Manila  - The Philippines' environmental agency said Tuesday that it was studying filing criminal charges against a national park administrator whose office oversaw the cutting of 29 decades-old trees from a historic site in Manila.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said it has notified Maria Ana Harper, head of the Intramuros Administration, that she violated a presidential decree that penalizes the damaging or cutting of trees.

"If found guilty, Harper may face imprisonment of up to two years," the department said in a statement, adding that she could also be fined.

The trees included rosewood and mahogany trees. The rosewood, locally called narra, is the Philippines' national tree.

Manila - The Philippine military scaled down Monday an offensive against Muslim secessionist rebels in the southern Philippines in observance of the start of Islam's holy month of Ramadan.

Armed forces' chief of staff General Alexander Yano said the military will continue to pursue two Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebel commanders who led a series of deadly attacks last month.

Manila- Police arrested on Saturday a Filipino Muslim activist
suspected to be involved in past deadly bomb attacks in the
Philippines.

Ruben Omar Pestano Lavilla, 36, was arrested at the Manila's Ninoy
Aquino International Airport shortly after he was deported from
Bahrain, according to police aviation security Chief Superintendent
Atilano Morada.

Morada said Lavilla was one of the founders of Rajah Solaiman
Movement, a radical group of Filipino Islamic converts whose members
were suspected to be involved in terrorist activities.

Lavilla is suspected to have masterminded the bombing of a

Manila - The Philippine military on Friday vowed not to hamper the observance of Ramadan by Muslims in the country's southern region despite rejecting calls to halt an offensive against Muslims rebels during Islam's holy month.

Government troops have been conducting airstrikes and ground assaults against Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels in various areas in the southern region of Mindanao since earlier in the month when the guerrillas launched a spate of deadly attacks.

Manila - A Philippine Air Force C-130 cargo plane with nine people aboard has been missing and feared to have crashed, officials said Tuesday.

Lieutenant Pedrito Cadungog, air force chief, said the plane took off from the international airport in Davao City, 990 kilometres south of Manila, on Monday evening.

It was bound for the eastern city of Iloilo, where it was supposed to arrive about two hours later.

But Cadungog said the air force lost contact with the plane about 10 minutes after it took off.