President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo reiterated Tuesday night that her administration is determined to crush terrorism regardless of what her critics would say as she stressed that terrorists are nothing but murderers of innocent people.

In her address at the golden anniversary celebration of the National Press Club of the Philippines at the Holiday Inn in Manila, the President said that when she assumed the presidency last year, she immediately declared war on terrorism in the Philippines, particularly against the terrorist Abu Sayyaf in Mindanao.

The President said that she welcomed the military assistance from the United States to help us in the fight against terrorism in our shores.

"A few of my opponents have criticized my decision. But I have to tell them: I make no apologies for aggressively seeking to root out terrorism in the Philippines," the President said.

According to the President, terrorists have proven once again that they are not guided by any moral and religious conviction. "They are nothing more than murderers of innocent people driven by an ideology of mayhem," she said.

The President said that the only antidote to the mindless violence perpetrated in the Philippines by the Abu Sayyaf and other terror groups "is to have no fear and to crush their efforts."

She said that the government cannot just sit back and wait. "We must take this fight to the terrorists before they undermine our very way of living," the President said.

And that is the reason why the government is taking the fight to Basilan and Sulu, the main lairs of the Abu Sayyaf, rather than wait for them to come to Manila, the President said.

The President said that although the Abu Sayyaf remains a threat, it is, however, a diminished one since the military was able to crush their armed elements and broke up their intelligence cells.

"Solitary acts of destruction are still possible but what is increasingly more difficult for the Abu Sayyaf is extensive, coordinated military attacks," the President said.

In a related topic, the President also said that the People’s Patriotic Movement (PPM) is not a terrorist organization but rather an intellectual philosophical movement founded by professor Emmanuel Yap.

The President personally acknowledged the presence of Yap in the audience, saying that the latter, in a note sent to her, assured her that the PPM "will never let you down and will help in the fundamental reconstruction of our nation."

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assured the nation last night that specific emergency measures are now in place in the event of a new Gulf war.

In her speech at the golden anniversary celebration of the National Press Club of the Philippines at the Holiday Inn in Manila, the President said that she has reactivated her previous directive to the Middle East Preparedness Team (MEPT), headed by Special Envoy Roy Cimatu, to relocate the remaining Filipinos in Iraq "at least three days" before the start of any hostilities.

The President said that the evacuation of the Filipinos in Iraq would be done "upon the signal of the United Nations agencies in Iraq or upon receipt of reliable intelligence information."

She said that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and Philippine diplomatic missions in the Middle East have already been apprised of the consequences of a possible war in the region.

According to the President, the UN Office of International Migration and the governments of countries hosting OFWs have agreed to assist and cooperate in ensuring the safety and welfare of Filipino nationals in the event of a new crisis.

For OFWs in Kuwait, the President said, she has ordered two contingency plans. The first is for the estimated 90 percent of some 60,000 OFWs who may opt to stay even in the outbreak of war, and the other for the remaining 10 percent who may want to be evacuated.

She said the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait has already submitted a detailed cost for the two contingency plans and these will be supported when the time comes.

In Kuwait, the President said, she has also ordered the deployment of a defense attaché and a team of military experts in ant-biological and chemical warfare under the leadership of the MEPT.

The President, however, cited as safe for OFWs such Middle East countries as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Iran.

The President said that she has ordered the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to publish and distribute emergency handbooks outlining the possible problems that the OFWs may face and the means to ensure their safety and welfare.

The MEPT, which is funded by the Office of the President, will establish its base of operations near the area of possible conflict, the President said.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has called on the Philippine media to help the government in its task not only of promoting peace and development but also in building a strong Republic.

"In the light of so many challenges, challenges to our rule of law, challenges to the peace of the world, I ask you, the press, to use your power over the hearts and minds of your readers, listeners and audiences to unite behind our common tasks and responsibilities," the President said in her speech at the dinner honoring members of the media who have been in the profession for more than 50 years.

The President was the guest of honor in the 50^th anniversary celebration of the National Press Club of the Philippines held Tuesday night at the Holiday Inn in Manila.

Assisted by NPC president Louie Logarta, the President also presented scrolls of recognition as NPC Golden Jubilarians to 24 veteran newsmen who included two former press secretaries and two former press undersecretaries.

The two former press secretaries, who were among the awardees, were Rodolfo Reyes and Jesus Sison; while the two press undersecretaries were Alice Colet Villadolid and Virgilio Pantaleon. Reyes, however, was not able to make it to the presentation ceremonies.

In her address, the President said the government and the press could together explore the frontiers not only of peace but also of reform and cooperation "so that we can build a strong Philippine Republic."

"As President of the country, I have come not only to congratulate you but also to ask the Philippine press to help me carry out my difficult work of trying to change and reform the country so that we can win the battle against poverty within the decade," the President said.

The President paid tribute to the NPC Golden Jubilarians for having advanced the interest of press freedom for the past 50 years.

She added that the Philippine press is not just free but one of the most powerful institutions in the country, much more powerful than 50 years ago when the NPC was established.

The President said that as chief executive, she must not be swayed by power play, by black propaganda, character assassination or even by a gall in popularity.

"Popularity comes and goes. But what is important is my inner moral compass and a strategic political and social and economic direction in which we must head," the President said.

The President said she felt sad that some of the pillars of Philippine journalism who should have been Jubilarians themselves, were no longer around, particularly mentioning Manila Bulletin columnist Joe Guevara, who passed away recently.

She recalled that when her father, the late President Diosdado Macapagal, was a congressman, Guevara was a beat reporter covering Congress.

"Joe and my father became good friends. And Joe was very supportive of my father all the way to the presidency. And that’s why, up to the last column of Joe Guevara, I was an avid reader of his," the President fondly recalled.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today met with the members of the Philippines-United States Business Council in a yearend review of policy directions and to chart the future course of RP-US economic ties and the role of the Philippines as a regional hub for trade and other activities, agricultural productivity and tourism.

The President agreed with the members of the council that a transparent and predictable environment for trade and investments is in the interests of both countries.

The President also concurred with the council that the sanctity of contracts and rule of law are extremely important for the investor community.

The business leaders led by Ramon del Rosario, Guillermo Luz, Bernardo Villegas, Raul Concepcion, Rolando Dy, Cynthia Mamon, and Gullermo Luchangco committed to engage in an ongoing dialogue and provide assistance in identifying and removing impediments to trade and investments.

During the meeting, the President directed Rizalino Navarro, head of the council’s Task Force on Regional Hubs, to prepare whatever presidential issuances are needed to declare the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark, the Mactan International Airport in Cebu, and the General Santos International Airport in Mindanao as open-skies airports for cargo.

The President also agreed with the council to promote the Philippines as a regional hub for health care, retirement, and hospital services.

"It is more inexpensive (for foreigners) to come to the Philippines and have a medical checkup than to stay in their home country and have the same," Guillermo Luz of the Makati Business Club said.

The council is also promoting the Philippines as a regional center for information and communications technology (ICT) services, particularly with the Filipinos’ high English literacy, language advantage over other countries, familiarity with terminology, and creativity and artistry.

To further enhance the proficiency in English of Filipinos in ICT, Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel A. Roxas II said that at the recent DTI high-tech meeting last December 7, additional changes was proposed, adopted and conveyed to Education Secretary Edilberto de Jesus of Education where English will be an added or strengthened feature to the curriculum in Elementary and High School education.

"I think what was noteworthy in the meeting with the business community leaders was the confluence, the similarity between the agenda matters that they were proposing and the actions and activities being undertaken by the government," Roxas said.

Roxas noted that during the last Cabinet meeting, the open-air policy for cargo was already taken up.

This was confirmed by the President to the members of the business council.

The council also proposed to make the Philippines the regional hub for shipping and container cargo trade, citing its advantages of having a readily available workforce, strategic location and existence of deep water harbors and seaport terminals.

The council also said the Transco franchise bill must be passed, given its key in the country’s privatization efforts in the electricity sector,

Two 40-footer container vans loaded with rotten ginger and carrots were put under a condemnation status today by Task Force Blue Collar headed by Presidential Security Group (PSG) Commander Hermogenes Esperon at the Manila International Container Port (MICP).

The Task Force, which is under the newly created Anti-Smuggling Intelligence and Investigation Center,through is composed of the elements of the PSG, Bureau of Customs (BOC), Department of Justice (DOJ), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

The shipment of vegetables was reported to have been consigned to Dafodil Trading and Xin Wang Merchandising which imported it without the proper import permit from the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Plant Industry.

Esperon said the importation violated Presidential Decree No. 1433 or the Plant Quarantine Law for the absence of the required permit; and Section 2503 and 2530 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines, for misdeclaration.

"It was a case of a misdeclared importation of fruits which turned out to be vegetables," Esperon said after the task force inspected the two container vans.

Esperon said the two containers of vegetables came from China and have an estimated market value of P2 million.

The Department of Agriculture recently recommended to the Bureau of Customs the banning of import permits following complaints of local vegetable growers in Central Luzon.

He noted that since the start of the last quarter this year, 40 containers of assorted vegetables worth P32 million have been apprehended by intelligence agents at the MICP.

Esperon also said the Task Force has also apprehended some P8.8 million worth of imported premium grade fragrant rice at the MICP.

He said the imported rice from Singapore were shipped through the M/V Santos and were placed in twenty 20-footer container vans.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has appointed Cornelio M. Baliao, Jr. (Jun Baliao to many) as Assistant Press Secretary for administration and Finance of the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS).

Baliao’s appointment was announced by Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye today during the OPS traditional Christmas Party of the Office of the Press Secretary-Proper at the Arlegui Guest House.

He has been discharging the duties of the position in the capacity of officer-in-charge since the compulsory retirement of Victor M. Tuazon last January 6. He was the OPS Chief of Staff from January 25, 2001 up to March 31 this year when former Press Secretary Noel C. Cabrera resigned to accept a major post at the Coco Life and who was later appointed by the President as Ambassador to Romania.

Baliao brings into the OPS a wealth of experience in office administration and personnel management and various supervisory positions which he held in the Press Office of the President in Malacañang from the presidency of the late Diosdado Macapagal up to the present administration of his illustrious daughter, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

He was Special Assistant to the Press Secretary until his new appointment as Assistant Secretary.