By Rose Palacio
Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes yesterday warned the public, particularly people in coastal areas, against an outbreak of giant starfish that destroy marine ecosystems with their voracious appetite for corals.
The crown of thorns starfish (acanthaster planci), can grow up to 20 feet across and have an insatiable appetite for the coral reefs that provide breeding grounds and sanctuaries for small fishes.
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Apparently upset that he was defeated in his congressional bid and that his 'principals" in Manila has so far failed to reimburse him the 140 million pesos he supposedly spent in the elections, boxing hero Manny Pacquiao reportedly instigated what amounted to a mini bank run after he withdrew all his remaining money from three banks. According to BusinessMirror, "Informed sources said Pacquiao withdrew all his money from a bank in General Santos City as he conducted a personal audit and found he spent more than P140 million in election-related expenses but was still trounced by his diminutive political opponent." Read the full story here.
Below is the travel advisory issued over the weekend by the US embassy in Manila for US citizens: WARDEN MESSAGE June 1, 2007 THE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES IS…
Without the intervention by the AHJAG -- which investigates incidents of violence or disturbance that, on many occasions in the past, complicated the negotiations -- elements from the military and the MILF could easily engage in confrontation, given the often unknown or unclear origins of violent conflicts, particularly in the MILF areas in Central Mindanao. Criminal syndicates operate in that area and their activities have often been blamed on the MILF, thus complicating the peace process and the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
MANILA — After attending the canonization of Marie Eugenie Milleret, the French founder of the Religious of the Assumption, and three other new saints of the Catholic Church in St. Peter’s Square, President Macapagal-Arroyo met with the Filipino community here and joined 1,500 Filipino pilgrims in a musical in honor of Marie Eugenie.
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