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Philippine troops killed six Islamic militants in an assault on a rebel camp in the south, the military says. It says marines raided the camp of the Abu Sayyaf group on Jolo island. Officials are trying to verify reports that a senior Abu Sayyaf commander was among those killed, Gen Benjamin Dolorfino told AP news agency. Abu Sayyaf has been blamed for bombings, beheadings and kidnappings of Filipinos and foreigners. It has been accused of links with al-Qaeda. Gen Dolorfino said Sunday's raid was carried out after intelligence reports that two Abu Sayyaf leaders were there, AP reported. One marine was killed and three were wounded during the assault. Abu Sayyaf is the smallest and most radical of the Islamic separatist groups in the southern Philippines. Its stated goal is an independent Islamic state in Mindanao and the Sulu islands. The government refuses to hold any form of talks with the rebels. Philippine officials said in December 2009 that they had arrested an

Inspired by moving stories from the critically-acclaimed book "Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide" by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, HALF THE SKY Live will be an evening of uplifting songs, celebrity discussion and the world premiere of "Woinshet," a powerful short film directed by Academy Award®-winner Marisa Tomei and Lisa Leone that chronicles the struggles of an Ethiopian woman who triumphs over violence and discrimination. Much more than a night at the movies, the evening also will feature appearances by India.Arie; Maria Bello; Diane Birch; Michael Franti; Angelique Kidjo; Nicholas Kristof; Sally Lee; Marisa Tomei; Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York; Sheryl WuDunn and a surprise guest. The one-night-only event will be held in nearly 500 theatres in the United States and Canada on Thursday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m. in all time zones. It's sure to be one of the most visible International W

By Romy Teruel  I had two impressions of Colombia in South America – cocaine and beautiful women of the Miss Universe caliber. Last week these impressions have changed. Cocaine and beautiful women are still there but a few more have been added. As the say in Colombia, "the only risk in visiting Colombia is wanting to stay".  Last week I had the rare opportunity to see Colombia upon the invitation of the Colombian government to participate in the 2nd Technical Cooperation Tour of Peace Building in Colombia: DDR Development and Experience (DDR here means Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration) that was held in Bogota, (Colombia's capital), with trips to the demobilized rebel communities in Armenia, Department of Quindio; Santuario, Department of Risaralda; and Cali City, Department of Valle del Cauca. It was an opportunity that I could not let pass. First it was an opportunity to learn how they have successfully implemented DDR in Colombia and seco

By Joe Espiritu Today is Chinese New Year, It is also Valentines Day. Of course the Chinese will celebrate their New Year. That is the time they will celebrate Feng Shui individually or collectively. However, we are not sure if westernized Chinese would also celebrate Valentines Day at the same time. It is not likely that the do at all. They are a non demonstrative people and they would be rather caught dead than show affection in public.  It is said that they do no even smile since smiling will cause wrinkles in the face. The inscrutable Oriental really does not display emotions and if they do, they do it with closed doors in rooms with double walling. Is they do not mix Valentines Day with their New Year it us within reason. Doing so would make them schizophrenic. Most cannot stand a clash of cultures. Anyway, they do not choose their mates themselves. It is their elders that do so. Blame the Chinese opera fro popularizing that concept. We Filipinos swallow all foreign practices

BGLante Column: Again, pardon us for being brutally frank. Having survived several near-death situations, holding punches to deliver a power message seemed to be out of the question, already.  In this no-holds-barred election season, it pays to call a spade a spade as wont our mantra in leading a life dangerously. Yes, we minced no words in harping on the importance of money to win an election. Never mind if we heard candidates trying to promote their bids on the basis of their competence and capability to lead. But our beef here is that of what used is your untarnished refutation if money were what it takes to win an election. Yes, we have sank this low, that money is all that matters in seeking for public office. Yes, money, money and more money. For starters, candidates running for public office should know by now that to be considered a serious candidate, they should be told that the first thing they should consider is that they should be capable of going the rounds of the area

Sunday Post Editorial: The walk-out staged by members of the minority bloc in the Sangguniang Panlungsod Friday brings the city council to a point of no return. It now hangs in the balance that may not hold long enough for both ends of the political spectrum.   This is not about the legitimacy or lack of it of the walk-out. There is an overdose on the pros and cons of the act. It was a shameful act or an honorable thing to do depending on one's political orientation. Of course, the minority bloc should drop all pretensions that it was a walk-out. There is no doubt that it was and only those who stand to benefit from it would fail to see it for what it is. It is not so much because one of those from the minority was signaling their leader to bang the gavel when the deliberations started to heat up. It was their refusal to return to the session hall when the majority stood pat that gave their script away. So much for that then. Which lead