PRESS DIGEST - Philippine newspapers - Feb 12

MANILA, Feb 12 (Reuters) - These are the leading stories in Manila newspapers on Thursday. Reuters has not verified these stories.

- The American Marine convicted of raping a Filipino woman should be detained in a Philippine-run facility, and not at the U.S. Embassy, while he awaits the result of his appeal, the Philippine Supreme Court said. (ALL PAPERS)

- The husband of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will not appear before a Senate corruption inquiry in connection with a World Bank funded road project upon his doctors' advice. (MANILA STANDARD TODAY, THE PHILIPPINE STAR)

- The government is considering a moratorium on minimum wage increases this year but will wait to see how businesses perform in the first half before endorsing the move, Labour Secretary Marianito Roque said. (BUSINESSWORLD)

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BUSINESS

- The National Economic Development Authority approved two new projects worth 6 billion pesos ($127 million) that would be funded with Korean aid as the government pins it hopes on pump priming the economy through infrastructure development. (PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER)

- Property developer Megaworld Corp (MEG.PS) will hold a series of fund raising activities to finance its 30 billion pesos capital spending program over the next three years. (THE PHILIPPINE STAR)

- The Philippine central bank said remittances are unlikely to contract this year since the deployment of overseas Filipino workers continues to grow at a double-digit rate. (THE MANILA TIMES)

($1 = 47.07 pesos)

(Reporting by Karen Lema)