By Philip C. Tubeza, Nikko Dizon and Norman Bordadora, Philippine Daily Inquirer

The six senators whom the Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclaimed on Thursday the top winners of the May 13 senatorial race should return their certificates as their proclamation was invalid, according to a prominent election lawyer.

Lawyer Romulo Macalintal said the proclamation of Grace Poe, Loren Legarda, Alan Peter Cayetano, Chiz Escudero, Nancy Binay and Sonny Angara was defective because the Comelec did not state the number of votes they obtained nor did it say how they ranked in the tally.

By ABS-CBNnews.com

Two overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Taiwan have been attacked by unidentified assailants armed with baseball bats, the Philippines' top official to Taipei said Friday.

Taiwan's ETTV cable news channel also reported that a Filipino was allegedly attacked by four Taiwanese wielding iron bars as he went to work in southern Taiwan. He was treated at hospital for a facial injury.

By AMD, GMA News

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel whittled down a 24-point lead to 10 late in the fourth quarter, before buckets from Rob Dozier and Sonny Thoss secured a 104-90 win for the Alaska Aces, in game two of their best-of-five PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals series, Friday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Alaska had taken game one in a rout, before settling for a final score of 87-70, Wednesday. Aces center Sonny Thoss was the best player of the game with 16 points and eight rebounds.

By ABS-CBNnews.com

The Philippine Azkals will be taking on world 143rd ranked Kyrgyzstan in a friendly game as part of their preparations for the AFC Challenge Cup main draw next year.

The Azkals, who nabbed the top place in the Challenge Cup qualifiers Group E last March, will square off against Kyrgyzstan on June 8. The game is expected to take place at the Spartak Stadium in Bishkek.

By ABS-CBNnews.com

Former WBO/WBA flyweight champion Brian Viloria is already planning to make his ring return sometime between August and September this year.

The 32-year-old Viloria, who was outgunned by Juan Francisco Estrada in Macau, said he already began training to keep himself in shape. “[I’ve been] going to the gym every other day and since last week I’ve been running and doing weights and stuff,” he told Philboxing’s Ronnie Nathanielsz.

By AFP

Michael Jordan was better at leading his players into games while Kobe Bryant was a win-at-all-costs superstar who could score 81 points by himself if needed, Phil Jackson writes in a new book.

Jordan was power and strength while Bryant was more finesse and speed, according to Jackson, who coached both NBA legends in their prime, Jordan with the Chicago Bulls and Bryant with the Los Angeles Lakers.

By Rouchelle R. Dinglasan, GMA News

Senator-elect Nancy Binay on Friday said her lawyers advised her to skip the Commission on Elections' proclamation of top six winning senatorial candidates Thursday night.

“Sabi ng lawyers ko… baka it's better nga daw na intayin ko pa na magkaroon ng basis yung proclamation. This is my first time to run, supposedly this is my first proclamation.

By Doris C. Dumlao, Philippine Daily Inquirer

As investors and analysts ponder whether the Philippines would remain in a sweet spot beyond 2016 when the country elects its next President, New York-based think tank Global Source listed four “viable” presidential contenders from the administration party who could challenge incumbent Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Binay has been touted by his political party, United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), as the man to beat in 2016. “I’m saying he will be the next President,” UNA campaign manager Toby Tiangco told the Inquirer this week.

By Paul Atienza, Tribune

President Aquino, using the excuse of a One-China policy for the Aquino government to sidestep the Taiwan fisherman’s death issue and the shooting involvement of the Philippine government Coast Guard as well as the all-out resistance of Aquino to have a joint investigation into the killing of the Taiwanese fisherman, only gave China an opening to get into the picture.

Aquino’s One-China policy excuse merely gave China the opportunity to side with Taiwan as the People’s Republic of China (PROC) has always considered Taiwan as one of its provinces.

By Ernie Reyes, InterAksyon.com

Election results sent by fax machines and not those transmitted by automated voting equipment were used by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to determine votes received by senatorial candidates and proclaim them as winners in the May 2013 polls.

This developed after the poll body approved Resolution No. 9706. The same document, which was issued on Friday, was also used to proclaim the top six winners in the senatorial race, which took place on Thursday, one day before.

By Mark Merueñas, GMA News

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Friday said that while Taiwan cannot enter into a joint probe with the Philippines, it can still conduct a "parallel" investigation on the death of a Taiwanese fisherman accused of illegally fishing in disputed waters near Batanes.

"We cannot prevent [Taiwan] from investigating. They can't prevent us from insvestigating. Ang mangyayari, parang parallel investigation," De Lima told reporters.

By Patricia Denise Chiu/KBK, GMA News

Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino grew significantly richer in 2012 based on his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth that year.

Tolentino's SALN in 2012 shows that his net worth was P43,773,691.02, or over P20 million more than his P22,540,381.52 net worth in 2011.

By gmanetwork.com

One of the main themes of the 2013 political campaign was whether it was time to rid the country of political dynasties. A standard answer of many scions running was that dynasty had not yet been defined by law, which is not surprising considering purported dynasty members in Congress would have to do the defining.

While most of the frontrunners in the Senate race have familiar names, at the local level, Filipino voters this year sent a strong message by rejecting many names associated with entrenched political families.

By Dennis Arcon, News5

Mujiv Hataman has retained his post as chief of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) following his victory in the recently concluded May 2013 elections.

Hataman of the administration's Liberal Party defeated closest gubernatorial rival, Pakung "Pax" Mangudadatu, with a margin of over 200,000 votes. Hataman bagged 446,227 votes while Mangudadatu got 231,721 votes.

By Catherine S. Valente, Manila Times

The government is looking at alternative markets that can absorb overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Taiwan, a Palace official said on Friday.

In a press briefing, Palace deputy spokesman Abigail Valte said that the government, through the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), is now preparing for “contingencies” for Filipinos workers who may be displaced or may wish to leave Taipei amid tensions over the death of a Taiwanese fisherman last week.

By Jojo Gabinete, Abante Online

Mainit na pinag-uusapan ang balita na hiwalay na sina Ai Ai delas Alas at Jed Salang. Sinubukan namin na kunin ang panig ni Ai Ai pero as of presstime, hindi pa niya sinasagot ang aming mga tawag.

Big news ang rumored separation ng mag-asawa dahil kakakasal pa lamang nila sa Las Vegas noong April 2, 2013. Matagal na naming kaibigan si Ai Ai kaya alam na alam namin kapag may pinagdaraa­nan siya na mga pagsubok.

By ABS-CBNnews.com

A film version of the hit "kilig-serye" starring Jodi Sta. Maria and Richard Yap will reportedly join this year's Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

According to a report published Thursday on entertainment news site Philippine Entertainment Portal, Star Cinema's entry to the 39th edition of the annual film festival is a big-screen version of "Be Careful With My Heart."