President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today vowed to step up police and military operations against the New People’s Army (NPA) and other criminal groups and terrorists in the country.

In her weekly radio address aired nationwide this morning, the President described as "acts of desperation" the recent NPA attacks against police stations in Maco, Compostela Valley and Lopez, Quezon, and the burning of heavy equipment in Angat, Bulacan.

The President said these attacks are not surprising, saying that these are in retaliation for the losses that the NPA had suffered during the past nine months after intensive military and police operations against them.

She said this was compounded by the recent declaration by the United States that the CPP-NPA is a foreign terrorist organization and the withdrawal of support by the government of the Netherlands to its leaders who are now living in exile in that country.

"Kayo ay nakakatiyak na tuloy-tuloy ang police at military operations laban sa kanila (Rest assured that police and military operations against them would continue)," the President said.

The President also called on the citizenry to continue giving their support to the military and the police so that the government can wipe out all forms of criminality and terrorism in the country.

PANTAO, LIBON, ALBAY—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today personally released the amount of P1 million for the "One Town, One Product, One Million Pesos" program for small and medium enterprises in the town of Libon.

The President, who made a brief visit to this barangay this morning, said the amount came from the President's Social Fund and is coursed through the Department of Trade and Industry-Albay Provincial Office.

The President has been distributing P1 million to towns nationwide for the development of SMEs as part of her efforts to boost domestic market.

A patrol boat costing P850,000 was also turned over by the President to the municipality. The boat is to be used by the local authorities in enforcing the rules and regulations of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

The awarding ceremonies were undertaken at the elementary school, where the Pantao summit that seeks to fast track the implementation of the Pantao Port Development Project was also held.

The President also distributed 115 bottom-set gill nets costing P85,000 each to the town’s fisherfolk.

The Chief Executive also gave three checks amounting to P20,000 each from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office for the following hospitals: Josefina Belmonte Duran Memorial Hospital, Pantao District Hospital, and Pio Duran Memorial District Hospital. A fourth P20,000 check went to Klinika ni Gloria for its medical mission.

Prior to the program, Albay 3rd District Rep. Joey Salceda made a ceremonial switch-on of the O-Ilaw Project implemented by Mirantz Philippines.

The project represents the energization of the remaining 129 barangays in Albay.

A groundbreaking for the National Housing Authority Libon Resettlement Project was also held as part of the ceremonies.

The P20 million project is classified under the Resettlement Assistance Program for the local government units to benefit affected families, which would be displaced by the establishment of the Pantao Regional Port.

Later on, the President proceeded to the Fernandez Compound for a brunch with local officials and members of the local media.

The Pantao Port Development Project was proposed in 1995 and was approved by the Regional Development Council (RDC) as one of the priority projects in the region.

The project, which would cost P350 million and for implementation from 2002 to 2005, will cover the following scope of work: construction of port facilities required for the five base ports, one terminal port and one new port. Also included in the project is the construction of the Libon-Pantao access road.

For 2002, the Philippine Ports Authority has allocated for the port project an initial amount of P50 million, with subsequent allocations amounting to P150 million each, programmed for 2003 and 2004.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today congratulated the elements of the Regional Intelligence Office (RIO) and the Police Regional Office (PRO) of CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) for the arrest of Jaime Reyes, alias Jaime Singkol, one of the country’s most wanted persons.

PRO Calabarzon Regional Director Enrique Galang presented Reyes to the President at the Villamor Airbase upon her arrival from a short trip to Pantao, Albay.

Galang told the President that the arrest of Reyes last October 3 at Barangay Luksuhin, in Alfonso, Cavite, was a result of several months of intelligence build-up from information provided by concerned citizens.

He said Reyes is facing charges of kidnap-for-ransom, murder, frustrated murder and robbery, and has several warrants of arrest.

Reyes is wanted for the kidnapping of Adelaida San Luis last April 14, 1996 in Sta. Cruz, Laguna and the murder of Special Police Officer 2 Teodoro Mamasig and Police Officer 3 Gerardo Alvarez on May 28, 1996.

Galang also said that Reyes is included in the list of the National Most Wanted Persons of the Philippine National Police Directorate for Intelligence.

The Department of Interior and Local Government, in its Memorandum Circular 97-184 dated July 31, 1997, offered a reward of P200,000 for those who can give information that would lead to the capture of Reyes.

Reyes is the subject of several warrants of arrest, namely: for kidnapping-for-ransom with serious illegal detention issued on Sept. 27, 1996 by Judge Zorayda Herradura Salcedo of Branch 26, RTC Fourth Judicial Region; for murder (2 counts) and frustrated murder (2 counts) issued on August 27, 1997 by Judge Arturo Bernardo of Branch 36, RTC, Third Judicial Region of Gapan, Nueva Ecija; and for robbery issued on April 25, 1996 by Municipal Trial Judge Francisco Go of MTC, Sta. Cruz, Laguna.

The Philippines News Agency (PNA) and the Qatar News Agency (QNA) signed Friday an agreement on news exchange and cooperation to promote understanding and friendship between the Philippines and Qatar.

The agreement was signed in Malacaņang by Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye and Ahmed Jassem al-Hamar, QNA director and chief editor.

The PNA is under the Office of the Press Secretary.

Also present during the signing were Farouq Helmy, QNA bureau chief for the Far East; Director Lucita Sanchez of the News and Information Bureau; Vitorio Vitug, PNA general manager; and Robert Rivera, chief of staff of Secretary Bunye.

Under the agreement, the two news agencies agree to supply each other regularly with daily online news for their respective use.

The agreement also stipulates that the exchange of news and other information materials between the PNA and QNA will utilize existing equipment of the two agencies.

Each agency may carry some selected news from the other party for its local television, radio and newspaper outlets, provided that proper attribution or credit should be made.

The two agencies also pledged to make adequate coverage of national, regional and international events, as well as conferences and meetings, held in their respective countries.