The involvement of scalawags in uniform in kidnapping is the subject of an in-depth probe being conducted by NAKTAF, which will undertake cleansing and isolation measures among units assigned to the anti-kidnapping operations.

We have done this process of internal house cleaning quietly in the anti-drug campaign and have reaped results.

We need the cooperation of the Filipino-Chinese community to help us identify the scalawags as well as the officers who have been a credit to the uniform.

This is a clear indication that the anti-crime strategies we have mapped out are taking their toll.

The dragnet will include kidnappers and other heinous crime groups.

Random checkpoints and mobile operations are being conducted round the clock.

Armed persons who resist will be engaged.

I ask for full public cooperation and assistance to law enforcers.

We just hope that the reopening of this issue will not be an occasion for grandstanding and unfairly humiliating private persons without proof.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been delivering the goods while others are still peddling their (impossible) dreams.

Consider this: one presidential candidate promised to provide access to credit and capital formation to promote self-employment.

Unfortunately, this candidate is a Johnny-come-lately in this aspect. President Macapagal-Arroyo, in his First State of the Nation Address, ordered the release of P4.5 billion for a micro-credit program. Some one million Filipino women have already availed themselves of the financial assistance since July 2001.

Additionally, from January to July this year, the President, through her Eight-Point Action Agenda, also allocated P15.03 billion for micro, small and medium enterprises. That’s not all. She again appropriated another P10 billion for the same purpose for the remaining five months of 2003.

Pushing further her livelihood generation program, Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo certified as urgent a bill enabling farmers to put up their farms as collateral in obtaining livelihood loans.

In the justice, law and order department, another presidential wannabe, vowed to restore peace and order in the country. He had the chance when he was Philippine National Police chief under the watch of ousted President Joseph Estrada. Indubitably, he blew the chance, but blamed the persistence of criminality to the incumbent leaders.

Conversely, President Macapagal-Arroyo matches her words with definitive actions. She ordered a renewed crackdown on illegal drugs and provided P1 billion for the drive. The campaign resulted in the arrest of more than 15,000 suspects and the filing in court of about 10,000 drug-related cases. Three out of four international drug syndicates operating in the country were neutralized, along with over 100 of the 272 identified local drug rings.

Huge caches of illegal drugs and banned substances and materials worth billions of pesos were also confiscated, while five shabu laboratories and five warehouses being maintained by the drug syndicates were raided and subsequently padlocked.

The PNP reported that it has neutralized 16 of the 21 identified kidnap-for-ransom groups, with the remaining five now being hunted without letup by the authorities. As a result, kidnapping for ransom cases dropped by about 30 percent last year compared to the previous year.

With the perceived resurgence of kidnapping incidents this year, the Macapagal-Arroyo administration reactivated the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTAF) and named former Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes as head of the super body.

The efficiency of NAKTAF operatives were put to the test with the Nov. 17 kidnapping and murder of Betti Chua Sy. The leader of the kidnap gang was eventually killed and a number of his followers arrested.

The recent resignation of Finance Secretary Jose Isidro Camacho has no adverse effects on the country’s economic and financial performance, a reputable international capital market research group said.

Department of Finance Officer-in-Charge Juanita Amatong also gave assurances that there would be no major adjustments in the government’s policy strategy going toward next year’s elections, adding that it would be "very difficult" to make changes at this stage.

"The resignation of Philippines’ Finance Secretary Jose Isidro Camacho has by itself no direct impact on an sovereign credit ratings on the Philippines," the Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services said in a statement.

The agency noted that market reaction to Camacho’s decision to step down "has been modest."

The research group even credited Camacho for improving tax collection and bringing the deficit under control. "There is no indication that the resignation of Mr. Camacho—under whom the initial deterioration and subsequent pickup of tax collections occurred—will lead to unfavorable economic or fiscal outcomes," Standard and Poor’s said.

Standard and Poor’s gave the Philippines a low rating last April, but the agency clarified that it was due to the relatively high debt levels of the country and the difficulty in maintaining fiscal discipline. "Since that time, tax collection has improved and the deficit brought under control," it added.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today congratulated this year’s recipients of the Philippine Quality Award (PQA), the country’s premier award given to organizations for performance excellence.

Panasonic Mobile Communications Corporation of the Philippines was conferred PQA Recognition for mastery in quality management, while Indo Phil Group of Companies was recognized for commitment to quality management.

The two companies join the roster of Philippine organizations that have been recognized for their performance excellence as leaders and role models in the country.

Trade and Industry Undersecretary Gregorio Domingo, in his welcome remarks, said the two organizations are the embodiment of the exemplary performance that each and every company should possess.

Panasonic Mobile Communications Corporation of the Philippines, formerly known as Matsushita Communication Industrial Corporation of the Philippines, is a manufacturing company with a total workforce of l,500 employees 20 percent of which belong to the technical group in engineering, quality control and production.

The company currently ranks second among the Matsushita companies in the Asia Oceania Region with sales reaching $650 million for the current fiscal year.

Indophil Textile Mills Inc, on the other hand, is the first Indian-Filipino joint venture in the country. It started its operation in 1975 with merely 15,500 spindles and a lean workforce of 300 employees.

Today, Indophil has 91,844 spindles with a 24.8 MW captive power plant, churning out 70 tons of high quality yards per day and a committed workforce of 2000 employees.

Forty percent of Indophil’s production is directly exported to 24 countries like the US, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Australia, and countries in Europe.

The PQA, which has been in existence for six years, is the equivalent of the very prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in the US and other national quality awards worldwide.

Introduced in 1997 through Executive Order No. 448 and signed into law as RA 9013 in 2001, the PQA is a major program under the National Action Agenda for Productivity.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today said that the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTAF) headed by Secretary Angelo Reyes is now ready to institute measures to curb the rampant kidnappings in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

"The NAKTAF has formulated, following my directive, certain security measures to curb kidnapping. We need to implement these measures immediately in order to achieve my desire of having a kidnap-free Christmas season," the President said.

In a meeting attended by city mayors and governors, representatives of the business sector and the Filipino-Chinese community and the Philippine National Police (PNP), the President said that there is a need to demonstrate government’s resolve and capability to address rampant kidnapping in Metro Manila.

"It is important for us to demonstrate this government’s resolve and capability to address this kidnapping menace," the President said.

The President also said that she has ordered an in-depth investigation on the reported collusion of some police and military personnel with kidnap-for-ransom groups.

"The involvement of scalawags in uniform in kidnapping is the subject of an in-depth probe being conducted by NAKTAF, which will undertake cleansing and isolation measures that only police officers with unquestionable integrity are assigned to anti-kidnapping groups," the President said.

The President explained that the process of cleansing the police rank has been previously done in the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign with good results.

"We have done this process of internal house cleaning quietly in our anti-drug campaign and have reaped results," she said.

The President also congratulated police operatives who were able to neutralize the criminal gang that engaged them in a shootout yesterday in San Andres in Manila where six car thieves were killed.

"If anyone has suspicions or proofs of any cops being involved in the kidnap trade, they should be reported directly (to Secretary Reyes), so the proper steps could be undertaken," the President said.

The President said that the neutralizing yesterday of a criminal gang is a clear indication that the government’s anti-crime strategies are starting to bear fruit.

"This is a clear indication that the anti-crime strategies we have mapped out are taking their toll. The dragnet will include kidnappers and other heinous crime groups," she said.

President Macapagal-Arroyo also said that random checkpoints and mobile operations are now being conducted round the clock.

She also warned that armed persons who resist will be engaged and asked for the full public cooperation and assistance to law enforcers.

"All law-abiding citizens must gather around this effort and send a strong, consolidated message for criminals to stand down," the President said.

The President said that the government needs the cooperation of the Filipino-Chinese community in its fight against kidnapping.

"We need the cooperation of the Filipino-Chinese community to help us identify the scalawags was well as the officers who have been a credit to the uniform," she said.

The President explained that solving the kidnapping problem needs a collective resolve of both the government and the citizenry.

To show its continued confidence in the Philippines, an American outsourced online customer care firm announced today its expansion plans with a total incremental investment of $25 million by next year.

In a courtesy call on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at the Music Room of Malacaņang this morning, Lance Rosenzweig, chairman and chief executive officer of the PeopleSupport, Inc. said the expansion project is expected to employ an additional 3,000 employees.

The project, Rosenzweig told the President, will build an additional 700 seats employing 1,000 workers in Cebu and an additional 1,300 seats employing 2,000 in Manila.

The President acknowledged the expansion plan and expressed gratitude for PeopleSupport’s continued confidence in the Philippines.

She said her administration is working on a policy both on infrastructure and on human resources that would further enhance internet sourcing company in the country.

"That is very wonderful. Thank you very much for giving jobs to the 3,000 people," she told Rosenzweig.

People Support Incorporated is a United States-based company where it is primarily a business solutions provider, specializing in outsourced customer care services and business process outsourcing solutions with the main office in Los Angeles, California.

The company’s contact center in the country started its operations in the year 2000 with around 400 seats. It currently has 1,400 seats with 1,700 employees.

Its two call centers are located in Makati City and a 200-seat facility in Cebu where it was launched last October.

The Muslim separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) reiterated on Tuesday its firm commitment to help the government go after the dreaded Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), the al Qaeda cell in Southeast Asia, and other terrorist groups operating in the country.

During the 14^th Joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) meeting in Davao City, the MILF panel also vehemently denied its alleged tie-up with the JI.

In a joint statement with the government panel, the MILF representatives headed by Benjie Midtimbang, condemned the use of terrorism of the Jemaah Islamiyah to promote its aspirations.

The MILF also renewed its pledge not to provide any form of assistance, including training, recruitment, material support, and sanctuary to the JI and other terrorist groups.

"The MILF is committed to strongly support the government’s and the international community’s campaign against the Jemaah Islamiyah and similar terrorist groups which are being linked to the MILF and thus adversely affecting the peace process," the statement said.

Municipal mayors all over the country on Wednesday night threw their full and unqualified support for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s candidacy in next year’s elections.

The 1,496-strong League of the Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) cited the President for fulfilling her promises to the local government units.

"In fact, she gave more for the sake of local autonomy," said LMP president Mayor Ramon Guico Jr. of Binalonan, Pangasinan.

"We commit our multi-partisan support to you Madame President. The masses of people will soon turn out in throngs to proclaim their support to you. This we promise to do," Guico said.

Also on Wednesday, the Mindanao-based political bloc Padayon Filipino forged a tactical alliance with the ruling Lakas-Christian and Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) to boost Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo’s chances at the polls.

Under the Macapagal-Arroyo administration, Guico said the shares of their Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA), the lifeblood of many municipalities, are automatically appropriated and released.

Guico said the President has even paid the debts of her predecessors and recalled orders that impede the local governments fiscal autonomy.

President Macapagal-Arroyo also announced on Wednesday night the creation of a Municipal Development Fund Corporation (MDFC) to hasten the delivery of government services, particularly to the least developed towns in the country.

In a speech before the mayors who called on her at the Bahay Pangarap in Malacanang, the President said the MDFC would enhance the capability of low-income towns to implement development projects.

"What I have done is to execute an executive order that creates the Municipal Development Fund Corporation so that you can have faster transactions and be able to fund your projects more easily," she said.

She said that over the two-and-one-half years at the presidency, she became aware of the reforms needed in the system "to execute good policies and deliver services in a way that will (ultimately) defeat poverty."

Among those present during her meeting with the LMP were Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo, Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Hernani Braganza, Presidential Legislative Liaison Officer Gabriel Claudio, Presidential son and Pampanga Vice Governor Mikey Arroyo, and North Cotabato Governor Manny Pinol.

The President said the funds released by the MDFC to municipalities do not have to be included in the national budget deficit to make it more easily accessible to the municipal governments.

The President said the MDFC would enable low-income local governments with social and environmental projects to deliver basic services to their constituents faster and more efficiently.

The President also asked the mayors to help her bring about "a real healing of the deep divisions within our society to move the country forward."

Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. and Padayon founder Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Vicente Emano, along with Cagayan de Oro Rep. Constantino Jaraula, signed a covenant on the tie-up between their respective parties.

"At a time of great peril where survival of the Republic is threatened, and moral values are assailed in and outside government, it is imperative that leaders of government and of society rise to the highest level of nationalism and patriotism demanded of the times," the document stated.

Malacaņang today welcomed a decision by a United States court granting the Philippine government’s request to extradite Charlie "Atong" Ang, one of jailed President Joseph Estrada’s co-accused in a plunder charge.

"This is a welcome development, especially coming as it does in the wake of our failure to extradite Rod Strunk," Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said in his regular press briefing this afternoon.

Bunye was referring to the American husband of murdered movie actress Nida Blanca (Dorothy Jones in real life) who left for the US after her death and reneged on his promise to come back to face the music. A California court rejected Manila’s request to have him extradited to face charges in Philippine court.

"So at least in this particular case, an arrangement with the United States is working and we are quite happy about it," Bunye said.

Department of Justice officials led by Secretary Simeon Datumanong also hailed the US decision allowing Ang’s return to Manila. He refused, however, to give details of the decision, saying they have yet to receive a copy of the ruling.