Nina Butch Quejada at Ricky Tulipat (Pilipino Star Ngayon)

MANILA, Philippines - Isinailalim kahapon ni Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Jesus Verzosa sa full alert ang buong lalawigan ng Mindanao kasunod ng pagkakapatay ng tropa ng pamahalaan sa tatlong miyembro ng Abu Sayyaf Group sa isang engkuwentro nitong Sabado sa bayan ng Maimbung, Sulu.

Inalerto na rin ni Verzosa ang buong kapulisan bilang paghahanda sa posibleng pagganti ng mga kasamahan ng tatlo sa ASG.

By Dona Pazzibugan, Julie Alipala, Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—Bouncing back from the humiliation it suffered in the hands of a lone hostage-taker in Manila, the Philippine National Police killed an Abu Sayyaf commander and two of his men in an assault on the bandits’ hideout in Sulu at the weekend.

Concerned about possible retaliatory attacks by the bandit group, PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa Sunday immediately placed all police units in Mindanao on full alert.

By Cecille Suerte Felipe (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - A ranking official of the Office of the Ombudsman who handled the criminal charges against the dismissed policeman who took a busload of tourists from Hong Kong hostage last Aug. 23 has denied allegations of extortion.

Deputy Ombudsman Emilio Gonzales denied insinuations that he demanded P150,000 from former police senior inspector Rolando Mendoza in exchange for dropping the robbery-extortion charges filed against him by a chef in 2008.

by Dindo Matining, Abante Tonite

Posible umanong abutin ng “200 years” bago matapos ang paglilitis sa kaso ng Maguindanao massacre kung patuloy na maantala ang pagdinig nito.

Ayon kay Sen. Joker Arroyo, nangangamba umano siya na sa dami ng defendants sa kaso na umabot sa 161, bukod pa sa 300 mga witness, posibleng umabot sa matagal na panahon bago pa matapos ang kaso. “I’m very worried about this case. Hindi matatapos ang asuntong ito kapag ganoon kadami ang defendants,” ani Arroyo.

by Abante Online

Minaliit ng isang senador ang ginawang pag-ako ni Pangulong Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III sa buong responsibilidad sa madugong hostage crisis incident noong Agosto 23 na nag-iwan umano ng impresyong inaabswelto na nito ang mga nagkulang na opisyal ng gobyerno.

Ayon kay Sen. Joker Arroyo, bagama’t maganda aniyang pakinggan ang ginawang pag-ako nito ng responsibilidad, nagpapakita lamang aniya ito ng kahinaan ng kanyang presidency. “Magandang pakinggan, maganda sa image (but) it amounts to nothing. Kapag sinabi niya iyan, ano ibig sabihin, absuwelto na iyong mga iniimbestigahan?” tanong ni Arroyo.

By KBK/HS, GMANews.TV

Like his commander-in-chief President Aquino, outgoing Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa on Sunday took responsibility for the bungled hostage rescue last August 23.

On the eve of his early retirement, which was scheduled before the colossal police failure took place, Verzosa declared the nation's police to be in a "time of transition."

By abs-cbnNEWS.com

When Malacañang submits to Congress for confirmation its list of Cabinet appointees, Interior and Local Governments Secretary Jesse Robredo, who is under fire for supposedly mishandling the Aug. 23 hostage-taking crisis at the Quirino Grandstand, won’t be on it.

A list of appointments made by President Benigno Aquino III since he assumed office on June 30 shows that Robredo and two other secretaries—Environment Secretary Ramon Paje and Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz—were named only “acting” secretaries instead of being issued “ad interim” appointments for transmittal to the Commission on Appointments.

by Manila Bulletin

Manila, Philippines – President Aquino is counting on “people power” to help ensure the success of the peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) scheduled to take place this month.

The President, in a message in celebration of the 7th National Peace Consciousness Month, said the peace process is “for you and should be by all of us,” citing that people are the “driving force” in the pursuit of peace.

By abs-cbnNEWS.com

MANILA, Philippines - Two members of the House of Representatives on Sunday called for a reorientation of local government unit (LGU) officials on their roles during crisis situations following the bloody outcome of the Rizal park hostage taking incident.

The proposal came in the wake of Manila Vice Mayor Francisco "Isko" Moreno’s admission before a probe body that he and Mayor Alfredo Lim left the command post in Rizal Park at the most crucial stage of the August 23 hostage crisis.

by Ronnie Nathanielsz and the Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines—Manny Pacquiao finally got a chance to watch the video—twice—of a ranting Floyd Mayweather Jr. hurling every possible racist remark at the Filipino ring superstar.

Pacquiao’s reaction, though, remained unchanged. The Sarangani representative continued to hold back comment on the infamous Mayweather rant that went viral and opened the undefeated American superstar to a lot of biting criticisms from the boxing press.

By BEN R. ROSARIO, mb.com.ph

Manila, Philippines – Veteran lawmakers asked Sunday that Cabinet members who act like they are still “on OJT (on-the-job training)” should now resign their posts rather than wait a rejection by the Commission on Appointments (CA).

Representatives Ma. Milagros Magsaysay (Lakas-Kampi, Zambales) and Luzviminda Ilagan (Gabriela Party-list) said effectively addressing the economic setbacks triggered by the August 23 hostage crisis should serve as a gauge in determining who among the department heads should pass the CA’s scrutiny.

By Joey Villar (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Smart Gilas Pilipinas is set to play a club team from Korea twice before flying to China for a series of tune-up games as it steps up its buildup for the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China in November.

The Nationals take on the Seoul SK Knights tomorrow and on Sept. 12 at the Ranoc Gym in San Juan before leaving Sept. 13 for Guangdong where they are set to play a series of tournaments against local teams.

by Rey Joble, GMANews.TV

Ryan Gregorio first heard the name Shawn Weinstein when he was still handling the B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados. “His name was brought up to me by our import, Tony Washam. He told me that he saw a good Fil-Am player playing in Israel," Gregorio recounted.

Now the newly-appointed coach and head of basketball operations of the Meralco Bolts, Gregorio didn’t waste time in selecting Weinstein as the team’s first rookie choice (10th overall) in last Sunday's PBA Rookie Draft, hoping to make the Fil-Am cager one of the cornerstones of this young franchise.

By Olmin Leyba (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Ateneo sustained its long-standing mastery of University of Santo Tomas, 81-77, to boost its drive for the top seeding in the Final Four yesterday in the UAAP Season 73 seniors basketball tourney at the Araneta Coliseum.

With the triumph, the Blue Eagles improved to 10-3 behind pacesetting Far Eastern (11-2) and secured a twice-to-beat incentive in the semis.

by INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz has warned Filipinos planning to work in Malaysia about a recruitment scam being perpetrated through the Internet.

Baldoz aired the warning after receiving a report from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (Polo) in Kuala Lumpur saying there are mails proliferating in the Internet on an alleged notice from the Immigration Department of Malaysia about its visa processing requirements.

by Juliet de Loza, Abante Tonite

Hinimok kahapon ng Department of Health (DOH) ang publiko na huwag iasa sa halamang gamot na “tawa-tawa” ang pagpapagaling sa nakamamatay na sakit na dengue.

Sinabi ni Dr. Eric Tayag, head ng DOH-National Epidemiology Center, bagama’t bukas sila na mapag-aralan kung maaari nga bang lunasan ng naturang herbal medicine ang sakit na dengue, hindi naman umano dapat na ipaubaya na lamang dito ang pagpapagaling sa naturang sakit.

by Glen P. Sibongam, PEP

Naging mainit na usap-usapan ang tungkol sa diumano'y pagbi-break nina Gerald Anderson at Kim Chiu kahit na nga hindi pa umaamin ang magka-loveteam na naging magkarelasyon nga sila.

Walang narinig na paliwanag mula kina Gerald at Kim tungkol sa isyung ito. May lumabas pa ngang balita na diumano'y umiwas pa raw ang dalawa na ma-interview nang one-on-one ng mga press sa isang product launch na dinaluhan nila kung saan sila mga endorser.