'Marine stand-off over'
BY CARLA GOMEZ

The crisis surrounding President Gloria Arroyo deepened yesterday as opposition figures rallied to a call for support from a Marine colonel linked to a coup plot against her but the Marine "standoff" appeared to have been settled late last night.

Opposition figures had quickly heeded Col. Ariel Querubin's appeal and showed up outside the Marine headquarters in Forth Bonifacio two days after Arroyo declared a state of emergency to forestall what she called an imminent attempt to overthrow her.

Querubin told journalists inside the Marine compound that he was protesting the resignation earlier in the day of the man in charge of the Philippines Marines, Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda.

Comelec grants bid
for recount in Silay
BY NANETTE GUADALQUIVER

The Commission on Elections First Division has given due to course to the election protest filed by Silay City mayoral candidate Jose "Oti" Montelibano, paving the way for the recount of the ballots in all 311 precincts in the city.

A three-page order dated Feb. 22, 2006, signed by Presiding Commissioner Resurreccion Borra and Commissioner Romeo Brawner, states that the Commission (First Division) resolved to give due course to the protest after finding that it had been filed on time.

Montelibano, who ran against Mayor Carlo Gamban during the May 2004 elections, told the DAILY STAR yesterday that he welcomes the much-awaited COMELEC decision.

Moves vs.
press freedom hit
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Media groups in Negros Occidental and participants of the Visayas-Wide Media Summit over the weekend denounced the Arroyo administration's move to curtail press freedom and called on colleagues and all those who cherish freedom and democracy to oppose such moves.

The Philippine National Police early Saturday morning raided the office of the Daily Tribune and government officials have warned of a clamp down on print and broadcast media who do not adhere to government standards.

Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon yesterday said the state of national emergency declared by the President should not affect the Bill of Rights that safeguards freedom of the press.