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26 AUGUST 2003 |
| Statement of the President : Anti-corruption drive |
This is neither a witch hunt or a fishing expedition and it is based on a legal process applicable to every case. It should not be a divisive issue because it applies to everyone concerned. The Cabinet is not being spared. The First Family is open to it. I want the moral armor to act decisively on corruption and extravagance among all public servants. We invite the media and the people to join the administration in a fair, responsible and transparent crusade for good governance. |
| Statement of the President : Oakwood coup attempt |
The innocent shall be spared and the truth will triumph. Due process and justice will be served. Many of the soldiers suspected of participating in the Oakwood incident mutiny were actually misled, deceived, and intimidated. I have ordered that those proven to have clean hands be immediately cleared so that we can concentrate on the prosecution of the most culpable conspirators. We shall speedily consolidate the AFP by streaming back the innocent to full duty status. |
| Statement of the President : Reforms in the DND-AFP |
Our campaign for reforms will be relentless and this will be carried out by the DND-AFP in a manner that is fair, transparent and participative. I would like the junior officers in the AFP to be responsibly involved in this campaign by working closely with the institutions involved under a common spirit of change and renewal. The Secretary of Defense and the AFP Chief of Staff are gearing for an effective clean-up under the principles of discipline and due process. The entire AFP is committed to this. |
| Statement of the President : Peso slump |
The unfortunate brew of destabilization and partisan politics has affected the performance of our peso. Much is being done to achieve normalcy and consolidate our gains in law and order but more can be gained if our institutions close ranks behind a serious drive for productivity, reforms and stability. We have to shake off the distraction of day to day controversies and devote ourselves to the essential tasks of development and reform. We must shun creeping negativism and look towards the gains of the future. The Filipino has the mind, the courage and the solidarity to do it. |
| Statement of the President : Citibank heist |
The law enforcement agencies have teamed up to intercept the perpetrators and to deter such brazen crimes. More police visibility and intelligence networking are needed. I have directed a renewed crackdown on bank robbery syndicates in the country, as well as on the remaining kidnap-for-ransom groups, that are still active in the order of battle. |
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye |
This is a private issue that is out of our turf. I ask the media to make a clear distinction between our official prerogatives in the palace and the personal business of the First Gentleman. He will continue to mount his defense independently and we are confident he can very well take care of his own problems. The earlier a formal inquiry starts, the better. The President is focused on issues of governance, economy and law and order. We will not participate in any side shows that distract our people from their most vital concerns. |
| Major constructors group calls on people to rally behind GMA |
The Philippine Constructors Association (PCA) has called on the Filipino people to rally behind the leadership of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the Philippine Constitution and to let the legal processes resolve current controversies so that the country can move forward. In a statement, the PCA said what the country needs now is a sense of sobriety so that the gains that we have achieved after the Asian financial meltdown in l997 would not be lost. The PCA is the oldest trade organization in the Philippines whose members are the stewards of the country’s construction industry. It said grievances are bound to arise but addressing such concerns must always adhere to the rule of law. The ongoing investigation on the July 27 failed military mutiny must be fair and conducted without emotions and political color, so that truth and justice would prevail, the PCA said. Since 1947, the PCA said, the Filipino people have been subjected to numerous trials, both natural and man-made, as they journeyed through the path of democracy to achieve nationhood. "All through these years, formidable problems arose but practical solutions were always found. The way we as a people confronted challenges is indicative of our flexibility and our resoluteness to survive," the PCA said. The PCA believes that the negative effects of the failed military adventurism on the peso and business as a whole should be a signal for the people to be more circumspect in their words and deeds "so as not to exacerbate the already fragile situation our economy is in." "In the end, it is the ordinary Filipino on the street who shall bear the brunt if the economic situation worsens," the PCA said. |
| Palace says Defensor acted not as gov't official but as "ninong" in fetching "Udong" Mahusay |
Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye today said that Secretary Michael Defensor, chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), acted not as an official of Malacaņang but as a godfather when he helped the family of Eugenio "Udong" Mahusay Jr. fetch the latter from a hotel in Tagaytay City this morning. "Itong pangyayaring ito ginawa ni Secretary Mike Defensor not as an official of Malacaņang pero siya ay isang ninong ni Udong (Secretary Mike Defensor acted on this incident not as an official of Malacaņang but as one of Udong’s godfathers)," Bunye said in press briefing. Defensor was one of the sponsors during Udong’s wedding in 1997, along with First Gentleman Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo. Defensor accompanied brothers PO2 Jojo Mahusay and Ferdinand Mahusay, Udong’s wife and their five-year-old daughter, when Udong asked to be fetched from the Milestone Hotel in Tagaytay City around 10:30 this morning. In a statement, Bunye said that the allegations hurled by opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson against the First Gentleman are private issues and outside his turf. "I ask the media to make a clear distinction between our official prerogatives in the Palace and the personal business of the First Gentleman," Bunye said. He said the First Gentleman will continue to mount his defense independently and "we are confident he can very well take care of his own problems." Bunye also told the media to just wait for the official statement of Eugenio Mahusay on his relationship with the First Gentleman. "Let’s allow Udong to regain his composure. He went through a very difficult period. He was separated from his family for two months. He just wants to be with his family at this time. Let’s just wait for the official statement of Udong," he said |
