Love, money eyed in jogger's slay: Philippines

Manila police investigators have identified the foreign-looking woman, who was run over by a car and then repeatedly stabbed to death by the vehicle's driver while jogging near the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) complex along Roxas Boulevard shortly before dawn last week.

Manila Police District (MPD) homicide section investigators have also begun tracking down the suspect, believed to be the victim's ex-lover, whom they were able to identify through pictures on her mobile phone which matched still images of him taken from a security camera footage of the January 14 murder.

Philippines bans ex-president Arroyo from travel

MANILA - The Philippine government on Tuesday rejected an appeal from former president Gloria Arroyo to travel abroad for medical treatment, saying she may be trying to avoid a graft probe.

Arroyo, 64, had asked the government to allow her to head overseas for expert help on what she said was a rare bone disease, after unsuccessful operations on her spine in Manila this year.

Giant croc caught in the Philippines

Villagers and experts have captured a 600kg saltwater crocodile which they plan to make the star of a planned ecotourism park in The Philippines.

The male crocodile was described in an AP report as 6.4 meters (21 feet) long which, if confirmed, would make it bigger than the 5.5-meter saltwater crocodile in Cairns, Australia.

Philippines says police officer suspect in killing of Norwegian

Norwegian teenager Mikael Troy Johansen Rasay was fatally shot
outside a Manila bar. Photograph: AP

Mikael Troy Johansen Rasay, from Oslo and of Filipino ancestry, shot by off-duty officer in brawl outside bar, officials say

An off-duty police officer is the main suspect in the killing of an 18-year-old Norwegian tourist of Filipino descent outside a bar in a Manila suburb where he tried to stop a fight, the chief investigator said on Wednesday.

Clinic in Philippines robbed; dentist raped

Posing as a patient, a man hogtied and robbed two female dentists of more than P200,000 in cash and personal belongings before raping one of the victims inside their clinic in Manila.

Manila Police District (MPD) investigators said the suspect even submitted himself to a dental examination before pulling the heist and attacking one of the victims.

Police said the incident happened around 3 p.m. on Thursday inside the clinic along Pedro Gil Street in Paco.

An investigation showed that shortly before the robbery, the suspect entered the clinic and said he was in need of dental services.

One of the dentists then proceeded to check his teeth.

After the examination, the man reportedly asked the two dentists if he could wait inside their clinic for his wife who was also having a medical check up nearby.

The dentists agreed and allowed him to stay in the reception area. After several other patients left the clinic, the suspect was left alone in the clinic with the dentists.

Opportunity

MPD theft and robbery section investigators said that the moment the clinic had been emptied of other patients, the man locked the main entrance, and brought out a fan knife, a handgun, and a tear gas canister before the victims and announced the holdup.

He then proceeded to hogtie the two using a thick transparent tape.

One of the dentists was led to a dentist's chair while her 33-year-old colleague was told to lie on the floor.

The suspect then started ransacking the dental office of P26,500 in cash; P150,000 worth of jewelry; three mobile phones worth P19,000; a tablet notepad worth P7,500; and a portable DVD player valued at P6,000.

But before fleeing with his loot, the robber allegedly raped the 47-year-old dentist who had treated him.

The dentists were able to free themselves and seek police assistance after the suspect fled.

Operatives of the MPD theft and robbery section are conducting follow-up operations for the identification and arrest of the suspect as well as the possible recovery of the stolen items.

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