Manila - Philippine troops have arrested a suspected Islamic militant commander accused of being involved in the kidnapping of 21 Western tourists and Asian workers from a Malaysian resort island in 2001, a military official said Thursday.

The suspect, Sakirin Andalan Sali, 44, was arrested Wednesday on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, a stronghold of the Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebel group, said Major General Juancho Sabban, commander of an anti-terrorism task force on Jolo.

Manila - Fifteen people were killed in the southern Philippines when a 10-wheeler truck slammed into a passenger van after its front wheel exploded, police said Thursday.

The accident occurred Wednesday in the town of Dangcagan in Bukidnon province, 855 kilometres south of Manila, said the town's police chief, Inspector Teresita Taperla Salana.

Salana said the truck's front wheel exploded as it was negotiating a curve in the village of Poblacion.

Manila - Rescuers raced against time Wednesday to search for nine people missing after the sinking of a motorized wooden boat in the eastern Philippines that killed 42 people, officials said.

Manila - Inflation in the Philippines eased to a year-on-year rate of 11.2 per cent in October amid a slowdown in increases in food prices, the government said Wednesday.

The October index declined from an adjusted rate of 11.8 per cent in September, but up from 2.7 per cent in the same month in 2007, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO).

The NSO said the decline was "brought about by the continued slowing down in the annual price increases of the heavily weighted food, beverages and tobacco and services items."

The food index alone decelerated to 15.6 per cent in October from 17 per cent in September.

Manila - Thirty-nine people were killed and at least six are missing when a motorized wooden boat sank in the eastern Philippines on Tuesday, police said.

According to the boat's manifest, there were 119 people aboard when the accident occurred off Dimasalang town in Masbate province, 420 kilometres south of Manila.

It was not yet clear if the crew members were already included in the manifest, said Senior Superintendent Reuben Sindac, Masbate provincial police commander.

Sindac said local fishermen and police rescued 76 survivors from the waters after the accident.

Manila - Four people were killed and more than 40 are missing when a motorized wooden boat sank in the eastern Philippines on Tuesday, police said.

The boat was believed to be carrying some 100 people when the accident occurred off Dimasalang town in Masbate province, 420 kilometres south of Manila.

Fifty-four survivors were rescued from the waters, said Senior Superintendent Reuben Sindac, Masbate provincial police commander.

Sindac said the boat was struck by a sudden gust of wind shortly after leaving the port of Dimasalang, causing it to capsize.

"This was just five kilometres from the shoreline," he said.

Police and local fishermen were helping search for those still missing from the accident.