PRESS DIGEST - Philippine newspapers - July 14

MANILA, July 14 (Reuters) - These are the leading stories in Manila newspapers on Monday. Reuters has not verified these stories.

- The Department of Finance is studying a proposal to replace the expanded value-added tax on fuel products with a specific tax, which will not increas as the price of the products increases (THE PHILIPPINE STAR)

- A 14-year old from a school in Dagupan City has been crowned the Asian champion of the Japanese numbers puzzle Sudoku (ALL PAPERS)

- Catholic politicians who support a bill on abortion should not be allowed to receive communion, a senior church leader has said (PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER, MALAYA)

BUSINESS

- The government may use revenues from the expanded value-added tax on oil to subsidise the transport sector, Finance Secretary Margarito Teves said. (THE MANILA TIMES, MALAYA)

- Philippine conglomerate JG Summit Holdings Inc (JGS.PS), owned by the Chinese-Filipino Gokongwei family, remains interested in acquiring the government's remaining 40-percent stake in oil refiner Petron Corp (PCOR.PS), its president said. (THE PHILIPPINE STAR)

- Palay (unmilled rice) production in the first half of the year likely rose to 7.3 million metric tonnes, surpassing the target by 200,000 MT, officials said. (MANILA STANDARD TODAY)

($1 = 45.66 Philippine pesos)

(Reporting by Karen Lema)