General Santos City, Philippines - A 38-year-old Filipino broadcast journalist died Saturday after being in a coma for five days following his shooting in the southern Philippines.

Colleagues and family members said Dennis Cuesta, a radio commentator, died at the intensive care unit of a private hospital in General Santos city, 1,065 kilometres south of Manila.

Cuesta was shot five days ago while on his way to a mall in General Santos. He suffered three gunshot wounds, including one to the head. His companion was unhurt.

He was the fourth journalist to be killed in the Philippines this year.

Cotabato City, Philippines - Sporadic fighting between Philippine troops and Muslim separatist rebels delayed the planned withdrawal of guerrillas who occupied several villages in a southern province, a military officer said Saturday.

Brigadier General Reynaldo Sealana said the rebels were preparing to leave North Cotabato when they clashed with government militiamen in Dunguan village, which was designated as the guerrillas' point of exit to nearby Maguindanao province.

Manila - Dozens of Filipino democracy activists marched with cardboard Olympic torches in the Philippine capital Friday to protest China's continued support for the military junta in Myanmar.

The protesters, wearing sports uniforms, gathered in front of the Chinese and Myanmar embassies in Manila to demand democracy and freedom for the South-East Asian country formerly called Burma.

The protest also commemorated the bloody uprising in Myanmar 20 years ago. The anniversary of the August 8, 1988 uprising coincides with the opening of the Olympics in Beijing.

"Light up the torch of freedom and democracy for Burma," the activists said as they urged the Chinese government to revise its policy towards Myanmar.

Cotabatao City, Philippines - Philippine troops clashed with Muslim separatist rebels Friday in a southern province where additional security forces were dispatched to secure areas occupied by the guerrillas, officials said.

The firefight erupted when a group of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels attacked an army outpost in Midsayap town in North Cotabato province, 930 kilometres south of Manila, said Lieutenant Colonel Julieto Ando, an army spokesman.

Ando said there were no immediate reports of casualties in the fighting, which occurred as additional soldiers and police officers were deployed in the province to ensure that MILF rebels leave communities they had illegally occupied.

Manila - A close aide of senior al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf leaders has been arrested in a southern Philippine city, a navy spokesman said Thursday.

The suspect, Usman Asari Aldani, was arrested Monday in the public market of Isabela City in Basilan province, 900 kilometres south of Manila, Marine Lieutenant Colonel Edgard Arevalo said.

Manila - Philippine share prices soared 3.64 per cent on Wednesday as investors cheered sliding oil prices and Wall Street's overnight gains.

The 30-share composite index of the Philippine Stock Exchange added 94.83 points to close at 2,697.21, from Tuesday's finish of 2,602.38.

A total of 4.53 billion shares worth 3.66 billion pesos (83.56 million dollars) were traded.

Advancers led decliners 107 to 21, while 39 issues were unchanged.