By Agence France-Presse/ LBG, GMA News

At least 12 people were killed, including seven Marines and five Abu Sayyaf bandits, while nine other soldiers were wounded in a fierce firefight at a remote village in Patikul town in Sulu Saturday morning, a military spokesman said.

Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Domingo Tutaan said the soldiers from the 2nd Marine Brigade were on tracking operations when they caught up with a large group of Abu Sayyaf terrorists at about 6:45 a.m. in Tugas village.

By Nancy C. Carvajal, Philippine Daily Inquirer

The government of Taiwan on Saturday imposed new conditions that would further delay the Philippines’ investigation of the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman by Filipino coast guards three weeks ago.

Amadeo R. Perez, chair of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Meco), the Philippines’ de facto embassy in Taiwan, said previous problems had been solved and eight agents of the National Bureau of Investigation had been issued visas by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (Teco) in Manila.

By Charlie V. Manalo , Tribune

Why does the Commission on Elections (Comelec) need P30 million in intelligence funds? Poll watchdogs are bothered that the funds may have been intended to spy on groups which Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. had said have no other purpose than discrediting the poll body.

The Automated Election System Watch (AES Watch) dared Brillantes to clarify the use of the P30 million counter-intelligence fund (CIF) and raised the possibility that it may have been intended to spy on information technology (IT) groups and election watchdogs critical of the Comelec-purchased Smartmatic precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines technology and the way the automated mid-term elections was conducted.

By Rene Bonsubre, Jr., PhilBoxing

Fight fans inside the Pacific Ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel were treated to two scintillating twelve round battles Saturday night. Jason “El Niño” Pagara held back the late surge of Aaron “La Hoya” Herrera of Mexico to retain the WBO International light welterweight title in the main event of Pinoy Pride 20: Laban kung Laban.

Pagara opened the festivities with a quick right but Herrera opened up in the latter half of the first round with his sharp jab and quick jab-straight combinations.

By ABS-CBNnews.com

Barangay Ginebra is reportedly reviving talks to acquire GlobalPort’s Japeth Aguilar in a bid to improve its line-up following its finals defeat to Alaska in the recently concluded PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

A source cited by Spin.ph’s Snow Badua said the Gin Kings are willing to get Aguilar if the former Ateneo standout gets released by the Batang Pier squad.

By Joey Villar (The Philippine Star)

The ONE Fighting Championship's next fight card in Manila dubbed "Rise to Power" on May 31 at the MOA Arena will boast of not just two former Ultimate Fighting Championship veterans but three in Britsh-Iranian Kamal Shalorus.

Shalorus, 35, arrived earlier today or almost a week before his much-anticipated lightweight bout with Filipino hero Eduard Folayang whom the former hopes to defeat and make a big impact on his debut fight in the biggest and most popular fight organization in the Asia-Pacific region.

By Rey Joble, InterAKTV

Barako Bull found itself involved in a fight-marred semis match in an invitational tournament in Dubai Friday night, an experience that the team hopes will toughen it up for the Governors’ Cup.

The commotion started when a Lebanese defender hit Danny Seigle, who retaliated by pushing his man, receiving a technical foul in the process.

By Agence France-Presse

The Indiana Pacers bounced back from a heart-breaking game one defeat to edge LeBron James and the Miami Heat 97-93 on Friday and level the NBA Eastern Conference finals at one game apiece.

With the win in Miami, the Pacers seized home court advantage in the best-of-seven series from the reigning league champions, and they will try to maintain the momentum when they host game three on Sunday.

By Tarra Quismundo, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Warning that escalating tensions in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) “could lead to conflict,” Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario urged China at a foreign policy forum in Tokyo to act responsibly instead of resorting to aggression in the wake of its its rapid rise as an economic and military power in the Asia-Pacific.

In his speech at the Tokyo forum on Thursday, Del Rosario reiterated the Philippines’ pursuit of peace in trying to settle its conflict with China over  disputed waters in a part of the China Sea that the Manila government refers to as the West Philippine Sea, a dispute highlighted this month by the deployment of Chinese military vessels within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

By Agence France-Presse

Taiwan on Saturday protested to the Philippines for sending naval ships to disputed islands in the South China Sea, which Manila calls the West Philippine Sea, in the latest diplomatic spat between the two governments.

"The foreign ministry expresses its serious concern and firm opposition over the Philippines' dispatch of naval vessels to Renai (Second Thomas) Shoal in the Spratly Islands," it said in a statement.

By Tribune

The government will stick to using diplomatic solution in resolving the maritime disputes in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) amid renewed tensions in the Ayungin Shoal, a Palace official yesterday said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier had said the current maritime tensions can lead to conflict in the disputed areas, particularly with the armed patrols of China.

By Norman Bordadora, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Support for Liberal Party (LP) member Sen. Franklin Drilon’s bid for the Senate presidency is “firming up” in the ranks of the Nacionalista Party, according to the NP’s erstwhile presumptive aspirant for the Senate leadership.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, who received the third highest number of votes in the recent senatorial elections, said he had talked to Drilon about a common legislative agenda between the LP, which led the administration coalition in the recent polls, and the NP, which won the most number of Senate seats.

By David Dizon, ABS-CBNnews.com

"Inferno" author Dan Brown has found an unlikely ally in former Philippine president and now Manila Mayor-elect Joseph Estrada.

Speaking to radio dzMM, Estrada said there is some truth to Brown's fictional descriptions of Manila as a city plagued by mammoth traffic jams and overpopulation.

By FRJimenez, GMA News

Kasunod ng kontrobersiyal na pakikipaghiway sa kanyang mister, may seryosong payo ang actress-comedienne na si Ai-Ai delas Alas sa singer na si Mystica, na halos kasabay niyang ikinasal sa mas bata ring lalaki noong Abril.

Sa panayam sa telepono sa Startalk TX nitong Sabado, may halong pabiro na hiningan ng host ng programa na si Joey De Leon ng payo si Ai-Ai para kay Mystica na ikinasal din sa mas batang indie actor na si Edwin Nuas.

By Rommel R. Llanes, PEP

Ilang linggo matapos na magpalit ng kanyang manager, tinanong namin si Marian Rivera kung nagkita na sila o nagkausap man lang ng dating manager na si Popoy Caritativo.

Nakapanayam ng PEP si Marian nitong Biyernes, May 24, sa pagtatapos ng Epic Weekend ng Resorts World Manila. Sagot ng Kapuso Primetime Queen, “Hindi naman ako magpapaka-ipokrita, pero hindi pa naman kami nagkikitang dalawa.

By FRJimenez, GMA News

Kahit matagal nang hiwalay, nadawit pa rin ang pangalan ng actor-comedian na si Dennis Padilla sa paglabas ng photo scandal ng kanyang ex-wife na si Marjorie Barretto habang kasagsagan ng kampanya.

Sa panayam na lumabas sa Startalk TX nitong Sabado, sinabi ni Dennis na ang mga anak nila ni Marjorie ang una niyang naisip nang kumalat sa internet ang nakakaiskandalong larawan ng kanyang dating asawa.

By Edu Punay (The Philippine Star)

Initial findings in the investigation into the fatal shooting of a suspected Taiwanese poacher off Batanes last May 9 indicate criminal negligence on the part of Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel involved, a source privy to the probe said yesterday.

This developed as Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said a team of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents is ready to fly to Taiwan and is just awaiting information on some “arrangements” with Taipei through the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO).