MANILA, Philippines - Now is the time to come together to move the country forward. This was the message of President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday, June 12 at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila to celebrate the 115th independence day of the Philippines. At the same time, the President, in subtle references to recent territorial disputes involving the Philippines such as the Sabah conflict that resulted in bloodshed and the return to the country of thousands of Filipinos, reminded Filipinos that fighting for independence means "we must also show the true qualities of the Filipino."

"It's not in our blood to be aggressive but neither will we fold under pressure or challenge. And while we stand for our rights, and cooperate with all sides in order to reach an understanding, we must also improve our armed forces. At the same time, we need to prioritize the safety of the millions of Filipinos who may be affected by my decisions as President," he said.

Headlines—Indonesia

Due to the riot, Indonesian President SBY forms a special team to accelerate the handling of migrant workers' travel documents in Jeddah.

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) has dispatched a special team to the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in Jeddah, in order to accelerate the processing of Travel Documents in Lieu of Passports (SPLP) belonging to Indonesian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. The team, which departed yesterday afternoon, was led by Law and Human Rights Deputy Minister Denny Indrayana.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 ? Deadly clashes between Muslims and Buddhists in Myanmar have spread to Malaysia, which both employs a large Burmese workforce and is home to one of the biggest Rohingya Muslim populations outside of the country.

According to media reports, four Myanmar nationals have already died while another eight were injured following reprisal attacks believed to be linked to the religious riots in the country.

A number of young administrators of a Golkar Party organization are suspected of defrauding projects. They are said to be connected to DPR Deputy Speaker, Priyo Budi Santoso.

Two men arrived at the Sukamiskin Prison in Bandung, driving a black Nissan Terrano on Saturday afternoon, two weeks ago. It was 1:30pm, past visiting time. At the prison's closed steel gate, someone from the car spoke through the intercom. "The House of Representatives (DPR) deputy speaker wants to meet Fahd El Fouz. Please open the gate."

According to an eyewitness to the event, the gate did not immediately open. The guard on duty first reported the visitors to Giri Purbadi, the Sukamiskin Prison warden. Only after that was the instruction given for the car to be let in. Inside the car was indeed Priyo Budi Santoso and his aide. Priyo, 47, headed for the meeting room located in the center of the prison compound built during the Dutch colonial era.