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WASHINGTON —Sen. John McCain on Saturday affirmed his family’s ties to the Philippines and expressed his wish to come back after visiting the country several years ago. McCain, the presumptive candidate of US President George W. Bush’s Republican Party, recalled how his father and grandfather had served in the Philippines as soldiers. This apparently served as an icebreaker in his first meeting with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo here on Saturday afternoon... In his remarks to the Philippine media after his meeting with Ms Arroyo, McCain said: “Again we have a long relationship—a warm one, and my family personally has a long...

MANILA, Philippines - Authorities have uncovered alleged plots by al-Qaida-linked militants to assassinate the Philippine president and bomb foreign embassies, officials said Thursday. Brig. Gen. Romeo Prestoza, head of the Presidential Security Group, said police uncovered the plot last week. "It's not only the president who is the target, but also other people ... and embassies," he said without offering specifics. The officials did not specify when the attacks were expected to occur. But Prestoza said Arroyo's attendance at an alumni homecoming of the Philippine Military Academy on Saturday in northern Baguio city has been canceled and the rest of...

An Italian priest, Giancarlo Bossi, who was kidnapped at gunpoint in the southern Philippines last month, has been freed. The news was announced by the Italian Prime Minister, Romano Prodi, and coincides with the 87th birthday of Father Bossi's mother. Fourteen government soldiers were killed last week as they searched for the priest. The Philippine army blamed their deaths on Islamists linked to al-Qaeda. Father Bossi, who plans to meet with his parishioners before heading back to Italy to see his family, said his captors treated him "with respect." "I never had the sensation that they wanted to kill...

The Philippine government is drafting a constitutional amendment that would authorize the establishment of a federal homeland for Muslims in the south of the country. The proposed amendment is part of a complex peace process between the government and a major Muslim rebel group. Douglas Bakshian reports from Manila. Last November, an important agreement was reached between the Philippine government and the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The two sides agreed on the size of a proposed homeland for the country's Muslims in the south of the country. This definition of what is called "the territory" is part of...

(UPDATE 11) ‘Our military operation has started’--Barias MANILA, Philippines -- Operations to flush out the group of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV from the Manila Peninsula hotel in Makati City have begun, Police Director Geary Barias of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said. “Our military operation has started; it’s ongoing,” Barias told reporters from his position outside the hotel. He said Marines and Navy troops, as well as police commandos, have entered the hotel from the fountain area at the rear, along Ayala Avenue. A Marines tank is headed for the fountain area of the hotel from the...

CINCINNATI -- Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo is going to donate $100 for every strikeout to Homes For Our Troops, an organization that provides homes at no cost to injured or disabled servicemen and servicewomen and their immediate families. As part of the Homes For Our Troops program, one local serviceman or servicewoman will be selected as the recipient of a new home. Arroyo's contributions through his Strikeouts For Our Troops program will be donated to the general fund of Homes For Our Troops, which also features the Birdies For The Brave campaign of PGA golfer Phil Mickelson.

MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES - There are so many links between the Abu Sayyaf Group of the Philippines, which beheaded an American hostage a few months ago, and Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda terrorist network, that on paper they look like the route map for a Peshawar-based airline. The links run from that high, bleak border city in Pakistan to terrorist dens in Afghanistan and Yemen; to murders and bombings in the Philippines; to the first attack on the World Trade Center; to a foiled attempt to assassinate the pope during a 1995 visit to Manila. A captured Abu Sayyaf guerrilla, ...

Aragoncillo admits spying for Arroyo foes Estrada, Lacson named co-plotters vs President NEWARK, New Jersey—A Filipino-American intelligence analyst admitted Thursday that for five years he passed top secret information gleaned from White House and Federal Bureau of Investigation computers to conspirators he said were trying to overthrow President Macapagal-Arroyo. Leandro Aragoncillo, 47, a naturalized US citizen who was born in the Philippines, pleaded guilty to a four-count indictment. The conspirators used code words to refer to various people, including calling Ms Arroyo "The Penguin," Aragoncillo admitted. Aragoncillo, shackled at the feet and wearing green jail garb, himself did not...

Breaking News

APNewsAlert MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Philippine president declares state of emergency amid flurry of coup rumors.

ALARM - The Philippines: an explosion shakes the presidential palate MANILA - a strong explosion of unspecified origin shook Monday the palate of the presidency from the Philippines in Manila, indicated witnesses.

The Philippine government and armed forces said they were containing a plot to overthrow and perhaps even kill President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo by fugitive mutineers backed by retired officers and opposition figures. "Everything is under control," Lieutenant Colonel Tristan Kison, the armed forces spokesman, said on radio on Friday. He said extra security was in place and the justice department was investigating the masterminds but troops were on normal alert. "We discovered that there are some who are recruiting, but I cannot tell you who they are," he said. "Knowing and proving are different things." Quoting two senior generals, Reuters...

A bit foggy on ideas this week, I decided to see what the first picture was if I Googled for images on the word "chasm". Though this is not the first picture that was found, it is the first place that was found, and it's called "The Chasm" in Milford Sound, New Zealand. Now here's a mini-challenge: where's your favorite chasm*? It has to actually be (officially) named "chasm" -- gorges, canyons, and gulches don't count. (I did a bit more Googling, and found a mind-blowing... well, have fun.) *and no chasmas from Mars, either

THE UNITED STATES is concerned classified documents allegedly stolen by Leandro Aragoncillo and Michael Ray Aquino may have ended up in the hands of communists, according to an official of the National Bureau of Investigation. Ricardo Diaz, chief of the NBI’s Interpol division, said at a recent meeting that US officials noted that known leftists were at the forefront of so-called destabilization efforts and mass actions in the country. “They said there was a possibility that the classified government information from the White House and FBI [the Federal Bureau of Investigation] are now in the hands of the local...

Break silence, US urged Solons want brains of spy case named THREE senior administration lawmakers urged the United States government yesterday to break its silence on the espionage case of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and immediately identify the brains so they could be charged before Philippine courts. Representatives Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City), Marcelino Libanan (Eastern Samar) and Monico Puentevella (Bacolod) made the call as Malacanang reiterated its fear that the spying scandal could impair the Philippines' relations with the United States. The case involves the alleged theft of secret FBI files dealing with the Philippines, some of which...

Raymond Arroyo, news broadcaster for EWTN, feels like he has dodged two bullets. The face of “The World Over” program on the Eternal Word Television Network cable channel was born and raised in New Orleans, then moved away at age 18 to attend New York University. He went home to New Orleans in 1999 when he and his wife had their first baby. They lived there until they evacuated as Hurricane Katrina approached. He spoke with Register staff writer Tim Drake from Hanceville, Ala., days before the release of Mother Angelica, his biography of the founder of EWTN. This interview...

PRESIDENT ARROYO of the Philippines attempted to head off moves to impeach her yesterday by calling for radical reform of the country’s corrupt political system.After weeks of tumult, in which street protesters, former ministers and political allies have demanded her resignation, members of the Opposition tabled a motion of impeachment in Congress. It charges her with cheating in last year’s presidential election, corruption and betraying the public trust, and it will lead to a trial in the Senate if it attracts the support of a third of voters in the Lower House. A crowd of up to 40,000 marched on...

Opposition MPs in the Philippines have launched an impeachment motion against the country's President, Gloria Arroyo. The move against Mrs Arroyo, who is battling allegations of electoral fraud, was widely expected. But the procedure is set to be slow - the motion was first sent to the lower house's justice committee, which has 60 working days to weigh its merits. The move came as Mrs Arroyo prepared to give a crucial state of the nation address. The impeachment motion submitted to the country's House of Representatives, or lower house, accused the president of betraying her country over a telephone call...

A third of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's Cabinet quit en masse Friday and urged the Philippine leader to step down, saying she has been crippled by an election scandal and has lost the ability to lead. It was the latest blow to Arroyo, who looked increasingly isolated amid accusations that she talked to an election official about ensuring a million-vote victory in last year's presidential vote. The capital's police force went on full alert and additional contingents were securing the presidential palace to prevent rowdy demonstrations that could disrupt government services, Metropolitan Manila police chief Vidal Querol said. "There...

Ten Philippine Cabinet Ministers Quite, Urge President Arroyo to Resign By Paul Alexander Associated Press Writer Published: Jul 7, 2005 MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Ten members of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's Cabinet resigned Friday and urged the Philippine leader to step down, saying she has been crippled by an election scandal and has lost the ability to govern. It was the latest blow to Arroyo, embroiled in accusations that she talked to an election official about ensuring a million-vote victory in last year's presidential vote. The men who make up the backbone of Arroyo's economic team were among those who...

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, president of the Philippines, fired her entire cabinet on Thursday amid reports that some of the secretaries in charge of economic and social departments were planning to quit over allegations of electoral fraud against her in the May 2004 presidential polls. “I am asking the entire cabinet to tender their resignations in order to give the executive a free hand to reorganise itself,” she said in an address given live on radio and television. Mrs Macapagal said she was not giving in to the rising clamour for her to step down after she admitted talking to an...

MANILA, July 6, 2005 (STAR) (AP) - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's corruption-tainted husband left Wednesday for self-imposed exile in the United States as part of the embattled leader's efforts to distance herself from political scandals that threaten her government. Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, a lawyer from a prominent family who has been accused of influence-peddling and receiving kickbacks from illegal gambling, bid a somber farewell to his daughter, son and granddaughter at Manila airport before boarding a flight to Hong Kong, from where he will continue to his final destination in the U.S. "He is sad," his lawyer Jesus...

Good Friday guest, Terry Schiavo's brother, Bobby, concurred with Raymond Arroyo's ultra-christian conspiracy theories regarding legal and human aspects of his sister's case. It was a classic meeting of the cultists. There were too many wacky and truly accusatory statements to recall them all. I just "hope and pray" I wasn't the only one apalled by that show. Arroyo is a yoyo!

TYLER, Texas When gunfire erupted in Tyler, Mark Alan Wilson didn't hesitate.He grabbed a Colt .45 handgun and charged downstairs to confront the assailant.David Hernandez Arroyo last Thursday had murdered his ex-wife on the courthouse steps and was turning on his son when Wilson arrived.Authorities say Wilson was the first to fire back -- and he saved the young man's life.But Wilson was killed, outmatched by Arroyo's body armor and knockoff AK-47.Wilson, who was a Navy veteran with years of weapons training, had a permit to carry a concealed weapon.Wilson's actions in the Tyler shootings drew hearty praise from gun...

Tyler shooter had history of assault, violent threats By LISA FALKENBERG Associated Press Police have identified David Hernandez Arroyo Sr., as the man with an assault rifle who opened fire in Tyler's historic town square Thursday killing two people. Maribel Estrada may have heard her ex-husband's threats of violence in recent days, but acquaintances said she had little time to worry about them. After the divorce last year, the 41-year-old single mother of three received no child support. She worked trimming steaks at a local meat-packing plant to support her family. She took her children's father to court Thursday, hoping...

TYLER, Texas (AP) -- A man angry about being sued for unpaid child support opened fire with an AK-47 assault rifle outside a courthouse, killing his ex-wife and a man trying to help the couple's adult son. The gunman, 43-year-old David Hernandez Arroyo Sr., was killed Thursday afternoon in a gun battle with officers a few miles away after wounding his son and three law enforcement officers, one critically. The son had been acting as a mediator between his parents, police said. Police estimated that Arroyo, who had a history of spousal abuse and weapons violations, shot 50 rounds in...

TYLER – A man apparently upset at a child-support proceeding opened fire with an assault rifle outside the Smith County Courthouse on Thursday, killing his ex-wife and a bystander and wounding his son and three law enforcement officers. Three officers were wounded -snip- Also killed at the courthouse was a man who lived in an apartment nearby, Mark Allen Wilson. Police Chief Gary Swindle said Mr. Wilson, who was licensed to carry a concealed weapon, ran to the scene and exchanged gunfire with Mr. Arroyo. Chief Swindle said authorities believed that Mr. Wilson's intervention saved the lives of David Arroyo...

TYLER - A man with a high-powered rifle opened fire in the town square near the courthouse, killing two people and wounding two law enforcement officers before being shot and arrested, authorities said. A Smith County sheriff's deputy, a Tyler police officer and a civilian were injured, police spokesman Don Martin said. The fatalities, a man and a woman, were not law enforcement officers. "The suspect was also shot at the scene. He left the scene and officers gave chase. He's now in custody," Martin said, adding that the suspect was being treated at a hospital. No identities have been...

<p>Shots have been fired at the Smith County courthouse. Four shot, two confirmed dead. Suspect is in custody at Highway 271 and Gentry. Stay tuned to KLTV and KLTV.com for more.</p>

Michael Medved - Conservative film critic, will give his views on this year's Academy Awards & their cultural implication. He will discuss why The Passion of the Christ was not nominated. To submit a question to Mr. Medved, follow this link: SUBMIT A QUESTION

THREE MURDER SUSPECTS CAUGHT IN MEXICO By: KENNETH DEAN, Staff Writer January 28, 2005 Captured in Mexico, three suspects sought in two different murders in Tyler now sit in a Mexican prison, awaiting extradition to face a Smith County jury. Smith County District Attorney Matt Bingham announced the captures of Hersain Gomez, Susana Arroyo and her brother Saul Arroyo at a Friday press conference, where he was joined by federal and local law enforcement officers. "The district attorney's office, the Tyler Police Department and the FBI have been actively working with the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs to...

SAN FRANCISCO -- President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo sought to mend the Philippines' strained relations with the United States during a speech here Thursday, affirming her country's commitment to combat terrorism despite pulling its troops out of Iraq. "I came to America to renew our great alliance across the Pacific," said Arroyo, speaking at the University of San Francisco, where she received an honorary degree. "We want to move forward with President Bush with the war on terror." Arroyo made a one-day stop in San Francisco on her way to the Asia Pacific Economic Conference this weekend in Chile, where she...

MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Annoyed by a stream of unwanted kisses, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has warned overzealous male fans and supporters that to avoid embarrassment they should not pucker up in her direction. "First, show some respect. Secondly, I am conservative. I do not want to be kissed by any man but my husband," she told a town hall meeting in Laguna province, south of Manila.

MANILA : Philippine President Gloria Arroyo was defiant amid sharp US criticism over her decision to pull-out troops from Iraq to save the life of a Filipino hostage kidnapped by Islamic militants. Arroyo, in a policy speech at the foreign office, said the decision to bring home the 51-man contingent earlier this week was necessary to ease threats against the estimated 4,000 Filipino civilians working to help rebuild Iraq. Ex-hostage Angelo de la Cruz, 46, was freed on Tuesday by his captors after the last Filipino forces left Iraq. He flew home a media celebrity on Thursday and is to...

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A Filipino truck driver held hostage in Iraq for two weeks has been freed, a day after Manila withdrew its troops in response to demands from kidnappers who had threatened to behead him. The United States, Australia and Iraq's interim government have accused Manila of caving in to terrorists, but Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo defended the decision and said the father of eight did not deserve to die. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, an Islamic militant with suspected ties to al Qaeda warned Japan it should now do the same and pull its troops out of Iraq or...

United States President George W. Bush was dared Friday to prove his friendship to President Arroyo by understanding the Philippine government's decision to pull out its troops in Iraq to save a Filipino hostage. Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya made the challenge amid criticism from Washington that the Philippines committed a grave mistake by vowing to the Iraqi militants demand to withdraw Manila's humanitarian contingent in the war-torn country. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters in Washington Wednesday that the withdrawal sends the wrong signal and that it is important for people to stand up to terrorists and "not...

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has won another term in office, a congressional committee announced Sunday after finishing a contentious vote count six weeks after the election. The opposition, which has claimed Arroyo's camp manipulated the May 10 vote and cheated action film star Fernando Poe Jr. of some 2 million ballots, fought the proceedings all the way. Arroyo's victory margin was about 1 million votes. The military and police have been put on full alert for possible trouble. The end of the count paved the way for Arroyo's proclamation as winner by the full Congress. But...

Philippine President Arroyo wins election: exit poll 2 hours, 8 minutes ago Add World - AFP to My Yahoo! MANILA (AFP) - Philippine President Gloria Arroyo was set for six more years in office after a major exit poll predicted an overwhelming victory in bitterly-contested national elections. US-trained economist Arroyo won 41 percent of the vote in Monday's election compared to 32 percent for her main challenger, film star Fernando Poe, the Social Weather Stations group said Tuesday. The poll said 81.5 percent of the Southeast Asian nation's 43.5 million voters took part, giving Arroyo victory by over three million...

May 7 Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, St. Louis Redemptionis Sacramentum: directives regarding reception of the Eucharist Click here to submit a question Archbishop Burke about the new document from the Vatican or about Pro-abortion Politicians We Need Your Phone Calls!!! This show will be pre-taped on Friday May 7th. We need phone calls during the show. If you would like to ask a telephone question to Archbishop Burke, Please call on Friday - between the hours of 3:30 and 4:30 pm Eastern time. (phone number 1-800-221-9460)

GLORIA Arroyo is almost certain to become the first incumbent Philippines president to retain office since the ousting of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos when 42 million voters go to the polls on Monday. Short of a disaster - which, if this week's top-level predictions are correct, could still occur, and include anything from a Madrid-style terror attack to a military coup - Ms Arroyo's lead in the latest opinion polls appears to be unassailable. Her main rival, Fernando Poe, will hold a last rally in central Makati City tonight in an attempt to rejuvenate a campaign that has virtually come...

Militants on loose after Philippines jailbreak 13.04.2004 4.30 am Philippine troops killed nine prisoners and are hunting nearly a dozen suspected Islamic militants after a weekend jailbreak that has embarrassed the Government before closely contested elections. The escape by 53 prisoners, including 23 Abu Sayyaf suspects, in a southern rebel stronghold came as a newspaper said the United States had urged the Philippines to step up its fight against terror groups. The New York Times said US diplomats met President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo last month to tell her the Government was not doing enough against terror threats, in what it...

Bishop Raymond Burke (Archbishop-designate of St. Louis) Conduct of diocesan pro-abortion Catholic politicians (Live via satellite) To submit a question for the Friday, January 16, 2004, World Over program with guest Bishop Raymond Burke and subject ProChoice Catholic Politicians fill in the form below. QUESTIONNAIRE

JOLO, Philippines (Reuters) - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (news - web sites) rejected the use of martial law to fight various rebel groups on Monday as she flew to a remote southern island to rally troops hunting for Muslim guerrillas linked to al Qaeda. Arroyo toured Jolo two days before she leaves for the United States to speak at the United Nations (news - web sites) and meet Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, whose country is helping mediate a peace deal to end a Muslim separatist war in the Philippines. Arroyo rejected accusations by opponents, including rogue troops who staged...

Irondale, AL (EWTN) – EWTN Global Catholic Network will air an exclusive interview conducted by EWTNews Director, Raymond Arroyo, in Rome with Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger as part of the international newsmagazine The World Over Live. The complete interview will air on Friday, September 5 at 8 PM EDT. Cardinal Ratzinger, often referred to as the Vatican's doctrinal watchman, is responsible for protecting Catholic doctrine and exposing heresy. He is considered the single most powerful man in the Vatican aside from Pope John Paul II. A notoriously private man, the cardinal rarely grants interviews or takes questions from the media. In...

FBI asked to join probe of mutinyPosted: 1:05 AM (Manila Time) | Aug. 03, 2003 By Leila B. SalaverriaInquirer News Service Hunt for masterminds THE NATIONAL Bureau of Investigation is hot on the paper trail of the July 27 mutiny. It has sought the help of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation to track down the masterminds of the mutiny, and is focusing on these questions: Where did the rebel soldiers' 31 million pesos worth of state-of-the-art equipment come from? Who bought and shipped it here? "We want to put a human face [on the matter]," NBI Director Reynaldo Wycoco...

Philippine Opposition Senator to be Charged Over Coup Attempt Opposition senator Gregorio Honasan, a former military coup plotter, will be charged for involvement in a coup attempt by junior officers against Philippine President Gloria Arroyo. "We have very clear and strong intelligence report that his involvement in this is deep so we are readying charges and we will prepare other legal moves," Interior Secretary Jose Lina said said in a television interview. Advertisement Mr Honasan, a former army colonel, popularly known as "Gringo", led several bloody coup attempts in the 1980s but was pardoned under a peace deal after which...

The Philippine Star 07/27/2003 After several days of denials by Malacañang, President Arroyo admitted last night that a "small band of rogue junior officers" has conspired to overthrow her government. Mrs. Arroyo said she ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to hunt down and arrest 50 junior officers and men who deserted their posts, bringing with them unspecified weapons. "On my orders, the AFP and the (Philippine National Police) are hunting down to arrest a small band of rogue junior officers and soldiers who have deserted their posts and illegally brought weapons with them," the President said on...

Terrorist bomb expert escapes from Manila jail By Roel Landingin in Manila and Shawn Donnan in Jakarta Published: July 15 2003 5:00 | Last Updated: July 15 2003 5:00 An escape from a high-security prison in Manila by a convicted Jemaah Islamiah explosives expert has dealt an embarrassing blow to the Philippine government's efforts to clamp down on international terrorism. Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi, an Indonesian national sentenced to 17 years in prison after pleading guilty to a charge of illegal possession of explosives, was found missing from his cell. Police say Mr al-Ghozi admitted being a leader of JI, the...

President Arroyo said on Saturday, she would launch "comprehensive countermeasures" in different sectors to fight an upsurge in communist rebel attacks in the countryside. "The response to the violence of the NPA (New People's Army) is our launch of comprehensive countermeasures where we will simultaneously use military, political and legal action to fight this group," Arroyo said in a radio speech. "We are combining all necessary measures to stop this threat and defeat it by the use of force, political action and long term social reforms," she added. The President said she would also take up the growing influence of...

A new category appears to have been added to the Byzantine semantics of the US State Department. The Philippines now enjoys the distinction of being a "major non-NATO ally." Whatever that might mean, we will find out in due time. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has been the center-of-gravity of American strategic engagements for five decades. During much of this period, the US was in strategic confrontation with the now-defunct USSR. NATO was the frontline organization during the Cold War. While NATO constituted the frontline of American strategic defense, the superpower concentrated her strategic military capability on the European...