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Young actor Jake Cuenca said that his relationship with actress Bea Alonzo is nothing serious. He insisted that the actress is just a good friend.
Cuenca said that he wants to keep his friendship with Alonzo and that he does not want to make things complicated.
"Sana lang hindi na nila bigyan ng kahulugan 'yon at ayaw kong magbigay ng problema sa kahit kanino," Cuenca said.
His statement stemmed from reports saying that he is the newfound love of Alonzo after the actress broke up with actor Mico Palanca.
The two were put under close scrutiny when reports surfaced that the two were seen going out together.
Cuenca himself has just emerged from a much-publicized breakup from former sweetheart actress Roxanne Guinoo. The actor said that no matter what, he will always be a friend to Guinoo.
"Alam niya kung anong klase ang binibigay ko sa kanya, nasabi ko na ito... sinusuportahan ko talaga siya," Cuenca said.
Reports had earlier said that Guinoo agreed to do a sexy pictorial for a men's magazine as a reaction to their breakup, and as a way to get back at Cuenca.
The actress said she sees nothing wrong with her decision.
Cuenca is a member of ASAP's Coverboys. He last starred in the hit television series "Palos" with Cesar Montano.

The actor will be busy with different projects that ABS-CBN has lined up for him. He is also set to do a movie under Star Cinema with Shaina Magdayao and Maja Salvador.
This August he will be doing out of the country shows with his fellow Coverboys.
With a report from Umagang Kay Ganda

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Reuters
The central bank, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, said on Tuesday it expected gross international reserves to hit a fresh peak of $37 billion at the end of this year, aided by rising remittances from overseas workers.
The central bank said it expected remittances from official and unofficial channels to hit $16.2 billion this year, an 8 percent increase from last year.
The Philippines' foreign reserves reached a record $33.71 billion at the end of last year, surpassing a government target of $33-33.5 billion.

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By Aries Rufo
/Newsbreak

The runaway prices of rice and other basic commodities are expected to aggravate the prevalence of malnutrition among children in Mindanao, experts have warned.

As nutrition is also a factor of economics, the spiraling food prices may mean more people would not be able to meet the daily food needs and it is the children who are most vulnerable, said Cora Cerdena, supervising senior research specialist at the Food and Nutrition Research Institute.

Valerie Guarneri, World Food Program director for the Philippines, said the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is especially vulnerable to higher food prices, compounded by widespread poverty and its volatile peace and order situation.

Already, the level of poverty there had barely improved from 50 percent of the population to 45 percent. This "is nowhere near the target of 25 percent by 2015" which is the target under the Millennium Development Goals of the Philippines.

What is more disturbing "is the fact that the proportion of population who fails to meet daily food needs has increased from 62 percent to 64 percent," Guarneri said.

Among children in the ARMM, the prevalence of malnutrition had also increased from 31 percent in 1990 to 38 percent in 2005 based on a survey by the FNRI that was released in 2007, she said.

Skipping meals

The Philippine Midterm Progress Report on the MDG defines malnutrition "as a state in which the physical function of an individual is impaired to the point where she or he can no longer maintain natural bodily capacities such as growth, pregnancy, lactation, learning abilities, physical work…the term covers a range of problems from being dangerously thin or too short for ones age to being deficient in vitamins and minerals or being too fat."

Guarneri said that on the national level, "we are generally on track in addressing poverty…but in Mindanao the situation is quite different."

She said hunger continues to be a nagging problem, not only in the ARMM but also in outlying provinces.

With the recent rice crisis, Guarneri said some families have resorted to skipping meals. Cerdena said the most at risk are children below five years old, "the critical age period for growth."

The WFP is extending food assistance to 1.1 million residents in Mindanao as part of its "Food for Education" program. Earlier, she warned that some 187,000 elementary schoolchildren may be affected from the rice crisis due to added financial burden to WFP.

Far from MDG target

The FNRI is currently gathering data for its 2008 nutrition report. From 2001, underweight children on the national average has decreased from 30 per 100 children to 25 per 100 children in 2005. Cerdena said the next results of the survey would show the impact of high rice prices on childrens nutrition.

Aside from malnutrition, the rice crisis and increase in the prices of basic commodities are feared to push back the MDG goal of the country in combating poverty.

"We are definitely not going to meet MDG1 ," says Joel Saracho, national coordinator of the Global Call to Action against Poverty . "There is going be a further delay in achieving it by 2015."

Average prices of rice have risen P10 to P15/kg since the rice shortage hit three months ago. In Mindanao, rice is sold at P45-P51/kg.

The Asia Pacific Network for Food Sovereignty, a group of farmers' organizations and NGOs, said the spike in rice prices would likely push many families further into poverty. "Rice is our staple food and food accounts for 60 percent of a family's . At the rate rice prices are increasing, many families will find themselves further along the poverty line," lead convenor Arze Glipo said.

The Philippines' MDG target is to cut the proportion of people living in extreme poverty and subsistence from 24.3 percent in 1991 to 14.6 percent in 2006 and 12.5 percent in 2015.

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Reuters MIAMI, Florida - World number two Rafael Nadal powered to a 3-6 6-3 6-1 victory over James Blake on Wednesday to reach the semi-finals of the Sony Ericsson Open. Nadal defeated his American rival for the first time in his career at the Pacific Life Open quarter-finals two weeks ago and replicated the feat on Wednesday. "This one was a little more disappointing," Blake said. "Last week I feel like I played my game. Just didn't play it well enough last week. "This week I felt like I played my game for a while, and then I got a little indecisive." Blake made far too many mistakes during the one hour, 55 minute contest, producing 31 unforced errors compared with just 13 for Nadal. The American also offered Nadal 19 opportunities to break his serve -- with the triple French Open champion breaking four times in total. Nadal turned the match in his favor when he broke Blake with a sizzling backhand passing shot to go 5-3 up in the second set. He greeted the break with his trademark fist pump and from then on Blake's challenge faded. "He started playing so aggressive," said Nadal of losing the first set. "I didn't have many chances in the beginning. I couldn't touch the ball. I couldn't get rhythm in the beginning, nothing." But the Spaniard said he remained focused and managed to win his own serve easily. "Right now I am feeling like I am playing at my best level, so that's important, to come to the clay season with more confidence," Nadal said. Nadal will play either world number 10 Tomas Berdych or Russia's Igor Andreev in the semis.

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Agence France Presse

YANGON - Fourteen people were arrested after a pro-junta militia broke up a protest calling for the release of Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a security official said Friday.

Dozens of Aung San Suu Kyi's supporters staged a small protest Thursday to mark her 63rd birthday, which she spent alone and under house arrest.

A pro-junta militia broke up the small rally outside the headquarters of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, beating some of the protesters, witnesses told AFP.

Fourteen people -- including a Buddhist monk -- were arrested, according to a Myanmar security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to reporters.

Party spokesman Nyan Win, who was not at the protest, said he could only confirm four arrests. He had no details about the condition of the detainees.

The protesters had gathered early Thursday to mark the Nobel Peace Prize winner's birthday by making religious offerings to Buddhist monks and nuns.

Later, a small group on the pavement began shouting for Aung San Suu Kyi's freedom, but the militia broke up the protest within minutes.

The opposition leader has spent more than 12 years confined to her rambling lakeside home, where she is allowed no contact with the outside world.

The military regime has long ignored international demands for her freedom, which were renewed Thursday by Britain, France and the United States.

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The military officer who barred congressmen and human rights officials visiting an ailing female junior officer detained for mutiny charges at the Philippine Marines headquarters in Taguig City was merely implementing the regulations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . This was the response of Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo to criticisms after members of the House committee on human rights and Commission on Human Rights officials were prevented from seeing detained Lt. Belinda Ferrer. Ferrer, who is one of 28 officers accused of mutiny for failed coup of February 2006, is afflicted with breast cancer, according to Muntinlupa Rep. Rozzano Rufino Ruffy Biazon. Biazon however when informed of the Navys response said that the military should have at least informed them of the guidelines. It might just be the discretion of the officer there who was on duty at that time. At least he could have showed to us those guidelines issued by the higher authorities so that we could be able to determine which higher authority we would go to whether the commandant of Philippine Marines or all the way up to the AFP Chief of Staff or even the Secretary of Defense, Biazon added. Armed with mission order from the CHR, Biazon is one of the congressmen who were not allowed to see Ferrer. With him were committee chairman Lorenzo Erin Tañada III, Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and Akbayan Rep. Ana Theresia Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel. They were barred from entering by the military, citing the AFPs guidelines. What troubles us was that they could not produce a written guideline or order because the absence of such written guideline or order one can easily doubt about any policy is in place, Biazon told ANC. Biazon maintained that he and the others went to Taguig City to check on Ferrers condition as part of their oversight function. Arevalo, however, denied that the decision of the military officer on duty during the said incident was discretionary. Arevalo said the regulations clearly stated that only immediate family members of the detained military officer, family doctor, priest and his lawyer are allowed entry to the detention cell even without prior coordination with proper authorities. Nothing in the enumeration says anything about members of the Commission on Human Rights or members of Congress so we are just implementing regulations. We understand where they are coming from… however we in the Marine Corps and Armed Forces are just implementors of regulations, he said in the same interview. He said that, as stated in the guidelines, Biazon and company should have secured permission first from the military leadership and Ferrer before proceeding to Taguig City to check on Ferrers health condition. He also thanked the congressmen for their concern for Ferrers welfare as he assured them that the military is extending her medical assistance. Arevalo, however, could not yet confirm whether Ferrer is indeed suffering from breast cancer when asked about the detained junior officers condition.

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Polling precincts in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao opened without a hitch Monday morning for the region's first ever computerized election that will determine the ARMM's governor, vice governor and assemblymen.

Ambassador Henrietta de Villa, chairwoman of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, said that unlike inprevious elections held in ARMM, poll watchers have yet to receive reports of any disturbances that would disrupt the opening of polling precincts.

The distribution of ballot boxes, election paraphernalia and automated voting machines was carried out without any problems unlike the previous election. There are signs instructing voters on how to used the voting machines. Morale is high, de Villa said in a TV interview.

Armed Forces Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Cardozo Luna said at least 12,000 soldiers were deployed in ARMM to ensure peace and order during the elections. He said military troops will focus on 887 areas of concern including 18 villages in Lanao del Sur, 20 in Maguindanao and Shariff Kabunsuan and 11 in Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

We are focusing on areas in Maguindanao and Shariff Kabunsuan especially after a breakout of hostilities between government troops and Moro rebels in North Cotabato, he said.

He said a Philippine Marines unit stopped suspected Moro Islamic Liberation Front guerillas from blocking the distribution of ballot boxes in Basilan.

The military said the MILF also tried to take over the highway that connects Lamitan City, where majority are Christians, and the town of Tipo-Tipo, a known MILF stronghold. Initial reports said suspected rebels carried a streamer that said MILF Warning: No Election.

Military officials said the rebels may have been positioning themselves to snatch election paraphernalia to disrupt the holding of Mondays polls.

The Comission on Elections said no new areas of concern have been identified since the release of the list. But we are all maintaining a state of watchfulness, said COMELEC Spokesman James Jimenez.

COMELEC said distribution of election paraphernalia has been completed in Talayan, Maguindanao despite alleged kidnapping threats.

Poll automation undergoes acid test

COMELEC Chairman Jose Melo said the poll is important not only for the ARMM but also for the whole country as two voting technologies would be tried, one of which would be used for the 2010 presidential polls.

The two machines to be tested in the ARMM are the Direct Recording Electronic machine, to be used in Maguindanao only; and the Optical Mark Reader , to be used in the rest of the autonomous region, comprising six provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Sharif Kabungsuan, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and the cities of Marawi and Lamitan .

The DRE automates the voting, with its touch pad showing the names and photographs of the candidates; and a touch screen, to allow selection without using paper or pencil. The computer machine would always prompt the voter for confirmation in every selection he or she makes.

The OMR, on the other hand, used for automated counting and canvassing, still requires voters to fill up ballots manually, but only to darken circles or boxes corresponding to the names of candidates, which are preprinted in the papers. The machine would then read the inputs in the special computer papers and Jimenez said that ordinarily it would take 15-45 seconds for a voter to finish the vote, but since this is a new system, we give three minutes time limit before the machine would lock out, making the vote akin to a spoiled ballot.

The DRE will handle the 245,415 voters spread in 1,695 precincts in Maguindanao. The OMR will take care of the rest of the ARMMs 1,516,775 registered voters in 9,765.

With the machines however, Comelec has designated 1,915 vote centers only to correspond to the total number of available machines.

Jimenez said the results of the ARMM polls could be released in 36 hours.

Sundays inspection: A-okay

On the eve of the elections, Commissioner Leonardo Leonida visited the Cotobato City Polytechnic College, the designated counting center for the province Shariff Kabunsuan, Sunday, to oversee last-minute preparations.

Leonida, commissioner-in-charge for the province of Sharrif Kabunsuan, said, We expect Shariff Kabunsuan to be the first to transmit its results.

Meanwhile, the Smartmatic-Sahi Technology Inc., one of two technology providers of Comelec, has set up a National Support Center in Manila to serve as technical support hub for the field support technicians deployed in voting centers in Maguindanao and canvassing centers in the rest of the provinces.

The NSC is similar to a Call Center that handles inbound and outbound calls but it also serves as a knowledge base center where operators upload all acquired information into the Election Day Management Platform which can help in developing quick response actions, Jimenez said.

NSC Head Angelo Adlawan said the NSC enables officials to track the processes in each precinct, voting or canvassing center. We have installed dedicated phone lines to allow the field support technicians to provide quick updates in their designated area, he added.

For the ARMM polls, Comelec tapped Smartmatic-Sahi Technology Inc. for the DRE voting system in Maguindanao; and the Avante International Technolgy Inc. for the OMR-based technology for Shariff Kabunsuan, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Rawi-Tawi.

Smartmatic-Sahi deployed 2,300 DRE machines and another 1,000 machines for back-ups to use touch pads and touch screens for Maguindanao.

Avante Technologies deployed 156 optical mark reader machines, which will use paper ballots, which are filled out by voters and then fed into a machine similar to a scanner for other five provinces of ARMM.

Smartmatic-Sahi spokesman Vince Dizon said his group is confident of smooth operations in their precints in Maguindanao and consolidation and canvassing centers in Shariff Kabunsuan, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

Tension in N. Cotabato

Press Secretary Jesus Dureza expressed hopes that the continuing tension in some areas in North Cotabato would not adversely affect the conduct of the ARMM elections.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said the Comelec has prepared well for the polls and has tested the system and are ready to go.

Deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez said the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces have stepped up measures to protect the people and ballots to ensure that fundamental rights of our people to choose their leaders are respected.

Dureza said the government is not tolerating the acts of MILF commander Umbra Kato and his renegades who have been occupying several towns and villages in North Cotabato, burning houses and driving off thousands of residents.

He said Kato defied the MILF leadership and refused to abide by the withdrawal arrangement brokered by ceasefire committees of both government and the MILF with the assistance of the local government units, the International Monitoring Team and the local stakeholders.

Kato had been a recalcitrant MILF commander and had defied orders from the MILF leadership in the past, he said.

The government has from the start made known its policy of enforcing the law while exhausting efforts to abide by the existing ceasefire mechanisms with the MILF.

The actions of Umbra Kato and his defiance of government and MILF orders will have to be dealt with accordingly, Dureza said.

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Former Army Capt. Milo Maestrocampo, one of the key figures of the 2003 Oakwood mutiny, said over the weekend that military intervention is not the proper way of bringing reform in a democratic society.

Maestrocampo, who is now works as an action officer of the Social Integration Program of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process , said that during his incarceration, he realized the methodology used by Magdalo soldiers to mount a mutiny against the government was wrong.

military intervention... will not bring forth reform. Maganda man yung hangarin mo, maganda man yung sa loob mo, pero ang paraan mo, military intervention I don't believe na magdadala ito ng reporma as to ano man 'yung naduon sa puso mo, Maestrocampo said.

He said that when he participated in the Oakwood mutiny in Makati City, he considered two elements -- his intention to help improve the country and the methodology in transmitting their reform agenda, which was military intervention.

During his detention in connection with the armed uprising, Maestrocampo said he was able to realize that their methodology was wrong.

Ang methodology na ginawa ko, para sa akin, it was wrong. It was a mistake for me because right now I am an advocate or I stand against military intervention, he said.

I have learned to understand that we have to work within the bounce of our democratic processes. It's hard for me to learn those things but inside detention I think I was able to get the idea, Maestrocampo said.

He also realized that no single person or group of people can dictate what is best for the country.

Walang i-isang grupo or isang sekta o i-isang faction na grupong Pilipino na makakapagdikta para sa lahat na para you will ram to the throat of everyone na…ito na…Filipino people this is the way to reform. Yan ang na-realize ko. Para sa aking tinangap ko yan. Not even the AFP or not even isang grupo na magsabi na sila na ang solusyon, he said.

Reawakened faith

During his period of detention, Maestrocampo also said he found God in his heart.

Maestrocampo said that he had the opportunity to reflect upon himself, eventually coming to the realization that it is his faith in God that would solve man's problems, including military adventurism.

I have realized that only God can resolve these seemingly insurmountable problems, he said.

It was virtually a spiritual reawakening for me, he added, saying that during his detention many things had happened, particularly the spiritual reawakening for me.

Maestrocampo attributed his spiritual reawakening to retired Brig. Gen. Vic Tigas, who is now a pastor for Christ's Friend Ministry.

Life as a civilian

After his pardon in May, Maestrocampo, along with other Magdalo officers who have been discharged from service, found themselves withou a job, and he had to adjust anew to life as a civilian.

Now as a civilian, I have to adjust considering that in the military life is obviously regimented. But I did not have trouble adjusting to civilian life because even during my detention, I had learned to accept my fate, he said.

Basically, I have to work to feed my family and earn a living, he said.

He said he decided to work as an action officer for the OPAPP's SIP because basically it is not away from my previous background of how it feels being a rebel.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Hermogenes Esperon, who was also his former commander in the Philippine Army, who gave him a break to become an SIP action officer, Maestrocampo said.

His main duties as a SIP officer is in the reintegration to society of rebel returnees from the New People's Army. He has since started a local version of the SIP in Iloilo.

Esperon, meanwhile, has also tapped the services of three other former Magdalo leaders as SIP action officers. They are Arbee Talastas, Florentino Somero Jr. and Charleston Tan, who together with Maestrecampo were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Makati Regional Trial Court on May 16, 2008.

The 2003 Oakwood mutiny was staged by over 300 military personnel, led by then Navy Lt. Sr. Grade Antonio Trillanes IV.

Trillanes, who has been elected senator, is still under military custody while his case is still pending in court.

Maestrocampo, trained as a Scout Ranger, was a visible presence during the siege, covered live by the world media.

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LOS ANGELES - The Dark Knight fended off a strong challenge from the new Mummy sequel to lead the North American box office for a third weekend, and is on track to become the second-biggest movie of all time.

The Batman blockbuster earned $43.8 million for the three days beginning Friday, distributor Warner Bros. Pictures said on Sunday. Universal's The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor followed with $42.5 million.

The Walt Disney Co. political comedy Swing Vote came in at No. 6 with just $6.3 million, the latest disappointment for its star, Kevin Costner, who has not had a $100 million movie since 1992's The Bodyguard.

The total for The Dark Knight rose to $394.9 million. Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc, said it expects the film to add at least $100 million, surpassing the $461 million haul of 1977's Star Wars and its two reissues, the current No. 2 movie of all time in the United States and Canada. The $601 million record, held by 1997's Titanic, seems watertight. Adjusted for inflation, though, Titanic ranks at No. 6, far behind Gone with the Wind at $1.4 billion, according to tracking firm Box Office Mojo.

The Dark Knight will add yet another record to its impressive tally on Monday or Tuesday, when it breaks $400 million, which would be its 18th or 19th day of release. The old record of 43 days is held by 2004's Shrek 2.

Internationally, The Dark Knight has earned $205 million, Warner Bros. said. Top markets include Britain with $50 million and Australia with $32 million.

MUMMY BIG OVERSEAS

Pundits had predicted that the Mummy movie could open to upwards of $50 million domestically, roughly in between its two predecessors, but the critically mauled Brendan Fraser film was a little bruised by the Batman juggernaut.

It marks the follow-up to 2001's The Mummy Returns, which opened to $68 million. The franchise relaunched in 1999 with a $43.4 million bow for The Mummy.

Universal said The Mummy was big internationally. The film, co-starring Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh, opened to $59.5 million from 28 territories. Top markets included Russia and South Korea, each with about $13 million. Because the action is set in China, and the Olympic Games kick off in Beijing on Friday, Universal has been cross-promoting the movie with its General Electric Co corporate sibling NBC, which holds the U.S. broadcast rights to the games.

Fraser has had a low profile since appearing as part of the ensemble in the Oscar-winning 2004 movie Crash. But he now has two movies in the top 5, with Warner Bros.' Journey to the Center of the Earth at No. 5 with a four-week total of $73.1 million.

Swing Vote, in which Costner plays a hard-drinking oaf whose vote will determine the outcome of a U.S. presidential election, was released as a counterprogramming attempt. Disney distribution president Chuck Viane billed it as a thinking person's movie, but it ended up being one of the worst openings of Costner's career. Reviews were mixed.

Disney's only summer success, the Pixar-produced cartoon WALL-E has earned $204.2 million after six weeks, and will pass the $206 million haul of last year's Ratatouille. But it will end up as only the sixth-biggest of Pixar's nine productions.

Despite the strong performance of The Dark Knight and The Mummy, overall sales fell for the second consecutive weekend, according to tracking firm Media By Numbers. The top 12 films grossed $149 million, down 10 percent from the year-ago period. Year to date, revenues are flat at $5.9 billion, while the number of tickets sold is down almost 3 percent.

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World Boxing Council lightweight champ Manny Pacquiao confirmed on Thursday that his mother, Dionesia, wants him to retire from the ring.
The boxer, who dethroned David Diaz during their June 28 title fight in Las Vegas, however, said he is not yet ready to step down.
During his visit in Iloilo Thursday, where he distributed aid to typhoon victims, the "People's Champion" said that he is too young to retire. At 29, the Filipino ring icon feels that he still has a lot to show.
With regard his political plans, Pacquiao said it's not the time to talk about it.
The champion said he would rather focus his attention to distributing aid to victims of the typhoon. He said politics should be discussed during an election period.
Following his visit to Iloilo, Pacquiao and his team, including wife Jinkee, left for a similar sortie in Bacolod City.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao is set to leave again for the United States this weekend to finalize plans for his November fight.
Bob Arum of Top Rank, his US promoter, has confirmed that he would rather pit the Filipino champ against Humberto Soto rather than wait for the medical clearance of Venezuelan knockout artist Edwin Valero.
On Wednesday, Pacquiao said he has decided to keep the WBC lightweight belt and continue to fight in the 135-pound division.
This means that he will surrender his WBC super featherweight title which he won from Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez last March via split decision.
"Nagbigay na ako ng instruction sa aking abugado na ipaalam sa WBC na ang 135-pound championship belt ang idedepensa ko... So ang 130 pound championship belt na napanalunan ko noong March ang igi-give up ko," he said. With a report from Regie Adosto, ABS-CBN Iloilo

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Juan Baby Bull Diaz went for 12 rounds against Michael The Great Katsidis of Australia and was crowned new International Boxing Organization lightweight champion in their No Retreat, No Surrender main event clash Saturday at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

Ringside judge Gale Van Hoy scored the bout 116-112 while Levi Martinez had it 115-113, all in favor of the Houston fighter. Judge Glen Hamada, meanwhile, scored it 115-113 for Katsidis.

Diaz was virtually unscathed throughout the fight.

The Australian suffered a gash under the right eye and fought the remaining rounds with his right eye nearly closed after a barrage of punches from Diaz connected to the Australian's face.

Diaz now has 34 wins against a single loss with 17 victories coming by way of knockout.

Katsidis, on the other hand, suffered his second loss in 23 fights. He has 20 KOs.

Before the fight, The Golden Boy Oscar de La Hoya promised Katsidis that the judges chosen for his fight against hometown hero Diaz will be fair in their IBO lightweight title fight.

Katsidis assured of fair fight

De La Hoya reportedly stepped in to assure Katsidis of a fair shake when it was noted that two of the officials were Diaz fellow Texans. One of them is referee Laurence Cole, who was actually suspended earlier this year for telling a fighter he was ahead on points during a fight.

During a final pre-fight press conference, the trainer/manager of Katsidis, Brendon Smith, said he wasnt worried about who the officials were. Sports Nut, the Australian Web site quoted Smith as saying the judges will be judged by the boxing fraternity and the millions of HBO viewers.

Diaz is promoted by de La Hoyas Golden Boy Promotions. According to Smith, the six-time world champion assured him that there would be no problems and that they were very fair promoters and the Texas Commission was a very fair group.

Katsidis said earlier he was a lion entering the lions den in reference to Diaz who is from Houston and is certain to get the full backing of an expected crowd of 10,000 at the Toyota Center.

Bloody co-main event

In the card's co-main event, a bloody match blood spilled out of Argentina's Jorge Barrios as he went down the canvas following a right hook by Texas' Rocky Juarez in their World Boxing Organization Latino junior lightweight championship.

Juarez, who fought out of the blue corner, knocked out Barrios 2:55 in the 11th round of the 12-rounder.

The two fighters slugged it out most of the 11 rounds but in the end, it was clear that Juarez outclassed the visiting opponent.

Juarez now has a win-loss record of 28-4 with 20 wins via knockout. Barrios, on the other hand, went down to 47-4 with 34 victories via KO.

Earlier, Jesus El Matador Chavez stopped visiting Andres Ledesma of Colombia via technical knockout in the 9th round of their lightweight clash, also at the Toyota Center.

Referee Bobby Gonzalez counted Ledesma out 42 seconds into the round following a right hook by Chavez.

Chavez, of Austin, also floored Ledesma in the 7th round.

With his win, Chavez improved his win-loss record to 44-4 with 31 victories coming by way of KO. Ledesma, meanwhile, dropped to 14-1-1 win-loss-draw slate. He has nine KOs.

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Agence France-Presse
HONG KONG - South Korea dominated the Asian Film Awards for the second year running, with "Secret Sunshine", a tragic movie about death and faith, taking home three top prizes including best picture.
"Secret Sunshine" -- the story of a widow who moves to her dead husband's hometown with her son, and then turns to evangelical Christianity when her child is abducted and murdered -- also won for best director and actress.
South Korean actress Jeon Do-Yeon, who won the top acting prize at last year's Cannes film festival for her performance as the suffering woman, again took home top honors in Hong Kong late Monday.
"This is beyond my expectations," she said.
"Secret Sunshine" director Lee Chang-dong bested Taiwan's Ang Lee, whose erotic World War II spy thriller "Lust, Caution" went home with just one award -- a best actor trophy for Hong Kong veteran Tony Leung Chiu-wai.
The South Korean director said he had come to the gala event in Hong Kong to celebrate Jeon's work, and never expected to take home the awards for best film and director.
"I'm a very happy man now," he said.
The Asian Film Awards, organized by the Hong Kong International Film Festival, are aimed at showcasing the depth of talent in the region.
At last year's inaugural event, South Korea also blitzed the field, with smash hit monster flick "The Host" -- the story of a mutant monster spawned by toxic waste released from a US military morgue -- winning four prizes.
On Monday, Chinese-American veteran Joan Chen won best supporting actress honors for "The Sun Also Rises", while China's Sun Honglei was named best supporting actor for his work in "Mongol", about the life of Genghis Khan.
Best screenwriting honors went to Au Kin-yee and Wai Ka-fai for "Mad Detective", another cop flick from prolific Hong Kong director Johnnie To.
Liao Pen-jung won the trophy for best cinematography for "Help Me Eros", while Cao Jiuping, Zhang Jianqun won for best production design for "The Sun Also Rises".
India's Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani were named best composers for "Om Shanti Om", David Richardson was crowned best editor for "Eye In the Sky" and the prize for best visual effects went to Ng Yuen-fai for "The Warlords".
More than 30 films from across the region vied for the 12 prizes.
Veteran Japanese director Yoji Yamada, best known for the light-hearted human dramas of his "Otoko wa Tsurai yo" series that started in 1969, took home the Special Lifetime Achievement Award.
The series features iconic character Torajiro Kuruma, a warm-hearted but hapless travelling salesman who is constantly falling in love with women and getting his heart broken.
Yamada, 76, made 48 movies about the salesman, played by late film legend Kiyoshi Atsumi, until 1995.