Five-time Grammy nominee David Benoit arrived in the country Monday morning together with his wife Kei. The pianist, composer and conductor is in town for his self titled concert at the Philippine International Convention Center on Thursday, February 11. Accompanying Benoit is the 60-piece Filharmonika Orchestra conducted by Gerard Salonga with Bituin Escalante and Tots Tolentino as special guests.  (Photo by ANJO PEREZ)

Two youngsters are caught by roving operatives of the Manila Police District-Station 3 in the act of removing posters of national candidates from the center island of the eastbound lane of Rizal Avenue, Sta. Cruz, Manila at past midnight, Monday, a day before the start of the official campaign period. They were taken to the station for questioning. (Photo by POL BRIANA JR.)

Scene-of-the-Crime Operatives (SOCO) of Lucena City, right, inspect the bullet-riddled white van that sped past a police checkpoint along the Maharlika Highway in Candelaria, Quezon, Monday morning. Eight men on board the vehicle were killed during an ensuing gunfight with lawmen who were manning the checkpoint. (Photo by LINUS GUARDIAN ESCANDOR)

A heart-shaped “tikoy” (sticky rice cake or pudding) is displayed at a store on Ongpin St., Binondo, Manila as a storekeeper prepares boxes of the popular delicacy six days before the double celebration of Chinese New Year’s Day and Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14. (Photo by KJ ROSALES)

Two policemen stand in front of the main gate of the National Printing Office (NPO) in Quezon City where the official ballots for the May 2010 national elections are being printed. Some 50 million ballots are being printed at the NSO. (Photo by MARK BALMORES)