PRESS DIGEST - Philippine newspapers - Nov 9

MANILA, Nov 9 (Reuters) - These are the leading stories in Manila newspapers on Monday. Reuters has not verified these stories.

- The presidential race widened with former Public Works Secretary formally announcing his intention to run under the Philippine Labor and Peasant Party. (PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER, BUSINESSMIRROR, MANILA BULLETIN)

- Retailers of liquefied petroleum gas said they may be forced to stop selling cooking gas should the government continue to impose price caps on petroleum products until next month. (PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER, THE PHILIPPINE STAR)

- The Philippines will seek to reaffirm its defence ties with the United States when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits Manila this week, the presidential palace said. (THE PHILIPPINE STAR, THE MANILA TIMES, MALAYA)

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BUSINESS

- The Philippines could grow 3.8 in the fourth quarter despite the impact of strong typhoons that hit the country. (ALL PAPERS)

- Petron Corp (PCOR.PS: Quote, Profile, Research) accepted the government's challenge to open its books of accounts, saying the review will put an end to allegations that it was overpricing its petroleum products. (MALAYA, THE PHILIPPINE STAR)

- The Philippine central bank paid $600 million of its short term loans to the Bank for International Settlements which it borrowed as liquidity buffer last year amid the global downturn. (MANILA BULLETIN, MANILA STANDARD TODAY)