Manila - The Philippine government Wednesday dissolved its peace negotiating panel with the country's largest Muslim separatist rebel group after weeks of deadly hostilities in the strife-torn southern region of Mindanao.

The move would pave the way for a fresh start to the peace process in Mindanao, Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said.

Dureza said Presidential Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita was scheduled to announce the dissolution of the government peace panel with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) later in the day.

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.

Davao City, Philippines - Suspected communist rebels on Tuesday seized three policemen in an attack on a gold mining area in the southern Philippines, police said.

The suspects also burned a government-owned dump truck in the gold-rush area on Mount Diwalwal in Monkayo town in Compostela Valley province, 945 kilometres south of Manila, police said.

The abducted officers were members of a police unit in Mount Diwalwal, said Senior Inspector Rodolfo Pascua, town police chief.

Manila - The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said Tuesday it has received a donation of 500,000 dollars worth of materials that would boost research for cheaper and high-yielding rice varieties.

The Philippines-based institute said the donation pack from 5 PRIME, a Germany-based biotechnology company, includes technologies and reagents for DNA isolation, amplification and molecular analysis.

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.