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

General Santos City, Philippines - Five Muslim secessionist rebels were killed in a clash with armed tribesmen in the southern Philippines, a provincial police chief said Saturday.

The five Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerrillas were killed Friday by T'boli tribesmen in Lake Sebu town in South Cotabato province, 1,050 kilometres south of Manila, according to Senior Superintendent Robert Kiunisala.

Zamboanga City, Philippines - Four marines were killed Saturday when suspected Islamic militants attacked their encampment on a southern Philippine island, a regional military spokesman said.

Ten more marines were wounded in the fighting that erupted when suspected Abu Sayyaf rebels fired mortars at the marines encampment in Patikul town on Jolo island, 
1,000 kilometres south of Manila, Major Eugene Batara said.

Batara said no casualties were reported on the enemy side.

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.

Iligan City, Philippines - Philippine government troops Thursday overran a Muslim rebel camp in the country's troubled south as Air Force planes renewed airstrikes against guerrilla positions, military officials said.

Army Major General Nehemias Pajarito said soldiers captured the Moro Islamic Liberation Front's (MILF) Camp Bilal in Nunungan town in the province Lanao del Norte, 
810 kilometres south of Manila, after more than a week of intense fighting.

Manila - The Philippines' economic growth slowed to 4.6 per cent in the second quarter of 2008, dragged down by high inflation, the government said Thursday.

Growth in the gross domestic product (GDP) from April to June was down from 8.3 per cent in the same period last year, the National Statistical Coordination Board said.

The gross national product (GNP), which includes income from abroad, such as remittances by overseas Filipinos, grew by 5.5 per cent, compared with 9.8 per cent in 2007, the board said.

"The high inflation regime that prevailed during the second quarter ... took its toll on the Philippine economy," it said in a statement.