By InterAKTV

The Commissioner’s Cup finals will be Live on Five. The PBA Board of Governors on Thursday approved the proposal of the league’s broadcast partner to air the best-of-five finals of the tournament on TV5.

According to PBA commissioner Chito Salud, the board “found the stronger, clearer, and more widespread signal and reach of Channel 5 to be appropriate and consistent with the league’s thrust to reach out to the league’s fans nationwide on a broader basis.”

By Philip C. Tubeza, TJ Burgonio, Philippine Daily Inquirer

“I guarantee you I have no interest in postponing the elections,” President Aquino declared on Thursday, dismissing talk that Wednesday’s power failure in Metro Manila and many parts of Luzon was a prelude to the scrapping of the elections next Monday.

Elections chief Sixto Brillantes Jr., too, rejected talk that the hours-long outage was a dry run for “No-El,” the opposition code word for “no elections.”

By Jaime Sinapit, InterAksyon.com

The crews of Chinese fishing vessels that have encroached on Ayungin Reef, part of the Kalayaan Island Group of Palawan, have reportedly begun erecting metal and rope structures, a well-placed source told InterAksyon on Thursday.

“There are five to eight Chinese fishing vessels that entered our reef conducting surveys inside our Ayungin Reef. Our latest report is that the Chinese were unloading big ropes and planting metal structures on our reef,” the source, a ranking military officer who spoke on condition he was not named, said.

By Rey Galupo (The Philippine Star)

Fugitive former police superintendent Cezar Mancao II said yesterday that he is willing to communicate if the government wants him to return to the fold of the law.

Mancao’s statement was in response to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima’s claim that she has totally lost contact with him. “Has she given up on me? Is this how it goes? They just turn off the negotiations? I am open.

By CATHERINE S. VALENTE, Manila Times

President Benigno Aquino 3rd on Thursday confirmed a growing rift between re-electionist Senators Loren Legarda and Alan Peter Cayetano who belong to different parties but are running on the administration’s Team PNoy coalition ticket.

In an interview, Aquino said that there has been an ongoing dialogue to resolve the issue. He noted that, both candidates agreed to set aside personal interests for the sake of people, saying that this election is for the people and not for certain individuals.

By Anthony Vargas, Manila Times

Stories of candidates doling out cash to voters abound, but one can hardly hear of reports about the arrest of a candidate or his supporters for vote buying.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) admitted on Thursday that policemen are virtually helpless in stopping or prosecuting people engaged in vote-buying activities.

By The Philippine Star

Pelted with a hail of restraining orders from the Supreme Court, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. has thrown in the towel on one of his initiatives – an extended liquor ban.

As journalists approached him for an interview yesterday, Brillantes jokingly stepped away, explaining that he needed a drink.

By Mario J. Mallari, Tribune

Two Army soldiers and a militiaman were killed while eight other troops were wounded during separate ambuscades staged by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels against government forces securing the transport of precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines in Camarines Sur and Tabuk City yesterday morning.

Lt. Col. Loreto Magundayao, spokesman of the Army’s 5th Infantry Division (ID), said that elements of the 17th Infantry Battalion (IB) and police personnel were escorting the transport of PCOS machines by representatives of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) at around 9:30 a.m. when ambushed.

By Ina Hernando-Malipot, mb.com.ph

Teachers will perform what they consider their “patriotic poll duty” on Election Day, even if their concerns on safety, compensation, and special voting privilege remain unanswered after meeting with the Commission on Elections yesterday.

Members of the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) met with Comelec Commissioner Louie Tito Guia yesterday to discuss the concerns of the public school teachers who will act as members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) in various precincts on Monday, May 13. TDC, a 30,000 member organization, is led by TDC Secretary General Emmalyn Policarpio.

By Charlie V. Manalo, Tribune

The issue of Mayor Alfredo Lim’s citizenship along with hisbirth certificate has hounded the mayor of Manila since 1998 when he first tried running for the presidency.

Lim has always claimed that he is a Filipino citizen and has gone on to become a mayor, a senator and a Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary, even producing a claimed “reconstituted” birth certificate from the City of Manila government where he serves as mayor.

By Associated Press

It was the biggest post-season win in Miami Heat history, and the biggest post-season loss in Chicago Bulls history. And it might have been actually worse than that sounds.

Ray Allen scored 21 points in only 19 minutes, LeBron James finished with 19 points and nine assists, and the Heat led by as many as 46 points on the way to a 115-78 victory on Wednesday night in Game 2 of their series, now knotted at one game apiece.

By ABSCBNnews

Senatorial candidate Nancy Binay shrugged off a comment made by comedian Vice Ganda about her track record, saying she has had decades of "on-the-job training" under her parents, who have held seats in public office.

During a press conference held Thursday by Regal Films matriarch Lily Monteverde announcing her formal endorsement of Binay, the Senate bet addressed a statement made by Vice Ganda referring to her supposed lack of experience in public service.

By Jojo Gabinete, Abante Online

Ipinangangampanya ni ­Robin Padilla sa pamamagitan ng social media ang mga kapwa artista na kumakandidato at nangangarap na makapagsilbi sa bayan.

Sina Annabelle Rama at Aga Muhlach ang da­lawa sa mga showbiz persona­lity na sinusuportahan ni ­Robin, kahit hindi ito personal na nakapagkampanya sa Cebu City at Camarines Sur. Umiral ang pagiging maka­bayan ni Robin sa kanyang social media posts dahil inihalintulad niya si Annabelle kay Gabriela Silang at si Aga kay Andres Bonifacio.

By ABS-CBNnews.com

Comedian-host Inday Garutay criticized Vice Ganda for his supposedly disrespectful statement about senatorial candidate Nancy Binay, whose track record in public service has failed to impress the outspoken "It's Showtime" host.

Early this week, Vice Ganda mentioned the name of Vice-President Jejomar Binay's daughter when asked if he has any plans to pursue a career in public service.

By Boy Abunda (Pilipino Star Ngayon)

Kamakailan ay napa­balitang nagkaroon daw ng hindi pagkakaintindihan sa pagitan nina Enchong Dee at Xian Lim dahil sa isang pangyayari sa set ng kanilang teleserye. Ngayon ay maayos na raw ulit ang pakikitungo nina Xian at Enchong sa isa’t isa. “Okay kami.

Believe it or not we’re really, really okay. At sabi ko nga more often than not ’yung mga kuwento sa showbiz either nadadagdagan o nababawasan. And this is another issue that was blown out of proportion kasi nag-usap lang kami, may klinaro lang ako sa kanya, and then we were okay,” paliwanag ni Enchong.

By FRJimenez, GMA News

Sinagot na ng kontrobersiyal television host-actress na si Kris Aquino ang isyu tungkol sa pagbibigay niya ng malaking "tip" sa isang drayber sa Cebu na hinikayat niyang iboto ang ilan sa mga sinusuportahan niyang kandidato sa pagka-senador.

Sa panayam ng media kay Kris sa muling pagsabak nito sa kampanya, iginiit niya na "tip" lamang ang ibinigay niya sa drayber na naghatid sa kanya sa hotel sa Cebu.

By Philip C. Tubeza, TJ Burgonio, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Malacañang rejected speculation about a massive power failure on May 13, Election Day, as Metro Manila and much of northern and central Luzon reeled from an outage on Wednesday.

President Aquino was about to go into a conference on security preparations for the elections when the outage struck at 1:51 p.m. What really caused the Luzon-wide power failure remained undetermined as of early Wednesday night, said Raul Seludo, head of Luzon system operations at the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP).