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Two more people have died of toxic waste contamination in the former United States military bases of Clark and Subic in Central Luzon, bringing to 26 the number of victims from January to July alone.

Wilhelm Soriano, chief of the Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration (OWWA), confessed he is complying with President Gloria Arroyo's instruction to "shut up", and not defend himself from accusations that he wrongly invested the money of the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) without approval of the OWWA board.

The Presidential Palace yesterday assured Metro Manila residents of ample water supply as it is studying moves by the Lopez Group to return the water concession operated by its subsidiary, Maynilad Water Services, to the government-owned Manila Waterworks and Sewerage Authority (MWSS).

Sen. Manuel Villar, chairperson of the Senate committee on foreign relations, has found a way for the Philippine government to save money and at the same time retaliate against moves by Australia and Canada to temporarily close their embassies in Manila.

Manila yesterday formally returned to Kuala Lumpur the 13-year-old Malaysian girl who was allegedly raped by three Malaysian policemen in Sabah, the case that triggered a diplomatic row between the two south-east Asian countries.

The Philippines' Catholic Church, taking a cue from the government, has chosen a popular TV-movie personality with a wholesome image to lead celebrations at a family day.

The Oscar nominated American actor Brad Pitt will be in town early next year to shoot a war film in the Philippines, sources said.

Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos, Jr., Governor of Ilocos Norte, considers his mother as the best politician he knows, with flair and mass appeal, but he would rather have his father's brains than her charisma.

Former Philippines president Corazon Aquino is "distressed" by her youngest daughter's soap opera flings with married men, the former leader's son Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino said in an interview published yesterday.

After more than 50 years, the Philippine government has for the first time set aside $27.45 million (P1.4 billion) for repair of the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), a thoroughfare that saw two historical street protests that ousted former dictator Ferdinand Marcos and ex-president Joseph Estrada.

Residents of an obscure ethnic town in northern Philippines were recently awarded a certificate of ancestral domain title (CADT) or "collective ownership" over their land, giving them enough reason to celebrate.

The need to push their mental, physical and emotional abilities to the limit has left cadets at the elite Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in the country's summer capital of Baguio City longing for a second home.