Monday after four-and-a-half years as world number one.

Blake, wearing a red headband to go with his white shirt and blue shorts, started with grim intent and Federer needed a service winner to stave off a break point in game eight.

The American earned another chance at 5-4 when Federer went long after a pulsating rally. The Swiss then produced an incredible leaping backhand from behind the baseline but dunked his next shot into the net to go a set down.

Federer lacked his usual aggression, looking content to rally and misfiring with the serve and forehand. Blake capitalised by forcing three break points in game two of the second set, going ahead when Federer put a backhand long.

The scare seemed to spark Federer into action and he broke back at 1-3 when Blake swiped a backhand into the tramlines.

Boos erupted when a camera-toting spectator started snapping Federer while he was serving at 3-4, earning sharp words from the Swiss and a rebuke from the chair umpire.

As tension mounted, Federer held off Blake in two service games to force the tie-break. But the aggressive Blake, pummelling the Swiss with his big forehand, raced to a 4-1 lead.

He put away his first match point when Federer's service return went long, dropping to his knees and screaming in delight.

Blake had lost all eight of their previous matches, winning only one set in five years of trying.

The American missed the 2004 Games during a traumatic spell when he broke his neck, lost his father to cancer and developed shingles.

Federer finished fourth in 2000 but was shocked in round two four years ago early in his reign as world number one.

Nadal is playing Austria's Jurgen Melzer later while France's Paul-Henri Mathieu and Gael Monfils are up against Fernando Gonzalez and Novak Djokovic respectively in the other quarter-finals.

Federer was beaten by Gilles Simon in Canada and then fell to Ivo Karlovic in Cincinnati before arriving in Beijing, where he beat Dmitry Tursunov, Rafael Arevalo and Tomas Berdych to reach the last eight.

China buries quake dead as new aftershock hits

Reuters
BEICHUAN, China - China struggled to bury its dead and help tens of thousands of injured and homeless on Friday when a powerful aftershock brought new havoc four days after an earthquake thought to have killed more than 50,000.
President Hu Jintao flew to the battered province of Sichuan and Premier Wen Jiabao said the quake damage could exceed the devastating 1976 tremor in the northeastern city of Tangshan that killed up to 300,000 people.
Wen called on officials to ensure social stability as frustration and exhaustion grew among survivors, many of whom lost everything and were living in tents or in the open air.
China put the death toll at just over 22,000 on Friday but has said it expects it to exceed 50,000. About 4.8 million people have lost their homes.
Thousands of men, women and children were heading by foot for Mianyang, a city near the epicenter, saying they were abandoning their ruined villages for good.
Anger has focused on the state of school buildings, many of which crumpled in Monday's 7.9 magnitude quake, burying thousands of children and prompting the Housing Ministry to order an investigation.
Hu and Wen stressed that searching for and rescuing survivors remained the top priority.
"We cannot talk about giving up too easily," Wen said. "Life should go on. I believe people in the quake area can definitely build their hometown even better with their own hands. That is also the biggest consolation for the dead."
The country is on precautionary alert against possible radiation leaks, according to government website seen on Friday.
The disaster area is home to China's chief nuclear weapons research lab in Mianyang, as well as several secretive atomic sites, but no nuclear power stations.
The Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics, also known as the Southwest Institute, in Mianyang is the primary design laboratory for Chinese nuclear weapons, according to www.globalsecurity.org .
A Western expert with knowledge of the Mianyang lab had said it was unlikely it was at serious risk.
As officials assessed the risk, thousands of residents from Beichuan, one of the areas worst hit by the quake, streamed down the road away from the town, carrying babies, bags and suitcases as they left in search of shelter.
The town was a scene of devastation, with virtually every building either demolished or damaged beyond habitation.
To the south, in the village of Houzhuang, residents said they were coping on their own, aid and troops yet to reach them.
"We ate some corn, but now we are suffering from diarrhea after drinking water from the ditch for two days," a resident said.
Buckled roads, landslides
The aftershock, measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale, hit Lixian, to the west of the epicenter in Wenchuan, cutting off newly repaired roads and telecommunications.
"A number of vehicles were buried in landslides. The casualties were not known," Xinhua news agency said, adding four of its reporters narrowly escaped death when a house collapsed.
China has mobilized 130,000 army and paramilitary troops to the disaster area, but with buckled and blocked roads, supplies and rescuers have struggled to reach the worst-hit areas.
Offers of help have also flooded in. The first foreign rescue team, a group of about 60 people from Japan, reached Sichuan on Friday. Rescue teams from Russia, Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore have also arrived in the province.
At China's request, the World Food Program said it was sending enough ready-to-eat meals for 118,000 people.
Despite the growing death toll, rescuers were still finding survivors among the rubble.
A 50-year-old worker was rescued from a collapsed fertilizer plant after being trapped for about 100 hours, a witness said.
At least six people in Beichuan were rescued on Friday, including three school girls 87 hours after the tremor.
Many raised questions about school construction.
In Dujiangyan, a school collapse buried 900 students. In Wufu, nearly every building in the village withstood the quake but for a primary school, whose collapse killed about 300.
"Our child wasn't killed by the earthquake. She and the others were killed by a derelict building. The officials knew it was unsafe," said Bi Kaiwei, whose daughter, 13, was killed.
Rescuers found two girls, one in a coma and the other dead, holding hands in the ruins of their school, Xinhua said.
Housing Minister Jiang Weixin said the schools weren't designed to withstand such a powerful earthquake, but added corruption was a possible cause.
"At this stage we cannot rule out the possibility that there has been shoddy work and inferior materials," Jiang told a news conference in Beijing.
There were also concerns about epidemics if the dead were not soon buried or cremated.
"A lot of tourists have been killed. We don't know how to deal with the bodies, some of which have been highly decomposed, but their relatives will come to look for them," an army officer in the badly hit Yinmugou resort in Pengzhou told Sichuan TV.
"I am really worried about epidemics," he said.
Hundreds of damaged dams have also raised fears of collapse or flooding that could inundate towns and cities that are already struggling to recover from the quake.
China has asked the United States for satellite images to help locate victims and identify damaged infrastructure.
The Science and Technology minister also requested talks with U.S. experts on preventing disease, said U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt.

Uni-Bikers roll over Patriots, 10-5, in Baseball Series action

The Uni-Bikers of Dumaguete City asserted their dominance of the Patriots of Taguig for the second straight day en route to a 10-5 win Sunday afternoon at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

Dumaguete banked on the performance of top pitcher Darwin dela Calzada while Bambol Servo and Andro Cuyugan led the offense that produced 13 hits in the contest to pulsate the Patriots for the third straight time this tournament.

With the victory, the Uni-Bikers extended their series against the Taguig, who held a twice-to-beat incentive, into a winner-take-all match for the semifinal slot on Saturday morning.

The winner meets the league-leading Manila Sharks in the semis.

Dela Calzada cruised through six innings of effortless pitching by allowing just six hits and striking out three batters in the process.

Servo made two hits and three runs-batted-in to pace the Uni-Bikers offense while Cuyugan, also a right fielder for the RP national team, went a perfect 4-for-4 while recording five runs.

Servo, the 34-year old starting shortstop, broke a 1-1 tie in the third inning on a double to left field off losing pitcher Ernesto Binarao that scored Denver Largo from third and Cuyugan from second base to grab a 3-1 edge.

In the fifth inning, the Uni-Bikers padded their lead to 4-2 when Servo hit another shot to left to send home Cuyugan for the fourth time in the game with one out.

Dumaguete then pulled away with a four-run sixth frame to grab a 9-2 lead after Francisco Ramos, Justine Payongayong, Largo, and Cuyugan all scored while Taguig struggled on the field with two errors off poor throws by third baseman Rizel Santos and catcher Melvin de Castro.

But the Patriots made the game interesting a bit in the eighth after a three-run output but a single by Culubong in the lower half of the said inning settled the final score as he drove home Cuyugan from third base.

Edmer del Socorro gave Dumaguete the first run in the opening inning by helping Cuyugan to score on a two-out single.

However, Forward Taguig tied it up after Ernesto Binarao scored on a throwing error in the second inning.

Ermita: Terrorists still plotting to infiltrate street protests

As more anti-Arroyo protest actions are set in coming days a MalacaƱang official on Thursday again floated the government's suspicion that terrorists are planning to take advantage of the current political situation in the country by infiltrating street rallies.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, in his keynote speech at the Protect 2008 conference in Makati City, said even if there are laws that are against terrorism, the country should be vigilant and alert against possible attacks.
Ermita who is also the chairman of the Anti-Terrorism Council said that the current political situation is an ideal target for terrorists, and that intelligence reports indicate that terror groups have been infiltrating rallies and assemblies.
Ermita said two suspected terrorists from the Middle East who are involved in the plot have been arrested by the authorities prior to the large interfaith rally last February 29 in Makati.
The Palace executive, however, declined to give more details, but he said that this was proof that certain groups are working on plans to create terror and havoc on these assemblies as these activities get more support.
Ermita assured, however, that he was able to speak to opposition leader Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, and the city executive assured that they won't allow the infiltration of these rallies.
The latest information from MalacaƱang came days before new anti-Arroyo rallies are set to be launched by members of civil society groups and activist organizations for next week.
Ermita clarified that the government is not making the revelations to sway people from joining the March 14 protest action.
The Philippine National Police made a similar revelation hours before the "interfaith rally" in Makati City last February 29. The demonstration, however, was attended by an estimated crowd of 75,000.
Arroyo slay plot
PNP chief Director General Avelino Razon Jr. said the terror suspect who was plotting to assassinate President Arroyo was arrested. He said the suspect was Middle Eastern.
The kill plot on Mrs. Arroyo was revealed two weeks before the interfaith rally. Razon said the plot was uncovered after the police got hold of a document, written in Arabic.
Police said the document detailed a terror group's plan to bomb Mrs. Arroyo's convoy. The document also revealed the group's plan to bomb foreign embassies in Manila, the police claimed.
New RP anti-terror think tank
At the Protect 2008 conference, Ermita announced the creation of the government's terrorism think-tank, Philippine Institute for Political Violence and Terrorism Research.
Discussed during the forum was the global terrorist trend, where presentations were shown of how the terrorists get funds for attacks.
The presence of Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah and Abu Sayyaf's presence in Mindanao were also discussed during the forum.

Beer-sipping clients have taxes done in a bar

HOBOKEN, New Jersey - The sounds of the Rolling Stones pour from the speakers while beer glasses are filled and a jovial game of darts takes place 10 feet away.
It's just another night at the office for Carmine Sodora, certified public accountant.
Sodora founded Tavern Tax in 2005. For 10 weeks leading up to the April 15 deadline to submit U.S. income tax returns, he brings his tax-filing services to bars on weekday nights and weekend afternoons. He didn't know of anyone else offering such a service.
"I always say to people, 'Where's your beer? I can't have one but you can,'" Sodora said.
Although this year he has focused on Hoboken -- a small New Jersey city across the Hudson River from Manhattan, and home to 53 bars and a young population -- he has worked out of New York City bars in the past.
"I was looking to expand my personal tax business. It's primarily to go after a demographic -- yuppies," the 30-year-old said, referring to young urban professionals. "I've seen a 75 percent repeat, year after year."
At an Irish pub on Wednesday night, Sodora set up shop under a "Tavern Tax" sign with a fold-up table covered with a framed photo of laughing friends, his laptop and a lamp.
One by one, clients relaxed in the chair across from him, handing over documents and sipping on beer.
"It's more relaxed. Everyone hates to do their taxes," said Hoboken resident Juliet Murphy, 32. "If you can combine it with something you like, it numbs the tax pain."

Unioil starts new round of P0.50/L hike in pump prices

Independent oil firm Unioil Petroleum Phils. has started a new round of increases in prices as it announced a P0.50 per liter hike on its products starting Saturday midnight.
In a statement, Unioil said the oil price hike is "due to the continued increase in the prices of petroleum products in the world market."
The fresh oil price increase will take effect 12:01 a.m., Saturday.
This will be the seventh consecutive weekend where oil companies hiked pump prices by P0.50 per liter.
ABS-CBN News correspondent Charo Logarta reported that the crude oil in the world market increased by one dollar, from $96.76 per barrel last March to $98.02 this April.
For the global trade for unleaded gas leaped from $109.78 per barrel to $114.07 per barrel while diesel hiked from $135.72 to $129.04 in the period of March to April.
Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes admitted that the government could not stop the increase of oil prices due to the global market forces.
"We have to accept na mataas ang presyo ng gasolina. Eh kung ang US nga walang magawa tayo pa kaya," Reyes said.
Minimum fare hike?
The successive hikes in pump prices has compelled transport groups to renew efforts to ask the government for a P1.50 increase in the minimum fare for jeepney and P2.00 increase for bus.
Once granted, the minimum fare would be P9 for the first five kilometers for jeeps while P10 for buses.
Jeepney operators said that they will also be asking the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board P0.75 for every succeeding kilometer after the first five kilometers while bus operators would be seeking P0.35 for every kilometer.
Provincial bus operators meanwhile were reported to be eyeing an increase of 30% in their fare.
Transport groups however said that they may not push through with their petitions if the government would immediately implement a single-ticketing system in n Metro Manila, intensify the campaign against "colorum" transport operators and campaign against "kotong" or cops mulcting drivers of public transports. They also asked oil companies to increase the discount in pump prices for public utility vehicles.
"Eh kung pwede tatlong piso eh di hindi na namin kailangan magtaas at kung sana maaring dagdagan nila ang mga station, kasi ngayon iilan lang ang nakikinabang talaga diyan sa discount nila," said Zenaida Maranan, president of the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers of the Philippines.

DA has yet to submit reports on funds given to questionable NGOs

Akbayan Rep. Ana Theresia Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel on Tuesday said that the Department of Agriculture has yet to submit documents and present people that would explain the irregularities in the disbursement of funds of the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani program where questionable foundations are involved. I already posted questions yesterday at the appropriation sub-committee hearing for DA as to why the COA reports indicated that these beneficiary non-government organizations did not follow the guidelines regarding the reception of these funds, certifications that they really are located within the locality, submission of project proposals, monitoring whether they are still using the same address or have moved to another place, and the submission of liquidation reports, Baraquel told dzMM. The House of Representatives is currently probing the funds and its disbursement to alleged questionable foundations before approving DAs 2009 budget. P176M to Antipolo foundation The COA reported that an Antipolo Philantrophy Foundation is the biggest recipient of the Department of Agricultures budget, receiving a whopping P146.6M in 2007 and P30M in February 2008. The COA however was not able find APFIs office in the Antipolo City address it listed in documents submitted to the DA and instead found a school in its place. The DA-RFU IV did not monitor the fund transfers to APFI, resulting in the accumulation of unliquidated cash advances in the amount of P146M. Despite non-liquidation of previous fund transfers, the DA-RFU IV released the amount of P30M in February 2008, COA said. Aside from APFI, private groups that received funds from DA Secretary Arthur Yaps office were the National Organization for Agricultural Enhancement and Productivity, Inc., P44M; Commoners Foundation, Inc., P9.1M; Las Marias Foundation, Inc., P34M; Coprahan and Gulayan Foundation, Inc., P31M; Gabay Masa Development Foundation, P5M; Samahan ng Manininda ng Prutas at Gulay sa Gabi, Inc., P20M; and Aaron Foundation, Inc. The COA said that these foundations together with APFI were of questionable legitimacy. Aside from APFI, there are 18 more foundations that receive funds from the DA budget. Baraquel said that it is the DAs obligation to present all documents of these foundations in the budget deliberation, along with the people behind them. Baraquel said that the DA promised to submit the documents as early as they can, hopefully by next week. Yap: We have liquidation reports Yap meanwhile said that the agriculture department has reports on the utilization of funds as he dismissed allegations of questionable transactions by his department. We have liquidation reports regarding those which are being submitted to COA now. That is their opinion and we are submitting our answers to COA now, said Yap in text message to ABS-CBN News Yap appealed to those hurling accusations of another so-called scam to await their submission of documents before drawing conclusions. Let us give the DA and the foundations time to answer the COA findings before we go into branding this as a scam, it is not fair to the parties involved, said Yap. New rice scam? Based on a report by COA, as of 2007, billions of agriculture funds end up in irregularities. This, claimed Arroyo critics, includes the alleged new rice scam under the GMA program. The 2007 irregularities were said to be a repeat of the anomalies that the COA revealed in 2004. Specifically, P728M fertilizer funds were released to congressman-allies of President Arroyo as well as to more than 50 administration mayors and governors. Some of the foundations involved in the alleged 2007 fund diversion were purportedly to be the same ones used by politicians to skim tens of millions of pesos from the fertilizer funds. Former Senator Jun Magsaysay, who investigated the alleged fertilizer scam, had said he was dismayed at the new rice scam. He said the DA and Malacañang ought to be scrutinized in light of this report. He has led in the investigation of former Agriculture Undersecretary Joselyn Joc-Joc Bolante and the funds supposedly allocated for farmers. DA Secretary Arthur Yap, however, explained that his agency and Malacañang should not be the one to be held accounted for COAs findings. He said that although funds go through them, the ones who directly implement the projects are the local officials. With reports from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News and The Philippine Star

Pacquiao-Marquez fight begins

The much-awaited rematch between Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao and WBC super featherweight Juan Manuel Marquez has officially stared at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Nevada, Saturday .

Filipino singer Ciara Sotto sang the Philippine national anthem during the opening ceremonies.

Whoever wins the fight will not only secure the WBC championship belt but will also win the brand new Ring Magazine belt for the super featherweight division.

The Ring Magazine is considered as the "Bible" of boxing.

Prior the rematch, Pacquiao was coming of a win over Marco Antonio Berrera, whom he defeated via unanimous decision in October 2007.

Marquez, on the other hand, successfully defended his title against Rocky Juarez in Novermber 2007. He won the title from Barrera in March 2007.

The rematch between Pacquiao and Marquez took four years in the making since the two fought into a controversial draw in 2004.

Couples hope to bring home the bacon in British marriage ritual

Agence France-Presse
LONDON - A bizarre ritual dating back to the 12th century in which the couple who can prove to a mock-court that they have the happiest marriage wins half a pig takes place in Britain Saturday.
The Dunmow Flitch Trials in Essex, east England, feature a judge and jury of "six maidens and six bachelors" who hear each couple tell the story of their marriage, from how they met to the proposal and how their families reacted.
The trials -- mentioned in medieval poet Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" -- are held every four years and this time feature five couples who have been married for at least "a year and a day", in line with the rules.
Jeff Dotts from the US, who is taking part with wife Erin Albers, told BBC radio: "The story was just too much for us to pass up -- what better way for you to express your love for your wife than by trying to win bacon?"

Two drown in Sarangani beach resort

Two persons, including a 12-year-old girl, drowned at a beach resort in the municipality of Glan in Sarangani province over the weekend. The victims' families lashed out at the resort's management for alleged lack of lifeguards and safety measures.

Rescuers are still searching for the body of Kimberly Rufo, 12, who was swept by a strong wave Friday last week at Butal Beach resort. Another victim. Felix Lim, 39, drowned while saving his nine-year-old boy.

The Lims are reportedly family friends of the Rufos.

Rufos parents said the girl did not know how to swim so she opted to stay on the shore. Big waves, however, knocked her down and pulled her into the water.

ā€œThe management failed to act on the situation. Up until now, they havent found her body,ā€ Jimmy Rufo, Kimberlys father, said.

Lims wife, meanwhile, said only residents near the area tried to rescue him.

ā€œThe resort shouldnt have been given a business permit. It doesnt have lifeguards and even life jackets,ā€ said Marivic Lim, the victim's widow.

Management denied the allegations, saying when the lifeguards noticed that the weather was turning bad, they immediately advised the swimmers to get out of the water.

Glan Mayor Enrique Yap also reminded the Rufos that the search operations would normally take time especially during the bad weather.

Yap, however, assured the family that the Philippine Coast Guard is working double time to find the childs body.

DSWD: Family Access Card not tamper-proof

Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral on Tuesday admitted that the Family Access Card for the government's rice subsidy for poor Filipinos can be tampered.

"We are doing all we can to make sure that the card's security will be strict, but I can't assure that these cards will be tamper-proof," Cabral told radio dzMM.

Cabral said she expects some people to produce fake Family Access Cards as she believes "Filipinos can fake almost everything."

The social welfare secretary said the Family Access Cards that have yet to be distributed to all the poor communities in Metro Manila will include information of the card holder, the thumb mark of the household head and a security bar code.

The bar code will be used to track the card holder's buying record of the P18.25 per kilo rice from the National Food Authority .

On Monday, the agency said some names submitted by various local government units belong to dead people. It said the tactic was a desperate move of some people to make sure that they will be able to avail of the cheap NFA rice.

The deceased's names were discovered after social workers conducted a house-to-house validation in some parts of Metro Manila.

The DSWD is now in the process of visiting and interviewing families whose names are listed in the forms submitted by every local government units.

The DSWD said all lists with irregularities will be returned to the barangay which submitted it to give them a chance to correct it.

Barangays already cleared by DSWD, on the other hand, will get their access cards within the week.

Last week, fake rice access cards were sold to poor families in Barangay Commonwealth in Quezon City. The fake cards came almost two weeks earlier before the DSWD's anticipated actual distribution of the Family Access Cards.

Long lines no more

Cabral said the long lines of poor people buying cheap NFA rice will be gone once the cheap rice access cards are distributed.

She said the government will provide over 1,000 NFA rice distribution outlets, including rolling stores, for the at least 1,000 villages in the capital region.

She said "there should be no more lines" once the new distribution system is implemented.

Cabral said the government has readied 400 rolling stores, 650 "Tindahan Natin" outlets, and 93 "Bigasan ng Parokya" that will be put up in poor Metro Manila villages.

She said every family card holders are entitled to two kilos daily. She said two kilos of rice is the average intake of a family of five.

The government created a new distribution system for the poor families after the long queues of people buying NFA rice was noticed by the media.

The government also said that the new system will prevent ā€œhousehold hoardingā€ of rice.