President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today congratulated the intelligence agents of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) for their swift action leading to the arrest of a suspected leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group’s (ASG) urban special operations and explosive team Tuesday afternoon in Pasay City.

The President presented to media the suspected ASG bombing suspect, identified as Abdulmukim Edris y Ong who uses the aliases Mukim Edris, Hamil Hamja Ajilul, Alex, Ryan at Villamor Air Base minutes before she flew to Batangas City this morning.

The arrested bombing suspect has a P1-million reward for his capture as per joint Department of National Defense-Department of the Interior and Local Government memorandum NR:01-2001 dated June 12, 2001.

In a press conference held at Kalayaan Lounge of Villamor Air Base, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Benjamin Defensor informed the President that Edris was captured by the Philippine Air Force’s 300^th Air Intelligence and Security Group headed by Lt. Col. Francisco Cruz in coordination with the Intelligence Service of the AFP, PNP Intelligence Group and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA).

President commended Cruz and the men for the successful operation. "Congratulations to you and to your men. Keep up the good work," the President said.

Defensor said the arrest of Edris was the result of six months of intelligence operations, dubbed as "Operation Gideon-Alfa," and the continuing vigilance and close coordination among the government intelligence community to uncover and neutralize terrorist plans and personalities.

Defensor reported to the President that Edris was arrested by virtue of 11 arrest orders for kidnapping and serious illegal detention, triple frustrated murder and murder issued by the Regional Trial Court of Isabela, Basilan.

The AFP chief said Edris was implicated as the mastermind in the bombing of Puriculture Food Court center last October 28, 2001 and the simultaneous bombings in Shoppers Plaza, Shop-O-Rama and Shoppers Center in Zamboanga City last October 17, 2002.

Edris and a certain Abbas were pinpointed as the ones who prepared the improvised explosive devices (IED) used in the bomb attacks.

Defensor added that Edris admitted that he trained for one month together with two others in car-bomb preparation and assembly of IED using cellular phones and digital clock as activating devices by two Yemeni nationals believed connected with the Al-Qaeda and the Jema’ah Islamiyah cell in Southeast Asia.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today flew to Batangas City this morning to witness the completion of the largest natural gas manpower generation facility in the Philippines.

Recounting her visit to the Ilijan Power Plant in Batangas before members of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) who were having their 12^th General Assembly at the Manila Hotel, the President said what she witnessed this morning was a milestone event for the country.

"Because now, with the opening of the Ilijan Natural Gas Power Plant, more than 52 percent of our total energy requirements is supplied by resources from right here in the Philippines," the President.

Prior to her administration, the President said, the country was importing most of its energy resources.

This Ilijan power plant not only accelerates the development of the country’s indigenous industry but also enables increased utilization of environment-friendly fuel, because natural gas is environment friendly, she said.

The Ilijan Plant, the President pointed out, is also the largest investment exposure of South Korea in the Philippines, with a total project cost of $1 billion.

"And the good news is that the investors told me they are still looking for other investment opportunities in the Philippines," the President said.

Malacaņang said today there will be no major re-organization of the Cabinet or major moves on November 30.

Press Secretary Ignacio "Toting" Bunye said during a press briefing in Malacaņang that the matter of appointments or retention of Cabinet members is a prerogative which the President can exercise in the manner that she deems fit.

Bunye said reorganization is a presidential prerogative and it is only the President who can decide when and how, as the situation warrants.

"What is important is everything is being done in the national interest. So if somebody has to be affected, if somebody will be affected, that will be done and the proper announcement will be made," Bunye said.

"Right now, we do not want to preempt the President," Bunye stressed.

Yesterday during the luncheon meeting of the President with the Malacaņang Press Corp, she said changes in the Cabinet have been a continuing thing. The President pointed out that the present composition of her Cabinet is not the same as when she assumed office.

The President said there is nothing unusual to expect on November 30 with regard to the Cabinet. "Right now, I have nobody in mind for announcing on November 30," she said.

Malacaņang today reiterated that the executive branch has no business in the internal affair of the Senate especially with regards to the "gentleman’s agreement" between Senate President Franklin Drilon and Senator Renato Cayetano on term-sharing for the Senate presidency.

Press Secretary Ignacio "Toting" Bunye said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will not meddle in the issue of the Senate presidency because she consider the matter as an "internal affair" which only the senators can resolve.

"All I know is that our President is not in a business to meddle in the Senate presidency which she considers as an internal affair of the Senate," Bunye said in his regular press briefing in Malacaņang this afternoon.

Based on reports, Drilon said that he would honor his commitments to yield the post to Cayetano after 18 months.

ILIJAN, BATANGAS CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today awarded a presidential citation to the Korean Electric Corporation for investing in the development of the Philippine electric industry and generating jobs for Filipinos.

The President, who flew here to mark the completion ceremonies of the 1200-Megawatt Ilijan Natural Gas-Combined Cycle Power Plant, awarded the citation to Kepco president and chief executive officer Kang Dong Suk.

In brief remarks, the President noted Kepco’s significant contribution to government efforts to provide electricity in the barangays.

She revealed that in Kang’s letter to her, the Kepco chief expressed his company’s willingness to help in the electrification of 200 barangays.

"This is over and above the $1 billion that they have put up in this plant, the biggest Korean investment in the Philippines today," the President said.

Kepco will be working closely with its partner, Kepco Iligan Corp. (Keilco), in providing electricity to the barangays.

Aside from awarding the citation, the President also led the ceremonial turn-on of the Kepco power plant.

The new plant, which lies on a picturesque 25-hectare area by the sea, was put up under a build-operate-transfer scheme, with Kepco as sponsor and National Power Corp. as off-taker.

Its operation actually started in June 2002 and its target availability is expected to last for 20 years.

The 1200-MW plant has two blocks of 600-MW each, with two gas turbines running on 200 MW and one steam turbine on 200 MW.

The plants boasts of having the lowest level of sulphur.

It is considered a pillar of the $5-billion natural gas industry in the country.

To keep the environment clean, Kepco said it strictly monitoring Stack Emission and Ambient Air quality as well as the effect, if there is any, on the water and coral reefs.

The President was accompanied during her visit here by Energy Secretary Vicente Perez, Jr., Rep. Alipio Badelles, chairman of the House Committee on Energy, and Roland Quilala, NPC president and chief executive officer.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo urged municipal mayors to take a more active role in the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) police and community-based anti-terrorism plan.

The President, speaking before members of the League of the Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) during their 12th General Assembly at the Manila Hotel today, specifically underscored the importance of implementing the four-point plan in the local government’s participation in the war against criminality and terrorism. Following is the four-point plan:

• For the governors, city and municipal mayors to immediately convene their peace and order councils or committees;

• These councils and committees must adopt or implement their public safety plans, including a provision for reporting and feedback mechanism, to ensure regular monitoring of unusual and suspicious movements of people in their localities;

• Barangay assemblies all over the country, under the guidance of the mayors, must convene and educate their constituents on how to deal and cope with terrorist threats in their barangays; and

• All public safety officers must undergo mobilization and training through distance education on intelligent gathering and on the reporting system. This means the conduct of daily "rondas" or neighborhood patrols and searches in accordance with law within their areas of jurisdiction.

The President also told the mayors to take note of the Cabinet approval the other day of the draft of a presidential issuance updating the National Disaster Coordinating Council’s (NDCC) contingency plans and the management of the consequences of terrorist incidents. This includes the participation of local government officials, especially the mayors, the President said.

She explained that when an incident actually occurs, it is the mayors who will be in charge of such matters as how to rescue and how to make sure that the place is safe.

The President likewise commended the LMP’s workshop for confronting head-on the issues concerning the use of a municipal identification system. "Maraming salamat sa inyo doon," she said.

The President likewise lauded the town mayors for including in their agenda the issue of the selective arming of barangay tanods or neighborhood police in high-risk areas.

The condition for this, the President said, is "they must be accredited as CAFGUs (Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit) with commensurate training," the President said.

"And I am also glad that because the fight against terrorism must go hand and hand with the fight against poverty, you are supporting the Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan or Kalahi program, that was put together as a common strategy for poverty reduction," the President.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today highlighted the important role of the municipal mayors in building a strong republic saying its credibility and moving force largely rest upon their shoulders.

Speaking at the 12^th General Assembly of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) at the Manila Hotel, the President cited to the municipal mayors the two essential attributes of a strong Philippine Republic which her administration is aiming to achieve.

First, the Republic must be autonomous of dominant classes and sectors so that it represents the people’s interest, and not only the interest of the powerful minority groups," the President said.

Second, the Republic must have the capacity, represented through strong institutions and a strong bureaucracy, to implement its policy and deliver its services, she added.

Expounding on these two attributes, the President said the first and foremost strong institution of a strong Philippine Republic is an effective government, from the national to the local governments, with a professional and dedicated civil service.

"Such a combination for an effective government delivers basic services for every one, the most important of which is an environment of peace and order, and the rule of law and the necessary infrastructure," the President pointed out.

In addition, the President said that an effective Republic must help its poorest and weakest citizens, empower them and dismantle the structures that make them poor and weak.

The President called for the strengthening of the country’s justice system to become an efficient institution for all, not just for the powerful, saying that an effective government rests on the rule of law.

This is what her administration is seeking to achieve, she said, "an effective government that performs."

"A strong republic makes sure that essential services, especially peace and order, and the necessary infrastructures reach the people, whether these services are provided for by government or by the private sector," the President said.

The 1,496 members of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, headed by its president, Mayor Ramon Guico, Jr., presented a resolution to the President, which calls for the adoption of the national identification system, arming of the barangay tanods and the implementation of nationally-funded projects to fight criminality and terrorism and win the war against poverty within the decade.

The mayors also tackled in their 12^th General Assembly other programs such as environmental governance, agrarian reform, agricultural modernization and local governance performance.

Mayor Guico, who is also president of the Pangasinan Mayors League, said there is a popular clamor among local leaders to support the national ID system but mayors are pushing for its early implementation on the local level while Congress has yet to pass a law for its national implementation.

The general assembly of municipal mayors at the Manila Hotel was ushered in by the opening of government booths that doubled as express lane for national government agencies to provide quick responses to concerns of municipal mayors attending the conference, from the followup of projects being implemented in municipalities to release of funds intended for the local government units.