PRESS DIGEST - Philippine newspapers - May 28

MANILA, May 28 (Reuters) - These are the leading stories in Manila newspapers on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified these stories.

- Five Filipinos are among the crew of a cargo freighter hijacked off Somalia. (THE PHILIPPINE STAR, MANILA STANDARD TODAY)

- Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro has called on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to discipline its ranks after an ambush against marines last week. (THE PHILIPPINE STAR)

- Handcuffing and blindfolding 28 military officers held in connection with an attempted power grab in February 2006 violated their rights, the head of the Commission on Human Rights said. (PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER)

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BUSINESS

- Minimum wage earners will see their take-home pay increased by 34 pesos ($0.78) a day, once a bill exempting them from income tax, approved by the Senate on Tuesday, is implemented. (MANILA STANDARD TODAY, THE PHILIPPINE STAR)

- Finance Secretary Margarito Teves said the government might sell more than 60 billion pesos worth of state assets this year, twice the original target. (MALAYA, THE MANILA TIMES)

- Jinchuan Group, China's largest nickel producer, is pursuing other mining projects in the country, undeterred by its failed bid for Nonoc, the special envoy for trade and investment said. (MANILA STANDARD TODAY)

($1 = 43.75 pesos) (Reporting by Carmel Crimmins; Editing by Louise Heavens)