Manila - Communist rebels raided on Monday a police station in the central Philippines, wounding an officer and seizing firearms, a police report said.

The raid occurred before dawn in the police station of La Libertad town in Negros Oriental province, 630 kilometres south of Manila.

Two female communist rebels first entered the police station pretending to report a crime. They were followed by four heavily armed guerrillas that fired at the police officers.

The rebels were able to open the armory and carted away at least five firearms before fleeing to the jungles.

Troops have been dispatched to the area to pursue the rebels.

Manila - Philippine troops killed one communist rebel in a clash in an eastern province, the military said Sunday.

Manila - Seven people, including a child, were killed Saturday in a smash-up between a passenger bus and a van in a northern Philippine province, a police officer said.

Manila - Millions of Filipinos flocked to the cemeteries throughout the Philippines on Saturday in the annual tradition of remembering their dead.

Police and military forces have been deployed around the cemeteries and other key public installations to ensure that the two-day event would be peaceful.

Different government agencies and volunteer organizations have set-up booths just outside the cemeteries to provide assistance to those needing help.

The Philippine National Red Cross said it mobilized thousands of volunteers nationwide to provide medical assistance to people going to the cemeteries.

Cotabato City, Philippines - Three soldiers were wounded in a clash with Muslim secessionist rebels in the southern Philippines, a regional army spokesman said Saturday.

Colonel Julieto Ando said he received reports that 19 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels were also killed in the fighting Friday in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town in Maguindanao province, 960 kilometres south of Manila.

Manila - Philippine share prices rose 4.62 per cent on Friday as investors snapped up undervalued stocks.

The Philippine Stock Exchange's 30-share composite index gained 86.16 points to close at 1,951.09 points from Thursday's finish of 1,864.93.

A total of 1.78 billion shares valued at 3.10 billion dollars (63.26 million dollars) were traded.

Gainers outpaced losers 99 to 16, while 32 issues were unchanged.