Manila  - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo cancelled a scheduled trip to the strife-torn southern Philippines Friday due to a series of bombings and clashes in the area.

Presidential spokesman Jesus Dureza said military commanders prevailed upon Arroyo not to push through with her visit to Shariff Kabunsuan province, 960 kilometres south of Manila, due to bomb attacks.

Manila  - Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Sunday ordered the foreign affairs department to repatriate nearly 200 Filipinos stranded in Thailand after two airports in Bangkok were shut down by political protestors last week.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Arroyo ordered the release of 15,000 dollars for assistance to at least 174 Filipinos unable to return home after the Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports in Bangkok were blockaded.

Tokyo  - Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo departed the western Japanese city of Osaka Saturday for a summit in Lima, leaving her husband at hospital after he fell ill on their flight, media reports said.

The condition of Jose Miguel Arroyo, 62, was not announced.

Philippine Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno had denied reports that Mr Arroyo had suffered a heart attack, saying he had "stomach cramps and back pains."

Cotabato City, Philippines - Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Saturday vowed no let-up in the military offensive against Muslim rebels who seized villages and attacked towns in a strife-torn southern region of Mindanao.

Arroyo visited an army camp near Cotabato City Saturday and exhorted soldiers to continue operations against Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels who launched attacks in the nearby provinces in August.

"I count on you soldiers to isolate the lawless Moro rebels," she said in a short speech after giving medals and commendations to soldiers involved in the offensive.

Manila - Activists filed on Monday a new impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the fourth in the past four years.

The complaint was filed before the House of Representatives secretary-general's office by the anti-corruption group Black and White Movement and leftist labour group May First Movement.

The complaint sought the ouster of Arroyo for betrayal of public trust for allegedly allowing the government to enter into a corruption-tainted 330-million dollar national broadband project with Chinese firm ZTE