PRESS DIGEST - Philippine newspapers - June 30

MANILA, June 30 (Reuters) - These are the leading stories in Manila newspapers on Tuesday. Reuters has not verified these stories.

- The Filipino partner has withdrawn from the consortium that won the bidding for next year's computerised balloting, raising the possibility that the polls will be conducted manually as before, the Commission on Elections said. (ALL PAPERS)

- The Armed Forces of the Philippines vowed to investigate allegations by a Filipino-American activist that she was abducted and tortured by military agents last May. (THE PHILIPPINE STAR)

- The military sees a fresh attempt by rightists to destabilise President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's administration after police found an explosive device at the Department of Agriculture office following a blast at the Office of the Ombudsman. (MANILA STANDARD TODAY, THE PHILIPPINE STAR)

********

BUSINESS

- The presidential palace will issue an executive order setting the tariff on imported educational books to zero, finance officials said. (BUSINESSWORLD)

- India's Tata Group is setting up call center operations in the country, with an initial capacity of 250-300 seats, an industry official said. (PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER)

- First Gen Corp, the power generation unit of the Lopez Group, is planning to bid for the contract to manage the 140-megawatt Casecnan hydroelectric power plant in Nueva Ecija, north of the capital. (THE MANILA TIMES, BUSINESSMIRROR, THE PHILIPPINE STAR, THE PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER)

($1 = 48.30 Philippine pesos)

(Reporting by Karen Lema)