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Array ( [results] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [ArticleID] => 543965 [Title] => Afghan warlord re-emerges despite West's demands [Summary] =>He is among Afghanistan's most notorious warlords, accused of widespread abuses including the massacre of thousands of Taliban prisoners. Now he's back, reinstated by President Hamid Karzai in a top army post despite Western demands for sweeping reform.
[DatePublished] => 2010-01-27 03:00:00 [ColumnID] => 133272 [Focus] => 0 [AuthorID] => [AuthorName] => [SectionName] => [SectionUrl] => [URL] => ) [1] => Array ( [ArticleID] => 142948 [Title] => If we dont cure the Comelec, how can we hold elections in 2004? [Summary] => While were wallowing in charges and countercharges and "investigating" practically everything under the sun, isnt anybody worrying about the bitter "Mexican stand-off" that is paralyzing the Commission on Elections?
Lets get real. If we dont "fix" whats wrong with the Comelec, then we cant have Presidential elections in 2004. Could anything be clearer than that? We seem to forget that free and credible elections are the bedrock of every democracy. [DatePublished] => 2001-12-09 00:00:00 [ColumnID] => 133172 [Focus] => 0 [AuthorID] => 1510184 [AuthorName] => Max V. Soliven [SectionName] => Opinion [SectionUrl] => opinion [URL] => ) [2] => Array ( [ArticleID] => 139812 [Title] => GMAs overcrowded last-minute sked [Summary] => Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Francis Garchitorena told this writer yesterday that he had only been "defending himself" in the word war with Third Division Chairman Justice Anacleto Badoy.
"I had just arrived in Davao City on Sunday last week," the Presiding Justice explained, "when suddenly Badoy called a press conference in Manila attacking me." Thus, Garchitorena noted that he was caught completely by surprise when reporters in Davao began badgering him, even in the Marco Polo hotel there, for his response to the Badoy tirade.
[DatePublished] => 2001-11-12 00:00:00 [ColumnID] => 133172 [Focus] => 0 [AuthorID] => 1510184 [AuthorName] => Max V. Soliven [SectionName] => Opinion [SectionUrl] => opinion [URL] => ) ) )
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![](https://www.philstar.com/images/stand-in-photo-male.jpg)
![](https://www.philstar.com/images/stand-in-photo-male.jpg)
MANILA, Philippines — Alas Pilipinas team captain Jia de Guzman has tempered expectations on their chances against a heavily favored Vietnam and in the FIVB Challenger Cup that came off the wraps at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium yesterday.
But deep inside the soft-spoken and courageous skipper and the rest of Nationals, they all dream of the same big dream – a ticket straight to the Women’s Volleyball Nations League main group next year.
And their quest begins tonight when they square off with the Vietnamese at 6:30 p.m.
The home bet is the underdog versus the Vietnamese side that swept and dominated last month’s AVC Challenge Cup at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. The Filipinas snatched a historic bronze there.
“Well, alam naman po namin na mas malakas ang kalaban and we know our team is young. All we can ask the girls is to do its best while not putting pressure on the team that much,” said the charismatic Alas team leader.
The team lost power spiker Eya Laure and libero Jen Nierva and were replaced by Creamline’s Jema Galanza and National University’s Bella Belen.
Belen’s teammate, Alyssa Solomon, and Galanza’s fellow Creamline star, Tots Carlos, were enlisted into the pool but will not be able to join due to undisclosed reasons.
“It’s great to have new reinforcements in the pool. Experience-wise, marami ang mako-contribute nila sa team,” said De Guzman of Galanza and Belen.
Intriguingly, Nierva’s last-minute withdrawal left the squad with one legitimate libero in Dawn Catindig.
Cherry Nunag was listed as the team’s second libero although she’s known as a natural middle blocker.
The other members of the team are Faith Nisperos, Fifi Sharma, Vannie Gandler, Julia Coronel, Angel Canino, Dell Palomata, Arah Panique, Thea Gagate and Sisi Rondina.
The trek to that VNL dream is long and arduous though as Alas Pilipinas would need to win all its games against Vietnam, the semis and eventually the finals, assuming it could make it that far, to realize it.
In the opener of the meet, Puerto Rico turned back a feisty Kenya 25-20, 25-19, 27-25, to advance to the semis.
Teenage sensation Grace Mar Lopez Villanueva went on attack mode and fired 19 points including 18 on kills while Diana Reyes scattered 10 hits.
Pamella Adhiambo Owino tried to put up a fight for the Kenyans by unloading a match-best 22 points. most of which came in the third set when they tried
to put up a fight and steal the set before eventually falling short in the end.
- 12:00 am