President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today lauded the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for the arrest of two Jordanians and their Filipino cohort for hacking into telecommunications systems and members of the Veloso Gang, one of the most notorious kidnap-for-ransom and robbery/holdup groups in the country.

The Chief Executive personally congratulated PNP Chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane and Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo after presenting to the media three alleged computer hackers this morning at Camp Crame in Quezon City and their paraphernalia and equipment used in the commission of their crime.

The President said the arrest of the computer hackers -- identified as Mahmoud Nuseir, alias Yusef Shaban and Ivan Mahmoud, his brother Mohamad Nuseir both Jordanians, and their Filipino accomplice Marlon Laquindanum, alias Blue Magic -- was the "first" big strike against violators of the E-Commerce Act.

"Itong sindikatong ito, ang namumuno niyan ay isang dayuhan. Kaya nakapasok ang Immigration dito. Ito ay nahuli dahil sa request ni BI Commissioner Domingo at ito ay violation of E-Commerce Law. (This syndicate is led by a foreigner. That’s why the Bureau of Immigration came into the picture. The computer syndicate was arrested due to the request of Commissioner Domingo for violation of E-Commerce Law)," the President said.

Domingo informed the President that almost P100 million was stolen by the group from hacking since last year and the first six months.

The arrest of the three computer hackers involved in hi-tech "call selling" costing telecommunications companies millions of pesos in losses, was the result of joint operations by elements of the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO), Eastern Police District, Muntinlupa Police Office, Makati Police Office, the Philippine Air Force 300^th Air Intelligence Security Group and the Bureau of Immigration.

The operations of the three computer hackers were uncovered by government operatives in a series of raids in the cities of Muntinlupa and Makati.

Ebdane said the cooperation between the private business group and the PNP resulted in the arrest of "high-tech computer crimes."

"These arrests are the result of the partnerships we are building between people or business and the police to stop such crimes from doing any further damage to the companies and to their customers," Ebdane said.

The President also presented to the media the Veloso Gang, one of the most notorious kidnapping-for-ransom and robbery/holdup groups.

Ebdane briefed the President on the operations of the Veloso Gang based on the report submitted by PNP Intelligence Group Director, Chief Superintendent Robert Delfin.

The report said that during the September 4 operations, the apprehending elements of the PNP were only aware of the suspects’ carnapping activities, and not of the group’s involvement in kidnapping and robbery.

In last Wednesday’s encounter between the elements of police and the Veloso Group, the report said, five group members were killed and one was wounded.

Eugenio Abana alias Roger Avalle sustained gunshot wounds while those killed were identified as follows: Rosendo Veloso alias Viloy, dismissed member of the Philippine Army, alleged leader of the group; Aurelio Pacitas, Jr. a dismissed member of the Philippine Army; Pablito Salubod alias Big Boy; a certain Pabling; and a certain Sgt. Junio Doctor.

The Veloso group has been the subject of manhunt operations by the police for involvement in at least two kidnapping incidents in 2001, three bank robberies from 1998-2002, three robbery/holdups in Metro Manila, Batangas and Laguna, and various carnapping incidents. The group’s area of operations covers the NCR, Regions 3 and 4.

Recovered from the suspects were one white Toyota Corolla with plate number XCM-425; three cal. 45 pistols with serial numbers 764189,764180 and 112449; two cal. 38 revolvers (paltik) with serial numbers 38661 and 04937; one flashlight; two improvised licensed plates; one pair of handcuff; and one fan knife.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last night led the celebration of the anniversary of the canonical crowning of the Nuestra Senora del Buen Suceso (Our Lady of Good Events) during the Feast of the Nativity of Mary.

The President, who arrived at the St. Andrew Parish Church in Paranaque City at around 6:00 p.m., also read the prayers for the Act of Consecration in honor of the second anniversary of the canonical coronation of the centuries-old image of the Nuestra Senora del Buen Suceso.

Among those who welcomed the President were Paranaque City Mayor Joey Marquez, Rep. Ed Zialcita, St. Andrew parish priest Msgr. Bayani Valenzuela and Bishop Jesse Mercado of the Archdiocese of Pasay, Paranaque, Las Pinas and Muntinlupa.

The St. Andrew Parish Church was packed with devotees of the blessed image coming from the 20 barangays in Paranaque.

In her prayers to the Nuestra Senora del Buen Suceso, the President sought the help of the Virgin Mary to "inspire us to proclaim the love of God, His truth and justice by living a life of faith, perseverance, respect and concern for others."

In her prayers for the Philippines and world, the President said: "I consecrate to you myself, my brothers and sisters, my country – the Philippines and the world. Reign over us and teach us how to make the heart of Jesus reign and triumph in us and around us as it has reigned and triumphed in you."

The story of Nuestra Senora del Buen Suceso came from the accounts written by Fr. Nicolas de San Pedro, parish priest of Paranaque from 1699-1704.

The Image was brought by the Agustinian missionaries from Spain and found its first home in the church of St. Andrew in 1580, the year when the parish was established.

Nuestra Senora del Buen Suceso is one of the few remaining images that remained intact to this date.

The government seeks to efficiently collect taxes, not to create taxes.

This Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye today stressed as he denied reports that the government planned to levy taxes on cellular phone texting.

In a radio interview, Bunye said the Cabinet, during its past meetings, had never even discussed the matter.

"Walang ganyang official move. Kung merong ganito, this is a major policy proposal. Dini-discuss sa Cabinet ‘yan (There is no official move on taxing text messages. If there was such, it is a major policy proposal and should be discussed in the Cabinet level)," he said.

He recalled that a proposal to tax text messages was raised during the 11^th Congress "pero hindi naman ito nakalusot (but this did not prosper)."

"Alam naman natin na ito ay magbibigay ng dagdag na pasanin sa ating mga mamamayan (We know only too well that this will create another unnecessary burden on our people)," he added.

The emphasis of government "is more efficient collection of taxes, not new taxes," Bunye said.

Meanwhile, Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin averred today that the government has some P300 billion in receivables.

In a separate radio interview, Boncodin said this was reflected in the books of the Commission on Audit.

But she clarified that public receivables were very different from receivables applied by private companies.

Private firms usually term as receivables the payment for goods or services sold or rendered, respectively, due for collection, she said.

On the other hand, the governments term as receivables e.g. the payment for services rendered by one agency to another. But this is not collectible as applied in private firms, she added.

Malacaņang today flatly denied the allegations of former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile that First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo was involved in the illegal activities of a supposed public relations consultant of the Philippine International Air Terminals Co (PIATCO).

In his regular press briefing, Press Secretary Ignacio "Toting" Bunye said there is no truth to the allegations made by Enrile, adding that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will never allow any member of her family to get involved in any government activity.

"We would like to deny the allegation of Senator Enrile. The President herself has announced that if any person would use the name of the First Gentleman or any member of her family this should be reported and that person would be arrested immediately," Bunye said.

Bunye said that only last month, a certain Manuel Tolentino, an architect, who claimed that he was connected with the Office of the President and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), was arrested by the police.

Tolentino was later presented to the media by the President in Malacaņang.

Earlier, a certain Anthony Deslate, who also used the name of the First Gentleman in trying to gyp a Japanese trader of P3 million, was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Bunye said that PIATCO president Cheng Yong himself, in his testimony at the Senate hearing, said Alfonso Liongson, the firm’s public relations consultant, never claimed that he has influence over the First Gentleman or any other member of the President’s family.

As he challenged Enrile to support his allegations with proofs, Bunye said that the fact that the President has ordered a review of the PIATCO contract belies any possible involvement of the First Gentleman in the transaction.

CABUYAO, Laguna - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today lauded the management of Nestle Philippines Inc. for their additional P2-billion investment to further expand and upgrade their facilities in the country and their commitment to provide jobs to the Filipinos.

"Congratulations and thank you," President said in her brief remarks during her visit to the Nestle ASEAN Supply Center here this morning.

The President made a plant tour and inspected the state-of-the art facilities for milk powder production during her 40-minute visit to the Nestle export facilities. She was also given a briefing by Juan B. Santos, chairman and chief executive officer of Nestle Philippines Inc., regarding the company’s expansion efforts in the Philippines.

"Our investments, exports, and expansion concretely demonstrate our continued confidence in doing business in the Philippines. Nestle is here to stay and we are here to continue to invest and to produce," Santos told the President.

The President also led the ceremonial switch-on of Nestle’s P2-billion investment expansion program.

According to Santos, the bulk of the new investment will go to the continuing expansion and upgrading of Nestle’s Cabuyao facilities to increase production.

The new P2-billion investment program is in addition to the P3-billion investments Nestle put up last year to cater to the growing export market for the infant nutrition products.

The Nestle Cabuyao factory is the Nestle Group’s ASEAN Supply Center for infant nutrition products, exporting infant formula to Nestle companies in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.

Santos explained that the company expects to complete the export of about 20,000 metric tons of infant milk powder valued at $50 million to ASEAN by the end of the year.

He further said that the company’s expansion efforts in Cabuyao have also fueled the local economy, providing jobs to thousands more in downstream industries that supply the factory with raw materials and services.

Santos also informed the President that the Nestle Cabuyao factory is among the top taxpayer-companies in Laguna province. Santos said Nestle paid P37.6 million in taxes to the province of Laguna and a total of P5.2 billion to the national government in 2001.

"We are happy that in our own way, we help support the growth of our economy and uplift the lives of people in the communities where we operate," Santos told the President.

Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin today urged officials of state agencies to rightfully declare their available funds so that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) could also make correct assessments in its ongoing budget performance review that started last month.

In a radio interview, Boncodin noted that in the fourth quarter, some agencies have made it a habit to report that they no longer had money and that they had no savings.

"Pagdating ng November at December, biglang naglalabasan ang savings na ginagamit sa bonus, nagse-seminar, nagta-travel at kung anu-ano (Then when November and December come, savings appear and these are used for bonuses, seminars, travels and others)," she said.

"Mukhang hindi yata tama ‘yan (This does not seem right)," she said.

Boncodin denied the government had cut the allocations for agencies by 25 percent.

She clarified that the DBM had released 75 percent of the budgets of agencies in February as soon as the whole national budget was approved. The other 25 percent would be given as soon as the DBM has completed its budget performance review.

She denied that the government was broke or had no money. "Hindi totoo ‘yan (It is untrue)," she stressed.

But she explained that measures were being done to correct the situation.

A case in point, she said, was the discovery of and the punitive action taken against private firms that underdeclared their value-added tax payments and robbed the state of millions of pesos.

Another move was to undertake effective systems that would efficiently facilitate tax collection.

Boncodin further tagged as a lie a report that the government would withhold the internal revenue allotments (IRA) of local government units.

She said that last Saturday, officials of the leagues of governors, city and municipal mayors, councilors, board members and vice governors reiterated their support to the government and cooperation to push the programs and projects of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

The local officials agreed to an arrangement with the national government whereby 80 percent of their IRA would not be touched and that the IRA would be provided first by the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and the Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank), she added.

"Utang ng local government ‘yun sa Landbank at DBP, pero kami ang magbabayad sa susunod na taon (The LGUs owe the Landbank and DBP, but we will pay it next year), she said, adding that the government did not want LGUs to be burdened.

Boncodin noted the LGUs’ ability to shy away from loans, although highly-urbanized areas could open a big credit line.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has no plans to close down or privatize the three government hospitals in Manila that are primarily serving the poor, Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye today said.

In his regular press briefing, Bunye denied reports quoting Sen. Luisa Estrada that the government is planning to sell, "due to lack of funds," the Philippine General Hospital, Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital and San Lazaro Hospital, three of the biggest public hospitals serving the poor.

"These three hospitals are serving the poorest of the poor and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo does not intend to let down the poor," Bunye said.

Bunye wondered where the deposed President’s wife got such information.

"We don’t really know where she got this information. As far as I know, and we checked with the Department of Health, there is no plan to close any of the three major hospitals," he said.

At the same time, DOH Head Executive Assistant Consorcia Lim-Quizon said there are no plans to privatize the government hospitals although "corporatization" is being considered by some hospitals for better financial management.

Quizon said, however, that corporatization of hospitals requires an act of Congress.

So far, she noted, only the Ilocos Training and Regional medical Center and Quirino Memorial Medical Center are up for such consideration.

STA. ROSA, Laguna – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today congratulated the management of Amkor Technology Philippines at the Laguna Technopark here for its significant contribution to the Philippine economy.

In his welcome speech, Mike Petrucci, president of Amkor, informed the President that his firm is determined to continue with its partnership with the Philippine government and their Filipino employees.

"We believe that by working together, we can achieve a win-win objective: meeting the financial goals of the company, improving the socio- economic status of our employees and their families, and contributing to the overall economic growth and strength of the Philippine economy," Petrucci told the President.

The President toured the facilities of the company. Earlier, the President also toured the facilities of Nestle Philippines in Cabuyao and the Ford Motor Philippines in Sta, Rosa, Laguna. At Nestle, the President led in the ceremonial switch-on of the firm’s new P2-billion facility for the production of powdered milk.

Petrucci explained that the reason why he invited the President to visit Amkor’s facilities was to present the level of accomplishments of their company, and of its Filipino employees.

"We wanted to show to you the results of our close working relationship among the company, the Philippine government, and the people of the Philippines, which together, form the backbone of Amkor’s operations here," Petrucci said.

In her brief tour of the plant, the President received a warm welcome from key officials and employees of the company.

In her tour of the facilities, the President observed first hand the skills demonstrated by the Filipino workers in assembling and testing delicate microchips and other computer products.

Hundred of employees, who gathered at the canteen, greeted the President and waved placards reading "Gloria Mahal ka ng Amkor Employees or GMA."

The President then shook hands with the employees and thanked them for their support.

Amkor, as one of the largest employers in the country, is presently employing some 10,000 Filipinos in its four plants in Metro Manila.

Amkor is the world’s largest provider of contract micro-electronic assembly and test solutions. For more than 30 years, Amkor has been a strategic manufacturing partner of the world’s leading semi-conductor companies.

The company started its operations in the Philippines in 1989. Aside from the Philippines, Amkor has also assembly and test manufacturing sites in Korea, Taiwan, China and Japan.

STA. ROSA, Laguna -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today cited Ford Motor Company Philippines and other big export groups for placing the Philippines back in the international business road map, as she asked them to help empower small and medium enterprises (SME).

The President said focus should go to expanding the domestic market under what economists called as the domestic consumption-based managed-asset replacement strategy, whereby domestic consumption "complements multinational exports as a source of growth."

In a speech during the launching of this year’s Ford’s export program at Ford’s plant here, the Chief Executive said the focus shift has become more imperative with the "continuing uncertainties in the United States’ economy, which is the Philippines’ business market."

"We want to ensure that Ford and other manufacturers have a good domestic market to sell their products to," she said.

To bring this about, she sought to strengthen SMEs, as she hoped that "Ford will continue to be our largest buyer of local auto parts and components."

She said that part of the strategy is the implementation of a one town-one product program whereby municipal and city governments are given P1 million each for loans to small entrepreneurs.

Last Thursday, she gave to Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. a check for P1 million to jumpstart the one town-one product program during the Fourth National Tuna Congress in General Santos City.

In her Ford speech, the President ordered the Department of Trade and Industry regional head to "look for a deserving (autoparts) supplier who should be able to expand his business and we will give a loan of P1 million to that chosen supplier."

She also announced that the Board of Investments "is working with the Department of Finance to have tailor-made incentives for the automobile industry."

"Our government policies are geared towards supporting the manufacturing sector," she said, noting that the country’s source of growth has recently "switched back to export and to manufacturing."

She lauded Ford "for boosting the country’s image in the automotive export industry" and "for its support to our economy, particularly its contribution to foreign exchange earnings for this year."

The President also recalled that Ford had been in the country a long time ago. But it left for a while during the dark days of martial law and resumed operations in the Philippines in 1997.

She added that Ford’s expansion in the country could be traced to a memorandum of agreement the President signed with Ford executives during her trip to the US last year.

She said her trip today to Laguna -- where she also visited the Nestle Philippines plant in Cabuyao and the Amkor Technology Philippines line assembly at the Laguna Technopark in Santa Rosa, was a call for celebration in honor of an expanding manufacturing sector.