Manila  - Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was caught off guard on Tuesday when her press secretary prayed for a possible extension of her term beyond 2010 as lawmakers debated on an impeachment complaint against her.

Arroyo and her cabinet often start their meetings with a prayer, which is led by different officials.

But the prayer by Press Secretary Jesus Dureza shocked Arroyo for touching on a sensitive political issue, with many critics warning of alleged plans for the president to hold on to power beyond the end of her term in 2010.

"We pray for the president, that she may have forbearance, good health and tolerance to lead this nation until 2010, and who knows, perhaps even beyond," Dureza said.

Manila  - Remittances from overseas Filipinos rose 17.1 per cent in the first nine months of the year despite a slowdown in major economies in the world, the government said Tuesday.

The central bank said remittances totalled 12.27 billion dollars from January to September, compared to 10.47 billion dollars in the same period last year.

In September alone, overseas Filipinos sent home 1.33 billion dollars, up 16.9 per cent from 1.13 billion dollars from a year ago.

Cotabato City, Philippines  - Three Muslim separatist rebels were killed while two soldiers were hurt in a clash in the southern Philippines, a military spokesman said Tuesday.

The firefight occurred on Sunday in the village of Malingaw in Shariff Aguak town, Maguindanao province, 960 kilometres south of Manila, according to Major Randolph Cabangbang.

Cabangbang said soldiers were on patrol in the village when they encountered a group of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels, triggering the clash.

Manila - The Philippine government on Monday called for stepped-up security in dangerous waters off Somalia, where 90 Filipino seafarers were being held captive by pirates in separate hijacking incidents.

The call came after pirates seized a freighter, with 23 crew members, including 18 Filipinos.

Presidential deputy spokesman Lorelei Fajardo said the government was exhausting all means to free the 90 Filipinos still in captivity off Somalia.

The Philippine government "has been continuously calling for increased security in these dangerous waters, areas which have been declared risk zones," she said.

"The Philippine government will do all it can to secure the release of our seamen," she added.

Manila - A Filipino broadcast journalist was killed Monday in the southern Philippines in the sixth deadly attack against the media in the country this year, police said.

Aresio Padrigao, a commentator for local radio station DXRS, was shot to death by gunmen aboard a motorcycle in Gingoog town in Misamis Oriental province, 795 kilometres south of Manila.

Padrigao, a known critic of local government officials in Misamis Oriental, had just brought his child to school when the assailants attacked him.

General Santos City, Philippines  - Two soldiers were killed when a landmine struck a convoy of army vehicles in the southern Philippines, the military said Sunday.

The convoy was returning to camp from a civic mission when the incident occurred Saturday in Maasim town in Sarangani province, 1,125 kilometres south of Manila.

Colonel Edgar De Leon, an army battalion commander, said the explosive was placed on top of a concrete culvert and detonated as the convoy passed.