Malacaņang today said that the state of rebellion declared by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last July 27 would be lifted in a short time, sooner than many people would think.

In a radio interview, National Security Adviser J. Roilo Golez said that the government needs a little more time to complete its mopping up operations against the remnants of the aborted coup.

Golez said that the focus of government operation now is to flush out the remaining unaccounted officers and men of the Armed Forces of the Philippines suspected of having been involved in the coup attempt and this would need the continuance of the state of rebellion.

He said that it is important that there should be a hundred percent accounting of all the missing officers and men, those who have not yet reported back to their respective areas of assignment.

Golez also said that there was definitely a political agenda behind the failed mutiny staged by young military officers. "Hindi lamang sila ito, mayroong nag-agitate sa kanila (This is not just them, some people agitated them to do such act)," he said.

These young officers and their supporters were used or allowed themselves to be used, either willingly or unwillingly, by people with political motives, Golez said.

Golez also said that based on the intelligence information that they have gathered, at least P30 million was budgeted for the mutiny, adding that the young military officers certainly could not raise this money by themselves.

He, however, refused to confirm or deny reports that some prominent politicians and businessmen were behind the failed coup.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today pushed for the abolition of tenancy in the farms as she honored the country’s outstanding fishermen and farmers and cooperatives for exemplary performance.

In a speech during rites for the Gawad sa Unang Grupong Tagapagtupad ng Republic Act 3844 or the Agricultural Land Reform Code of 1963, the President also urged that tenants be given "liberty from economic peonage in which they have long languished."

She stressed that tenants should "become freemen who will share with dignity in the task of building the nation."

In ceremonies at Malacaņang’s Ceremonial Hall, the President gave the First Implementors of RA 3844 awards to Severino Madronio, Efrain Guanco, Elpidio Galado, Evelyn Maniago, Miguel Mendoza, Cesar Jimenez, Agustin Carlos, Patricio Reyes, Hermogenes Nicolas, Jaime Tadeo, Rogelio Lim, Lina Villalon, Mauro Capinpin, Angelina dela Paz, Marita Liwanag, Leonila Mamaclay-Villacorte, Patricia Jimenez and Pablo Lopez.

She also cited foreign partners who supported the country’s agrarian reform program.

Given separate awards were European Commission Ambassador Jan de Kok, Dr. Sununtar Setboonsarng of the Asian Development Bank, Misuri Taruki of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Dr. Martin Brook of Italy, Miles Armitage of Australia, Belgian Ambassador Ute Christian Tanghe, and Sang Mu Lee.

During her speech, the President offered the 40^th (ruby) anniversaries of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to the memory of his father, the late President Diosdado Macapagal.

The President said his father rose from being the son of a tenant farmer to be the President of the Philippines. He was also the father of RA 3844.

"Forty years ago, my father insisted for the passage of this law. It was a political suicide. It was an exercise of political will. But that’s the same political will that I inherited. It is the same political will that guide me in fighting poverty and terrorism and in upholding the Constitution," she said.

The President also honored the country’s 15 outstanding cooperatives, an annual search initiated by the LBP. She presented each awardee with a trophy, a plaque of appreciation and prizes in the form of fixed assets.

This year’s Ginintuang Gawad Pitak went to the Lamac Multi-Purpose Cooperative from Lamac, Cebu. Its officers Delfin Tuquib and Elena Limocon received the prize of P1 million in fixed assets.

The Gawad Pitak Hall of Fame award went to the Barangka Credit Cooperative of Marikina City which won fixed assets worth P100,000.

In the agri-based category, 1^st place went to Sts. Peter & Paul Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Southern Leyte while the Diffun Credit and Development Cooperative of Diffun, Quirino notched 2^nd place. Oficers of the two cooperatives received P500,000 and P400,000 in fixed assets, respectively.

Placing 3^rd to 5^th places were the Tayabas Community Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Tayabas, Quezon; Landan People’s Multi-Purpose Cooperative of South Cotabato; and Emmanuel Multi-Purpose Cooperative.

In the non-agri-based category, 1^st placer was the Nueva Vizcaya Alay Kapwa Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Solano, Nueva Vizcaya while the Novaliches Development Cooperative won 2^nd place. They got P300,000 and P200,000 worth of fixed assets, respectively.

In 3^rd to 5^th places were the San Dionisio Credit Cooperative of Paranaque City; Dingle Government Workers Credit Cooperative of Iloilo; and Five Star Savings Credit Development.

Awardees in the Cooperative Rural Bank category were the Zamboanga del Norte Cooperative Rural Bank of Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte, 1st place; First Isabela Cooperative Bank of Cauayan, Isabela, 2^nd; and Cooperative Bank of Bohol, 3^rd place.

President Macapagal-Arroyo also recognized outstanding farmers and fishermen who notched the Gawad Saka.

Named outstanding rice farmer was 73-year old Bernardo V. Bullas of Sto. Tomas, Davao Del Norte; outstanding coconut farmer, Eduardo Canonizado of Pamplona, Cagayan; and outstanding animal raiser, Enrico Jingco of Negros Occidental.

Arnulfo D. Lumuos of Compostela Valley Province won as outstanding corn farmer; Benjamin Cabbuag, outstanding sugarcane farmer; Esteban Flores, outstanding fisherfolk in fish capture; and Abello Binauro, outstanding fisherfolk in fish culture.

Fiel Camacho was honored as outstanding young farmer/fisherfolk.; Dr. Herminio Pava, outstanding agricultural scientist; and Santiago Cepada, outstanding HVCC farmer.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today commended the Southern Command (Southcom) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines for having captured a notorious terrorist who escaped from Camp Crame along with Indonesian terrorist Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi.

In her speech at the Land Reform Day celebration held this morning in Malacaņang, the President said that the hand of justice will catch up with these terrorists, "one way or the other."

But the President also said that she had directed the AFP to look into the circumstances surrounding the slaying of Edris "to obviate any reports questioning the rules of engagement" in the public mind.

The military reported Thursday that Abu Sayyaf terrorist Abdulmukim Edris was captured along with Mahmood Ismael, said to be a leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The military said that while the two were on their way to lead government troops to Al-Ghozi’s hideout, they tried to grab the guns of their escorts and because of this, they were gunned down.

Later in his press briefing, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said that the investigation, to be conducted by the AFP, would also involve the presence of the MILF leader.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today erased the apprehensions of students on the provisions of Republic Act 9165 that calls for random drug testing of students in private and public schools nationwide.

In a command conference on illegal drugs held at the Far Eastern University (FEU) campus, the President told student leaders that those who would undergo random drug test would be helped instead of being criminally charged or ostracized.

In compliance with R.A. 9165 that was approved last July 25, the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) formulated guidelines for consideration of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB).

This include the random drug tests in public and private secondary schools scheduled to be initially implemented in the National Capital Region (NCR) on the first week of September. Drug testing in other regions starts in October.

At the conference, the student leaders were enlightened by the explanations made by the school officials and various government agencies.

They were told that the random drug test is not a requirement for all student but would only be imposed on students who would be selected by a special board composed of a parent, teacher (to be selected by the students themselves), school administration, and student representatives.

Under the random drug test that would be shouldered by the government, the selected student would be interviewed first if he/she has been taking medicines/vitamins that could affect the outcome of the test.

After being selected by the board, a student who declines to be tested would be penalized pursuant to the rules and regulations of the school. His or her parents would also be notified.

Instead of being criminally charged, a student who would volunteer to undergo rehabilitation would also be accommodated free of charge.

During the conference, the members of the consortium of schools in the university belt area thanked the President and the government officials for initiating the sustained campaign against illegal drugs.

Earlier, the President graced the first joint anniversary celebration of the DDB and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) held at the FEU auditorium where she exhorted an estimated 1,500 students to make the university belt a drug-free area.

At the conference, Western Police District (WPD) director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong informed the President that they have identified four drug-affected barangays in the 42 barangays within the university belt area. He said these are Barangays 416, 430, 434, and 458 all located in Sampaloc composed of boarding houses and residential areas.

He said they are now conducting clearing operations and intensified anti-illegal drugs campaign on these areas.

He said they would also implement a School Campus Security Committee (SCSC), which is a collaborative effort among the WPD, school administrators and heads of school security, teachers, parents, and barangay officials to offer more safety and security for the students.

Since the start of their Kontra-Droga II campaign last June 16, Bulaong said the WPD has arrested 185 pushers and 478 users and confiscated some 2,237 grams of shabu (metamphetamine hydrochloride), 151 grams of marijuana and has filed 696 cases in court.

Participants in the command conference were several student leaders from various schools, teachers, school administrators, and officials from the CHED, the DDB, and the PDEA.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today promised to return to the people what belongs to them and never again to allow plunder to stalk the nation.

The President made the vow as she led officials in celebrating Land Reform Day rites at Malacaņang’s Ceremonial Hall.

She said the Supreme Court has freed $682 million (or about P38 billion) of the Marcos ill-gotten wealth in favor of the government.

She said she would continue her quest for social justice to free the farmers from more economic misdeeds.

"We will turn the misdeeds of the past into the seeds of hope for the future. The money that will be recovered will be applied to the continuing quest for social justice," she said.

The President said the greater part of the P38 billion freed by the Supreme Court would be allocated for the Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) current programs budgeted at P8 billion, with P22 billion more set aside for other obligations and proposals of the land reform program.

She also cited Land Bank, for playing a vital role in her administration’s agricultural modernization program.

For the first half of this year, she said almost P7 billion worth of loans were extended to farmers and P17 billion more for agricultural modernization.

The Chief Executive noted that it was about time to give priority to Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs), particularly their need of farm-to market roads.

She added that another important aspect in agriculture is irrigation, the single most vital component of agricultural modernization and an important source of increase in farmer’s income.

"I did a study of land reform beneficiaries. Kung bakit yong iba mayaman, ba’t iyong iba mahirap. The difference is the rich has irrigation while the poor have nothing. Kaya irigasyon ang nagbibigay ng pagkakaiba," Arroyo said.

The President commended Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo for the completion of the Angat and the Cabulnan irrigation projects and the Pampanga Delta Development Project.

She also cited the completion of 52 smaller sized communal irrigation projects that covers 63 hectares of farmland, more than the total hectarage covered in all the previous years combined in the history of the Philippines.

She added that the Malmar irrigation project has begun operating after more than a decade of delay. She instructed the National Irrigation Administration to fast track the Lanao Del Sur irrigation program.

She also reported that at the time when Moro Islamic Liberation Front chief Hashim Salamat was ailing in the very same town when Lorenzo was in Butig, at the gate of Camp Busra, the groundbreaking of the Lanao Del Sur project has been made.

"Now, the death of Salamat is the end of an era but that groundbreaking of the irrigation is the beginning of another era for the people of Muslim Mindanao," she said.

The President also instructed Agrarian Reform Secretary Roberto Pagdanganan to use part of the expected proceeds of the coco levy funds to finance a leasehold program to the coconut farmers.