Mga kababayan, wala nang atrasan ang pakikibaka natin sa terorismo. nakiki-isa tayo sa hinagpis at pagdurusa ng mga pamilyang nasawi o nasaktan sa mga atake ng terorista. At dapat tayong humanap ng lakas sa pagkilos sa halip na magtago sa takot.

Dapat makipag-tulungan tayo sa mga bansa ng buong mundo upang labanan ang terorismo. Hindi dapat magwalang bahala. Kailangang tugisin ang mga terorista bago nila wasakin hindi lamang turismo, kundi pati ang pamumuhay natin mismo.

Pag-upo ko pa lamang bilang pangulo, inilunsad ko na ang digma laban sa terorismo. Kaya nung nangyari iyong mga pangyayari noong Sept. 11, 2002, agad akong lumahok sa koalisyong pan-daigdig kontra terorismo.

Hindi ako nagsisisi sa masigasig nating pagdurog ng terorismo sa Pilipinas at sa hangad nating magsanib ang mga bansa ng Asya laban sa terorismo. Samantala, ginagawa natin ang lahat upang ipagtanggol ang mga mamamayan, ang pamahalaan at lahat ng nasa Pilipinas.

Walang relihiyon na nagtatakdang paslangin ang walang malay at walang sala. Tanging hangad ng mga tunay na Muslim sa Pilipinas ang kapayapaan at pag-angat sa buhay. Lumalabag sa Islam ang teroristang kinakasangkapan ang relihiyon para sa karahasan. Hindi sila maka-Diyos o maka-bayan, kungdi mga mamamatay-tao na walang ideolohiya. Kundi paghahasik ng ligalig.

Digmaang pandaigdig ang pagsugpo sa terorismo. Dapat tayong makipag-palitan ng impormasyon tungkol sa mga terorista, at handlangan ang paglilipat nila ng pera sa iba’t-ibang bansa. Dapat ding tuntunin at wasakin ang mga lungga ng terorista, saan man sila nakapag-ugat.

Kaya naman, aktibo ang Pilipinas at ang inyong lingkod upang isulong ang alyansiya ng mga bansa sa asya kontra terorismo. Sa katatapos na mga pagpupulong ng APEC sa Mexico at Asean sa Cambodia, masigasig nating ipaglaban ang mga deklarasyon kontra terorismo at kooperasyon sa larangan ng seguridad at pani-niktik o intelligence.

Lumahok sa alyansiyang itinatag ng Pilipinas, Malaysia at Indonesia, ng Thailand at Cambodia. Sa kabilang dako, sa pamamagitan ng kasunduan tungkol sa pagkilos ng mga bansa sa South China Sea, lalakas ang pakikipag-tulungan upang masawata ang pag-galaw ng masasamang loob sa karagatan.

Sa tapang ng ating mga sundalo’t pulis at sa tulong ng mga ka-alyado nating bansa, nananalo na tayo laban sa mga terorista sa Pilipinas. Lubha ng nanghina ang Abu Sayyaf at ipit na sa Sulu. Daan-daan ang mga kasapi nilang nalipol o nahuli, at napuksa ang marami nilang Intelligence Cells. Hindi na rin makakakilos nang malaya ang mga teroristang banyaga matapos mahuli ang ilan nilang pinuno at mabigo ang mga planong pag-bobomba.

Gayunpaman, upang tunay na magwagi sa terorismo, kailangang magtulungan ang maunlad at umuunlad na bansa upang wakasan ang karalitaan. Sapagkat kahirapan ng buhay ang nagtutulak sa maraming sawing-palad na maakit sa terorismo at sa mga huwad na pangako ng mga terorista.

Kailangan ding magtulungan ang iba’t-ibang bansa upang malabanan ang kahirapan. Kaya naman nananawagan ako sa APEC na buksan ng mga mayamang bansa ang mga merkado nila sa mga produkto natin. Dapat din nilang dagdagan ang puhunan at salaping tulong para sa mga bansang umuunlad. At sa ating bansa naman, isinusulong ko ang pag-unlad sa agrikultura at negosyong munti upang lumikha ng milyong trabaho at makaahon ang milyun-milyong Pilipino sa kahirapan.

Ito ang laban nating mga pilipino kontra karahasan at kahirapan. Sa tapang, sigasig at pagkakaisa natin at sa awa ng maykapal, magwawagi tayo.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Friday asked Western nations to refrain from issuing travel warnings and advisories that discourage tourism and investment into affected countries.

"We should not be penalized by those who are well aware of the tough decisions and actions we’ve taken to not only deal with terrorists on our own shores but also to work with other countries to ensure that in our region and around the world, we cooperate by sharing intelligence and assisting in apprehending terrorists who are not restricted by national borders," the President said in her speech before the opening of the International Conference on Terrorism and Tourism Recovery at Shangri-La Hotel in Makati City.

The President said that in the case of the Philippines, the strongest argument that the nation has against such penalties is the reputation of the Filipino workers all over the world.

She said she hopes that friends in the western world and elsewhere will think long and hard about how they can support the efforts of the Philippines to not only remove the scourge of terrorism from the Philippines and other countries in Southeast Asia but also the work being done to ensure that countries in our region are just as active in fighting this global war.

"We need cooperation from our friends internationally, not misguided condemnation," she said.

The President noted that at the end of the day, the Western countries must realize that no nation is not doing anything to fight terrorism.

On the part of the Philippines I would say that while there are many others fighting this as much as we are, nobody is fighting more than we are," she said.

She said she looks forward to working closely with the western world and neighbors in what is unfortunately going to be a long war.

She noted that just as nations search out and destroy terrorism we must search out and destroy the terror of poverty.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Friday night said she’s glad over the decision of the Labor Solidarity Movement, the umbrella organization of the country’s mainstream labor groups, not to press for wage increase at this time.

In her keynote speech on the first day of the International Conference on Terrorism and Tourism Recovery at the Shangri-La Hotel In Makati, the President called the movement’s decision as an act of patriotism. The movement is composed of Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Alliance of Filipino Workers (AFW) and the Trade Union of the Philippines and Allied Services (TUPAS).

"This patriotic act by the four biggest labor unions of the country is one such mechanism by which existing jobs can be preserved," the President said.

The President also noted the efforts made by the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), which committed to pay for any increases in workers’ contribution in Social Security System premiums for as long as there are still no wage increases.

"While government works hard at creating new jobs through investment as well as through tourism and the encouragement of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to build up domestic demand, we must also put in place job preservation mechanisms at a time when the world is in economic difficulty," the President said.

"This patriotic act by the four biggest labor unions of the country is one such mechanism by which existing jobs can be preserved. The same is true of the employers’ group who made their own contribution through a social accord that will allow us to weather this difficult time," she added.

On the part of government, the President said she has ordered agencies to ensure that government does it share in jobs preservation.

"We must learn to conserve our gains during difficult times. More important we must stand together to move this country, our country, forward," she said.

Her orders are:

• The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to strictly enforce existing labor standards so workers may get their lawful due;

• The National Food Authority (NFA) to assist workers to get cheaper rice and other basic necessities;

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Friday enjoined countries to come together and pour efforts in fighting terrorism instead of seeking refuge in fear.

At the same time, the President announced the Philippine hosting of multilateral seminar games on emergency responses to terrorist threats tentatively set in December.

"We must work together as nations around the world fight terrorism. We cannot sit back and wait. We must take this fight to the terrorists before they undermine not only our tourism but our very way of living," she said during her keynote speech at the two-day International Conference on Terrorism and Tourism Recovery at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati City.

The President also expressed gladness over the heavy turnout of delegates from around the world. "The fact that you all arrived in such short notice only emphasizes the urgency and importance of our undertaking," she said.

She noted that terrorism impacts directly on tourism, saying that as forum for facilitating the movement of people across borders, the World Tourism Organization (WTO) indeed has a stake in making sure that we are able to have a safe place in this world today.

"It’s a twin job that is very important. Achieving the goal of making goods move and people move, but also taking necessary steps to protect them against terrorism. This requires a combination of the application of new technology and cross-border cooperation among government agencies," she said.

The President further noted the challenge terrorism posed for all countries that value peace and order. "It confirms that we must continue to take a firm stand against terrorism and work diligently with the family of nations in the global campaign to end the scourge of terrorism once and for all," she said.

On the Philippines’ efforts against terrorism, the President said the government has set to work to crush terrorism militarily and economically, moving aggressively to challenge the Abu Sayyaf in their turf, cutting their numbers to less than or about 200 from over a thousand.

"The Abu Sayyaf remain a threat but a diminished one. We have worked to crush their armed soldiers and break up their intelligence cells," she said.

She also noted that the government is pursuing inter-faith dialogs to promote Christian and Muslim solidarity. "Terrorists wish to instigate a religious war. We must make this an opportunity for religious understanding, ecumenism and solidarity," she added.

On the Al-Qaeda connection in the Philippines, the President confirmed that this is real but that it is not necessarily strong.

"The Philippines is just one of many nations scattered throughout the world, including US and Europe, where Al-Qaeda is trying to operate. If anything, we’re better prepared and taking more aggressive steps to stop terrorism in the Philippines than in many other parts of the world, because we know from first-hand experience the pain of terrorism. It becomes a cancer if you don’t cut it out," she said.

The President reiterated that the government supports a United Nations’ resolution on Iraq as she stressed that this must be a fight of the community of nations against a nation that seemingly refuses to abide by UN resolutions asking it (Iraq) to destroy its weapons of mass destruction.

She also emphasized that she is not making apologies for aggressively seeking to root out terrorism in the Philippines and to putting considerable effort in seeking regional consensus on fighting terrorism.

Citing the three-nation anti-terrorist working arrangement among the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia and supported by Cambodia and Thailand, the President said the government is working to promote cohesion and cooperation at the regional level.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo directed her military commanders to take note of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-China Declaration of Conduct in the South China Sea.

The Asean-China Declaration of the Regional Code of Conduct in the South China Sea was formally forged during the Nov. 4-5 Eighth Asean Leaders Meeting held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Under the Asean-China Regional Code of Conduct, the principle of no occupation should be observed.

The President, giving her guidance during the joint AFP-PNP command conference in Malacaņang, said the declaration calls for a closer coordination and communication among military commanders of the claimant countries in the South China Sea.

"I’d like you to take note of this and come up with a broader ‘keep in touch program’ with the Chinese defense and military establishments as well as other claimant countries," the President said.

She said that the coordination must be on the ground level so that the declaration can be pushed forward and, possibly upgraded into a formal code of conduct in the future.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo directed the Defense Department headed by Secretary Angelo Reyes to operationalize the anti-terrorist exchange of intelligence agreement with Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and, recently, with Thailand.

During today’s Armed Forces of the Philippines-Philippine National Police (AFP-PNP) Joint Command Conference in Malacaņang, the President also discussed the importance of the accession of Thailand with the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and recently Cambodia to the agreement to fight terrorism in the region.

Thailand’s accession to the tripartite agreement to fight terrorism between the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia and, recently, Cambodia was forged during the 8^th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Leaders Meeting held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia last November 4 to 5.

"We must take this framework and hammer it into a detailed blue print," the President said.

The President also underscored the importance of the continued creation of unfriendly communities for terrorists.

"We have to empower people and set mechanisms for their participation in detection of terrorists," she said.

She said that quick reaction mechanism to counter and respond to terrorist activities must be established.

The President welcomed Malaysian Prime Minister Mohamad Mahathir’s statement saying "we really should be having more joint border patrols."

"I think that these joint border patrols are very useful," the President said, citing for instance people who take a plane trip to Menado, Indonesia with the idea of sneaking into Mindanao. "If we have joint patrol, then that can be minimized," she said.

The President recalled that she initiated the multilateral anti-terrorist coalition with Malaysia and Indonesia last year.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today named Philippine Army Chief Lt. Gen. Dionisio Santiago as the new Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

In a press briefing in Malacanang, Presidential Spokesperson Rigoberto Tiglao said that Santiago will succeed Defensor when he retires on November 18.

"The extension period is finished," Tiglao said of Defensor whose term has been automatically extended by two months and four days by the President.

"The President believes that given the criteria for the Chief of Staff, Gen. Santiago complies with all those criteria and she has full confidence in Gen. Santiago," Tiglao said. He said that Santiago has proven his loyalty to the Constitution.

Tiglao clarified that as November 18 is fast approaching, the President decided to make the announcement now. "The decision was finalized yesterday," she said.

"And so she thought that rather than leaving these things in a cloud of speculation, it would be appropriate for her to announce it," Tiglao added.

Santiago, an alumnus of the Philippine Military Acedemy, class 1970, was an International Fellowship Program awardee in the US Army War College from 1993-94.

In fact, he received a Certificate of Honor from the International Fellows Hall of Fame at the US Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania only last October 18, 2002.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today led the nation in prayer, imploring the Almighty Lord to bring peace and unity in the hearts and minds of every Filipino.

In ceremonies held in Mandaluyong on the occasion of National Day of Prayer and Fasting, the President noted that we are now living in a world torn by strife, poverty, terror and deceit where the essence of our humanity is dulled.

"And so, we pray, remind us of the reasons for our being and that we are all created in our image and likeness. Remind us of our strength as a handmaid of Your love, so You can selfishly share our character, talents and resources in the spirit of love, courage, power and justice that You bestowed upon us," the President said.

The President beseeched God to bring strength to each and everyone so that "we may rise above the situation and realize self-reliance."

"When we are weakened, we can find strength. When we are shackled by oppression, we can fight for freedom. When we find ourselves in the midst of struggle, we pursue with perseverance. When we find suffering, we offer compassion and action. When we are divided by different beliefs, we stand in tolerance and understanding. When we see greed and corruption, we stand up with conscientiousness and honesty."

Dear God, open our eyes to the truth of Love, Peace, Hope and Joy amidst adversity. Help us to believe in Your goodness and look straight in the eyes of our brothers and sisters and see that same goodness in them. Help us to build our country not in the illusion of material wealth, aggression, influence, and coercion. Help us to see that You alone, God, are the firm foundation of our nation, and despite differences in color and creed, we can be one in praise, power and purpose," the President said.

With the President at the Mandaluyong event were former President Fidel V. Ramos, Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, Mandaluyong Mayor Benhur Abalos, Rep. Neptali Gonzales III, Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos and Presidential Assistant for Media and Ecclesiastical Affairs Conrado Limcaoco.

The President’s prayer formed part of the prayer for national renewal, penance and devotion to God. In the same occasion, religious leaders recited their own separate petitions.

Simultaneous prayer rites led by government officials in various parts of the country exhorted the people to a national prayer.