A speedy solution to the two recent bombings that rocked Davao City in less than a month is not stopping President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from continuing her government’s all-out drive against terrorism, saying there is no role for it in the country’s search for peace.

The President emphasized this even as she congratulated Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, the crisis manager for Davao City, for bringing to the fore the perpetrators of the bombing at the waiting shed outside the Davao International Airport and at the Sasa Wharf that killed innocent civilians and wounded many others.

Saying such acts must be universally condemned, the President said there would be no letup in the campaign against terrorist groups.

"We will not negotiate with terrorist who are doing terrorists acts," she said in her speech at the 57^th commencement exercises of the University of Mindanao last Tuesday (Apr. 22).

"We will continue to step up efforts against all terrorist groups and as far as the Abu Sayyaf is concerned and all other terrorist groups that we have to fight, the United States will provide assistance in terms of terrorism training."

The confession of captured Abu Sayyaf member Noor Muhammad Umug establishing the link of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to the five arrested bombing suspects has strengthened evidence against the MILF as a terrorist group.

Government Prosecutor Danilo Belo, a member of the Department of Justice Task Force handling the Davao bombing cases, said two of the suspects in the Davao bombings were identified by Umug.

Umug revealed that there was a standing agreement between the MILF and Indonesia’s Jemaah Islamiyah, the Southeast Asian front of Osama Bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network, to build a training camp exclusively for JI members. In exchange, JI would assist MILF in bombing operations.

Despite having identified and arrested the perpetrators of the bombings, Mayor Duterte told the President his work as crisis manager has only just begun, saying that he still has to bring the masterminds to justice.

To which President Macapagal-Arroyo replied: "Until the masterminds are brought to justice, we will continue to live in fear. We must all work together to achieve this objective of bringing the terrorists masterminds to justice."

According to the President, the Abu Sayyaf group, the symbol of terrorism in Mindanao is now in disarray as a result of the relentless pursuit and rescue operations being conducted by the government forces.

"We hope to crush the bandit groups that perpetrated the hostage taking in Basilan and Sulu as well as the bandit groups that masterminded the Davao bombings," the President said.

She assured the people that the terrorist masterminds would be caught in due time since there is no let up in military and police operations against the Abu Sayyaf and other terrorist groups in the country.

She also allayed fears that Sulu will be a new battlefront involving American troops participating in the Balikatan war exercises, saying no such troops will be allowed to accompany Filipino soldiers in the battleground.

Magandang araw sa lahat ng ating mga tagapakinig.

Isa sa pinakamatinding pagsubok na ating kinahaharap ngayon ay ang sakit na Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome o SARS. Naiintindihan ko ang pagkabahala ng ating mga kababayan tungkol dito, pero nananawagan ako sa lahat na maging mahinahon. Gayundin, kailangan tayong manatiling alerto at maingat sa lahat ng oras at makakaasa kayong ginagawa ng pamahalaan ang lahat para kayanin ang krisis na ito.

Habang itinaas na natin ang antas ng mga hakbang para pigilan ang paglaganap ng SARS, hinihiling ko sa ating mga mamamayan na mahigpit na sumunod sa mga payo at alituntuning inilalabas ng mga awtoridad sa kalusugan.

May iba’t-ibang paraan tayong maaring gawin para labanan ang sakit na SARS. Kabilang dito ang pagpapalakas ng ating immune system sa pamamagitan ng pagkain ng wasto, pag-inom ng bitamina, at regular na ehersisyo. Ipinapayo rin ang palagiang paghuhugas ng kamay at pag-iwas sa matataong lugar. Sa mga may napapansing sintomas ng SARS, kagaya ng mataas na lagnat, panghihina ng katawan, ubo, sore throat at pangangapos ng hininga, tumawag kaagad sa DOH hotlines sa numerong 741-7048 o 743-1937, o magtungo sa San Lazaro Hospital o sa Research Institute for Tropical Medicine sa Alabang.

Mapipigilan lamang natin ang pagkalat ng sakit na ito kung bawat isa sa atin ay nakahandang gawin ang nararapat. Kung kinakailangang magsakripisyo muna tayo ay gawin natin dahil ito ay para sa kabutihan ng lahat.

Sa isang dako naman, patuloy nating sinusubaybayan ang pinaghihinalaang kaso ng SARS na ipapa-alam namin sa inyo ang anumang kalalabasan nito. Patuloy din tayong magkakaloob ng tulong sa mga taong pansamantalang naka-kuwarentenas.

Nais kong pasalamatan ang mga taga-barangay Vacante sa Alcala, Pangasinan na sumasa-ilalim sa kuwarentenas. We appreciate their discipline and sense of sacrifice for the greater good of the public. Ang pag-quarantine sa isang barangay ay hindi nangangahulugan na SARS carriers ang mga nakatira doon. Ito ay bahagi lamang ng ating ginagawang pag-iingat hanggang malaman ng mga awtoridad ang katotohanan na ipababatid sa ating lahat.

Kinakailangan na tayong maging mas istrikto sa pagpapatupad ng ating containment measures laban sa SARS. Ang sinumang magkukusang umiwas sa health checks sa pagpasok sa ating bansa o magbigay ng maling impormasyon ay kakasuhan natin ng paglabag sa batas. Ganito rin ang ating gagawin sa susuway sa quarantine rules. Inatasan ko na ang ating law enforcement agencies, local governments, at barangay authorities para suportahan ang kampanyang ito. Hindi natin papayagan ang kawalan ng disiplina ng iilan na mangibabaw sa kapakanan ng sambayanan.

Sa bahagi ng pamahalaan, pinatutunayan lamang na ginagawa natin ang lahat ng paraan upang malampasan ang krisis. Sa bahagi ng mga mamamayan, dapat na maging masigasig ang bawat isa na makibahagi sa lahat ng programa ng gobyerno upang labanan ang SARS. Hinihikayat ko ang ating mga kababayan at lahat ng naninirahan sa ating bansa na maging responsable sa pagharap sa problema. Magagawa ninyo ito kung boluntaryo kayong makikipag-tulungan sa lahat ng ahensiyang aking binanggit.

Batid ko rin na ang pinakamahalagang bahagi ng pagtugon ng ating bansa sa panganib na ito ay ang mabilis at malawakang kahandaan ng ating health system para sa SARS. Kaya, patuloy nating palalakasin ang kakayahan ng ating SARS management hospitals. Bukod sa San Lazaro Hospital at Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, may itatalaga ring ganito sa Cebu, Davao, Laoag at Olongapo. Also, magkakaroon tayo ng mga ilang binukod na maliliit na ospital sa bawat rehiyon na ilalagay natin na bukod para sa SARS. I will make available P500 million to upgrade the infrastructure, equipment and supplies of these hospitals for SARS management.

Sa puntong ito, hayaan ninyong ilahad ko ang mga pangunahing layunin ng ating SARS Crisis Management Team sa pamumuno ni Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit.

Una, pigilan o gawing pinakamababa ang pagpasok dito sa atin ng SARS cases mula sa ibang bansa. Kikilalanin natin ang mga SARS suspects sa pamamagitan ng mahigpit na screening sa mga international airports at seaports.

Pangalawa, pigilan o limitahan ang paglaganap ng SARS sa bansa. Ito ay sa pamamagitan ng pagkuwarentenas sa suspects, gayundin ang paghihiwalay sa iba ng apektadong komunidad.

Pangatlo, pigilan o bawasan ang bilang ng maaring masawi sa pamamagitan ng epektibong pamamahala sa mga possible SARS cases. Ito ang hangad ng binanggit ko kaninang pagpapalakas sa kakayahan ng ating mga ospital.

Pang-apat, turuan ang publiko kung paanong labanan ang SARS at ibsan ang kanilang pagkabahala. Ito ay sa pamamagitan ng mga makabagong linya ng komunikasyon at regular na press conferences at press releases.

At pang-lima, makipag-tulungan sa media at ibang ahensiya ng gobyerno para pangasiwaan ang epekto ng SARS sa ekonomiya, turismo at ibang larangan bukod sa kalusugan.

Nakakalungkot isipin na ang SARS ay isa nang pandaigdigang suliranin. Kaya’t kinakailangan na ang mahigpit nating pakikipag-ugnayan sa ibang bansa tungkol dito. The most effective way to defeat this menace is through a transnational effort. We can see now that no nation can fence itself from the threat.

Sa darating na linggo, dadalo ako sa isang pulong ng mga lider ng ASEAN sa Thailand upang pag-usapan ang pinakamabuting paraan para sugpuin ang SARS. Bahagi rin ito ng ating hangaring pangalagaan ang kalusugan ng ating mga manggagawa sa ibang bansa at protektahan ang kanilang trabaho.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today called on the people to remain calm but at the same time to be alert and cautious even as she assured the nation that the government is doing all it can in meeting the severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS crisis.

In her weekly radio message, the President said that one of the greatest challenges that the nation is facing today is the SARS threat.

"Naintindihan ko ang pagkabahala ng ating mga kababayan tungkol dito, pero nanawagan ako sa lahat na maging mahinahon (I understand the anxiety or our countrymen because of this but I appeal to them to be calm)," the President said.

The President reiterated that in order to prevent the spread of the killer pneumonia in the country, the government has to implement containment measures and has to be strict in enforcing them.

"Ang sinumang magkukusang umiwas sa health checks sa pagpasok sa ating bansa o magbigary ng maling impormasyon ay kakasuhan natin ng paglabag sa batas (Those who will willfully evade health checks upon entering the country or those who will give the wrong information will be punished for violating our laws)," the President said.

The President said that those who will defy quarantine rules and regulations would also be punished as she called on all law enforcement agencies, local government units, down to the barangay level, to help in enforcing these rules.

"Hindi natin papayagan ang kawalan ng disiplina ng iilan na mangibabaw sa kapakanan ng sambayayan (We will not allow the lack of discipline of a few to prevail over the well-being of the majority)," the President said.

The President also announced that she has made available the sum of P500 million to upgrade the infrastructure, equipment and supplies of government hospitals since they are the first line of defense against the spread of SARS in the country.

"Ang pinakamahalagang bahagi ng pagtugon ng ating bansa sa panganib na ito ay ang mabilis at malawakang kahandaan ng ating health system para sa SARS (The most effective way for our country to be able to contain this danger is to strengthen and widen our health system against SARS)," the President said.

According to the President, aside from the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Alabang, Muntinlupa, other SARS Management Hospitals would be designated in Cebu City, Davao City, Laoag City and Olongapo City.

On top of this, the President said, some small hospitals in each region will also be equipped to treat and contain possible SARS cases.

The President said that there are several measures that one can do to fight SARS and one of them is to strengthen the body’s immune system by eating the right kind of food, taking in vitamins, and doing regular exercises.

People are also advised to stay away from crowded places and to observe hygienic habits, like washing their hands, the President said.

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today urged all Filipinos to cooperate and work closely with government health authorities in preventing the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, in the country.

The President made the call as she affirmed the confirmation Friday of Secretary Manuel Dayrit that the real cause of Mauricio Catalon’s death was SARS.

"We have already one local SARS transmission because the others are imported. But that one local SARS transmission tells us that we must be especially vigilant," the President said in an ambush interview after the 40^th Sacerdotal Jubilee celebration of Bishop Ramon B. Villena at the St. Dominic Cathedral here.

Mauricio was the father of Adela Catalon, a Filipina nursing aide in Toronto, Canada, who was earlier confirmed to be the first Filipino to have died of SARS.

In the ambush interview, the President asked the people to be very diligent in obeying the rules of quarantine and whatever the Department of Health requires so that the government would be able to contain SARS threat in the country.

The President explained that the implementation of "very strong discipline" to contain the SARS threat is not a human rights issue but an issue to ensure that the whole community will be safe from the killer disease.

"So the best thing to do is to prevent its spread and this requires discipline among our people, " the President said.

The President said that the whole community should be protected from this scourge, which has no known cure yet.

GUAGUA, Pampanga—Local officials of this province today pledged their full support to the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and to her son, Pampanga Vice Governor Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo.

In a luncheon on the occasion of the 34^th birthday of the Vice Governor held at the terminal building of the Baliaug Transit here, the provincial officials presented a manifesto of support for the President who was on hand to grace the occasion.

The luncheon was also attended by Governor Lito Lapid, four congressmen of Pampanga, and 20 municipal mayors.

The manifesto was presented by Mark Lapid, brother of Governor Lapid and president of Liga ng mga Kapitan ng Barangay ng Pampanga, on behalf of all Pampanga officials.

"Ipinapaabot namin ang suporta ng lahat ng Pampangueno sa Arroyo administration… Walang iwanan (We would like to convey our support to the Arroyo administration…No one will desert)," Lapid said.

The President, whose roots are from Lubao, Pampanga, is the province’s favorite daughter. The late President Diosdado Macapagal, the President’s father, was born of humble beginnings in Lubao.

The President arrived here by presidential helicopter after attending the eucharistic celebration in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, in honor of the 40^th year of the priesthood of Bishop Ramon Villena, Archbishop of Nueva Vizcaya and co-chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

Earlier, Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo, who was with the presidential party, led the groundbreaking of the Santa Fe-San Rafael Bridge here.