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| 03 NOVEMBER 2002 |
| President's Radio Address (Saturday & Sunday, November 02 & 03, 2002) |
Magandang araw sa inyong lahat. Kararating ko lang ngayon mula sa aking pagdalo sa Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Iyong APEC meeting sa Mexico ay nagbibigay diin ng isang importanteng bagong direksyon sa mga bansa at namumuno; na kinikilalang kailangan labanan natin ang pang-mundong terorismo kasama ng laban sa kahirapan. The best antidote to terrorism and poverty is political freedom and economic opportunity. As the leader of a developing nation, I can't achieve one without the other. That is why my fight against terrorism on our soil is accompanied by efforts to bring jobs, education, and opportunity to our people at the same time. Sa palagay ko itong koneksyon ng terorismo at kahirapan ay sa wakas tinatanggap na ng mga bansang maunlad. Dumadalas, makikita ninyong may lugar sa mesa para tumukoy sa mga isyu laban sa kahirapan at ukol sa ekonomiya, upang tulungan ang mga bansang umuunlad pa lamang bilang seryosong bahagi ng laban sa terorismo. Napatunayan ito sa nakaraang pulong sa APEC, sa consensus meeting sa Monterey sa Mexico ilang buwang nakaraan, at kahit na sa Doha Round ng WTO. Sa bawat panahon, ang mga bansang maunlad ay lalong naiintindihan na habang tumutulong tayo laban sa terorismo, sila ay dapat tumulong sa ating lumaban sa katulong ng terorismo - ito ay ang kahirapan. It is no coincidence, therefore, that I followed my APEC meeting with a trade and investment trip to Silicon Valley. I met with Andy Grove of Intel and many other high tech leaders in an effort to encourage greater investments in the Philippines. Intel has already invested one billion dollars and employs 6,000 Filipinos. That's my idea of a good anti-terrorism plan. Ang laban sa terorismo ay labang pangmundo at hindi lamang laban ng isang tanging bansa o rehiyon. Ang terorismo ay walang kinikilalang dulo. Ang pagkakaisa sa pulong sa APEC ay nagbibigay-diin na nasa lahat ng lugar ang bantang ito. We must work together as nations around the world to fight terrorism. We can't sit back and wait; we must take this fight to the terrorists before they undermine our very way of living. Naiintindihan natin ang hamon ng terorismo sa lahat ng bansa na nagbibigay halaga sa kapayapaan at katiwasayan. Mula noong ako'y nanungkulan, nagdeklara ako ng giyera sa terorismo sa Pilipinas. Kaya ako ang unang lider sa Asya na nakiisa sa pang-mundong koalisyon at sumama sa pamilya ng mga bansa sa laban kontra sa terorismo. Here at home, I have welcomed US military assistance to help us in the fight against terrorism. A few of my opponents have criticized my decision. But I have to tell you; I make no apologies for aggressively seeking to root out terrorism in the Philippines and putting considerable effort into seeking regional consensus on fighting terrorism. Itong mga terorista ay napatunayang muli na sila ay hindi ginagabay ng paninindigang moral o relihiyoso. Wala silang adhikain kundi mga mamamatay ng mga inosente, tulak ng ideolohiya ng kaguluhan. Naranasan na natin ang ganoong walang prinsipyong karahasan sa Pilipinas. Ang tanging gamot ay mawalan ng takot, at durugin ang sinisikap nila. The APEC nations stand against terrorism. The issue is making sure to build the strongest alliance possible and most leaders believe that it is through the United Nations. The same is true whether we are dealing with Iraq or North Korea. The objective is to peacefully disarm a nation that, one, needs to reform itself and open up to the world, and, two, can do tremendous harm to the region with the weapons and arsenal it has at its disposal. Ang layunin ng pagbuo ng APEC ay ekonomiya. Iyon ang nagpapatakbo sa kaniyang agenda, at dahilan kung bakit ako ay dumalo. Inakap ko ang laban kontra sa terorismo mula noong unang araw; ang mas mahirap na tanong sa mga bansang maunlad ay panatilihin ang mundong nakatukoy sa trabaho at ekonomiya. Ang kahirapan at desperasyon ay ang pinakamalaking sandata ng terorismo laban sa ating bansa. Hindi ko natatanggal iyan sa aking paningin. Hindi rin dapat sa ibang bansa. I inherited an economy heading for bankruptcy and a political environment teetering on chaos. We have instilled political order and fiscal discipline. Inflation is at its lowest point in over a decade, economic growth is among the highest in Asia. We have done significant reforms including anti-money laundering, privatization, banking asset reform, among others. Mabuti naman at iyong international credit agency na ang Moody's ay tuloy na itinuturing ang ating pang-matagalang hinaharap bilang stable. We believe that their assessment of the Philippines takes into account the fact that not only do we have an economy that has delivered one of the highest growth rates in a world full of troubles, but we are also taking further steps to strengthen further our macro-economic fundamentals. Tutuloy tayong mulat sa ating mga pagsisikap na bawasan ang kakulangan ng ating badyet at, sa bandang diyan, naniniwala ako na ang mga pangdagdag na koleksiyong hakbang na tinutupad ng Bureau of Internal Revenue pati na rin ng mahigpit na kontrol sa gastos ng pamahalaan na nilagay natin ay magsusuporta sa ating tagumpay dito. We have demonstrated our ability to win the approval of the rating agencies and we are encouraged with the approval of Moody's. Habang ginagawa natin ito tutukuyin natin ang mga positibong sukat ng lakas ng ating ekonomiyang pinapatakbo sa sariling sikap, kasama ng pag-angat ng GNP, mahinang pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin, patas na gastos ng gobyerno, at malakas na pagbalik ng export. Bilang inyong Pangulo, naniniwala ako na kaisa ko kayo sa paghahangad ng isang matiwasay na pamayanan, masaganang pamumuhay at matatag na Republika. Maraming salamat po. |
| Gov't still open to peace talks with reds |
The government remains open to peace talks with the communist rebels despite the decision of the European Union (EU) to declare Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Ma. Sison and the New People’s Army as terrorists. Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye said in a radio interview this morning that the Macapagal-Arroyo administration’s policy to keep the doors open to negotiations stands. Bunye said Secretary Rigoberto Tiglao, Presidential Spokesman and Chief of Staff of the Office of the President, has offered to serve as go-between in talks between the government and the communists. Presidential Management Staff Head Silvestre Afable, Jr., who was directed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to take charge of the back-channel negotiations, and Presidential Adviser on Special Concerns Norberto Gonzales are also ready to serve as go-between, Bunye said. Thus far, however, the CPP-NPA-National Democratic Front has not made any contact with these government negotiators, Bunye added. "Although the formal negotiations are suspended, the communication lines remain open," Bunye said. "The government wants peace." Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Eduardo Ermita, however, warned the communists against stepping up attacks in response to the EU position, saying it would only prove that they are terrorists. Bunye also said it is up to Sison, who is now in the Netherlands on political asylum, if he wants to return to the country. Sison left the Philippines in March l986 shortly after he was released from detention by then President Corazon Aquino. He has been in the Netherlands since l988. "We all know he will hardly have freedom of movement now in Europe" because of the October 28 decision of the Council of the European Union to declare him and his group as terrorists, Bunye said. Foreign Secretary Blas Ople said the EU move would deny "sanctuary" to Sison and other guerrilla leaders in Europe, freeze suspected rebel funds and cut off financing from their European supporters. "They have no place to hide," Ople added. The decision of the Council, the legislative body of the European Union, calls upon all its 15 member-states to freeze the assets of the NPA and Sison – whom it described as "in charge of NPA" known by his aliases of Joma and Armando Liwanag. The member-states of the EU are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. As early as last August, the Bank of England, as agent for Her Majesty’s Treasury, has "directed all financial institutions that any funds which they hold for or on behalf of the Communist Party of the Philippines (‘CPP’), its armed wing the New People’s Army (‘NPA’) and Jose Maria Sison, the founder of both the CPP and the NPA, must be frozen. This is because the Treasury has reasonable grounds for suspecting that the CPP, NPA and Jose Maria Sison are or may be persons who commit, attempt to commit, facilitate or participate in the commission of acts of terrorism." |
| GMA off for ASEAN Summit in Cambodia |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo left this afternoon for Cambodia to attend the eighth Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit that is expected to focus on terrorism, the same theme spotlighted by last week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting in Mexico. The President was accorded departure honors before boarding a chartered Philippine Airlines plane bound for the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh at around 12:40 p.m. at Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Among the Cabinet members who accompanied the President in the trip were Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel A. Roxas II, Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon and Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye. During the two-day summit meeting that opens tomorrow, the President, widely considered in the region as the most vocal on the security issue, is expected to raise the urgency of collectively fighting poverty which, she says, breeds terrorism. She is also expected to solicit support for an international conference on terrorism that the Philippines plans to host. After the Cambodia summit, whose theme for this year is "Towards a Community of Southeast Asian Nations," the President will proceed to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for a state visit on November 6 and 7.This is the second time the President will attend the gathering of the leaders of 10-member Asean. Last year, she attended the summit meeting in Brunei Darussalam. The Asean is composed of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar. While in Cambodia, the President is expected to meet with the small Filipino community in Phnom Penh. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, there are some 680 Filipinos living in Cambodia. Most of the Filipinos in Cambodia work for non-government organizations, the United Nations and other international organizations. Others work as missionaries, engineers, factory workers, and service works such as singers and entertainers, teachers and restaurant workers. Among the highlights of the Phnom Penh summit are:
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| GMA welcomes Moody's continued stable rating |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today welcomed the decision of Moody’s Investors Service, one of the world’s leading rating agencies, to maintain its stable credit outlook on the Philippines. "We believe that (Moody’s) assessment of the Philippines takes into account the fact that not only do we have an economy that has delivered one of the highest growth rates in a world full of troubles, but we are also taking further steps to strengthen further our macroeconomic fundamentals," the President said in her radio message aired yesterday and today. The President said the administration will remain focused on efforts to reduce the budget deficit. She said that with the improved collection efficiency of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the tight controls on government spending, she is confident of success towards this end. "We have demonstrated our ability to win the approval of the rating agencies, and we are encouraged with the approval of Moody’s," the President added. "I inherited an economy heading for bankruptcy and a political environment teetering on chaos," the President recalled. "We have instilled political order and fiscal discipline," she added. Inflation is at its lowest point in over a decade and economic growth is among the highest in Asia, the President said. "We have done significant reforms, including anti-money laundering, privatization, banking asset reform, among others." Moody’s, in maintaining its stable credit outlook on the Philippines, said "exports have recovered, the official foreign exchange reserves are still high and workers inflows continue; in fact they are pretty good this year." |
| GMA arrives in Cambodia for ASEAN Summit |
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Via PLDT) – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo arrived at the Pochentong International Airport at 2:45 p.m. (Cambodia time) on board a chartered Philippine Airlines flight from Manila for the eighth summit conference of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). The President and her official party were welcomed at the airport by ranking officials of the Cambodian government and Chief of Protocol Hul Phany. The President’s official party included Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople, Philippine Ambassador to Cambodia Voltaire Gazmin, Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon, Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye, Foreign Affairs Senior Undersecretary Lauro Baja, Jr. and Presidential Adviser for Regional Development Paul Dominguez. From the airport, the President and her official delegation motored immediately to Hotel Cambodiana, where they are going to be billeted. The first official activity of the President in Cambodia will be a meeting with the Filipino community at the Hotel Cambodiana’s Ballroom this afternoon. Based on a fact sheet released by the Department of Foreign Affairs, there are some 680 Filipinos living in Cambodia. During her meeting with the Filipinos, the President Macapagal-Arroyo is expected to brief them on the ongoing developments of her administration for the last two years. She is also expected to bring the good news about the passage of the absentee voting and dual citizenship bills in Congress. As the country’s biggest investors, the President will also exhort the Filipino community’s continued support to her government particularly in helping improve the Philippine economy. Tonight, the President will attend the working dinner for the 10 Heads of State/Government of Asean at the Intercontinental Hotel. Asean is composed of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar. Tomorrow, the President will join the nine other Asean leaders for their two-day summit meeting. During the summit, the President and the other Asean leaders will sign the ASEAN Tourism Cooperation Agreement (t-ASEAN), an initiative proposed by Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen. The tourism initiative was discussed by the President and Prime Minister Hun Sen during their bilateral talks in November last year while attending the seventh Asean summit in Brunei Darussalam. In their talks, the President expressed the hope that the tourism agreement would contribute to a better understanding among the peoples of ASEAN and enable them to learn of each other’s economic potentials. The President will also attend the Asean+3 wotking lunch with the leaders of the People’s Republic of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Later, the President will later attend the ASEAN+3 summit and the ASEAN + China summit. This will be followed by the signing of the Framework Agreement on Asean-China Economic Cooperation. Later in the evening, the President will motor to the Royal Palace for an audience with King Preah Bat Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk and Queen Norodom Monineath Sihanouk of Cambodia. After her audience with the Cambodian King and Queen, the President will attend the State Banquet hosted by the Royal Couple in honor of the leaders of Asean, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and India. On November 5, the President will attend the Asean+Japan summit, the Asean+Korea summit and the India+Asean summit at the Intercontinental Hotel. |
| GMA to push for initiative to curb terrorism in meetings with ASEAN leaders |
PHNOM PENH,Cambodia (Via PLDT)— President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is expected to push for her initiative for a regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism as she meets with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). International terrorism is expected to dominate talks both in the summit proper as well as informal discussions among heads of state attending the eight Asean summit here. In an interview, Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye said the President will likely take advantage of the presence of the Asean leaders in one venue, to push for stronger regional and global cooperation in the fight against terrorism. He said the President is also expected to take advantage of her meetings with Asean leaders to reiterate her invitation for a regional conference on international terrorism to be hosted by the Philippines. Asean leaders are under pressure to prove to the rest of the world that they can curb terrorism, especially in light of warnings from the United States that more attacks could be staged in the region. The US State Department issued a statement expressing concern "that individuals and groups may be planning terrorist attacks against US citizens and interests as well as sites frequented by Westerners" in Southeast Asia. Asean is scheduled to issue a joint statement on terrorism Monday, stressing its commitment to curb this international menace. Apart from this, Asean leaders are also set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with China, declaring their determination to cooperate with each other in addressing transnational crimes, including terrorism. |
