An Anti-Terrorism Act that now includes penalties for infidelity in the custody of prisoners is among the 20 priority measures formally approved for adoption by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) during its 94^th meeting Wednesday at the Malacanang State Dining Room.

The addition of penalties was among those sought by Council members in the aftermath of the mysterious escape of Indonesian terrorist Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi and two others while in custody at Camp Crame some two weeks ago.

The Anti-Terrorism Act became more imperative in the light of five United Nations conventions against terrorism such as those for the suppression of terrorist bombings; for the suppression of the financing of terrorism; on the marking of plastic explosives for the purpose of detection; protocol for the suppression of unlawful acts against the safety of fixed platforms located in the continental shelf; and protocol for the suppression of unlawful acts against the safety of maritime navigation.

The Anti-Terrorism Act is now on second reading undergoing interpellation in both houses of Congress.

Nine priority legislative measures which were highlighted in President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday and 11 other specific bills that are both doable and high-impact make up the common legislative agenda representing the government’s resolve to address priority concerns.

These are:

1. Farmland as loan collateral

2. Compensation to human rights victims

3. Anti-Terrorism Act

4. Transco franchise

5. Reforms in campaign finance

6. Rationalization of automobile tax

7. Rationalization of documentary stamp tax

8. Indexation of sin taxes

9. National Revenue administration

10. Judiciary compensation rationalization

11. Dual Citizenship Act

12.Quarantine program for SARS

13. Optical Media Act

14. Securitization Act

15. Department of Housing and Urban Development

16. Tax incentives on Capital Equipment

17. Debt Cap of 2003

18. Operationalization of GRT on banks and financial institutions

19. Alternative dispute resolution

20. Land Administration Reform Act of 2003

Of these, only the rationalization of the automobile tax has been approved by both chambers of Congress.

The farmland as loan collateral, Transco franchise, rationalization of documentary stamp tax, Optical Media Act, Securitization Act, Department of Housing and Urban Development, tax incentive on capital equipment and alternative dispute resolution were already approved by the House but are still on second reading in the Senate undergoing interpellation.

National Security Adviser J. Roilo Golez today said that the government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has emerged stronger after the July 27 Makati siege but at the same time acknowledged that the threat of another military mutiny is still possible.

In his opening statement the start of a congressional investigation of the incident, Golez said the government remains confident that it will come out stronger from its experience as the formal probe of the grievances aired by the rebellious military officers has started.

Golez admitted that the process of delving deeper into the serious allegations of corruption in the military "would be delicate and even painful."

Although he said that the Makati siege showed the difficulty of the mutineers to launch a full-scale military revolt or a coup, there is still the possibility that similar mutinies will again be launched by rebellious elements that are still unaccounted for.

"This possibility is increased should the Magdalo rebels get away with their crimes without being duly punished," Golez said.

The government, Golez said, acknowledged that we are still in a period of crisis. "This case is very much alive and the threat continues," he said.

Golez said the government is still investigating how the conspiracy was hatched and who are the mutineers’ financial and political supporters.

He credited the firm and decisive moves taken by the President and the solid support given to her by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) for ending the mutiny without bloodshed and within a day.

"Decisive calculated and calibrated decision-making of the President throughout the crisis from intelligence build-up phase up to the actual concept of the crisis, the President showed firmness, arriving at the decision with calculated and calibrated measures," Golez said.

According to Golez, as early as 9 a.m. on Sunday at the height of the crisis, the President already decided that there was a need for a deadline and at around 1 p.m., the President declared a state of rebellion and ordered the AFP and the PNP to quell the uprising.

"The deadline was considered imperative in order to resolve the crisis within the same day to avoid more serious destructions in national and economic affairs," Golez said.

Golez said the AFP and the PNP did not waiver, showing their preparedness, to thwart any anticipated eventualities.

He also cited the role of political leaders, including those from the opposition, the civil society, the Church, the business community, the media, and the support of foreign governments as crucial in the speedy resolution of the conflict.

"None of the opposition personalities took the side of the rebels. Opposition leaders called for the peaceful resolution of the incident," Golez said.

Golez said the mutineers failed to get the support of the masses and the key sectors as well as from high-ranking officers of the AFP.

MEXICO, Pampanga -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today inspected the San Fernando-Mexico River Desilting Project here aimed at mitigating the perennial flooding problem in eight towns and a city in Pampanga.

Upon arrival at the San Lorenzo Bridge in Barangay San Lorenzo here, the President was immediately briefed by Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 3 Director Josefino Rigor.

Rigor said the desilting of the Sapang Bungang Ginto creek here is part of the P90-million Pasac Delta Local Flood Control Project that would stop the flooding problem in the towns of Mexico, Sto. Tomas, Minalin, Macabebe, Masantol, Guagua, Sasmuan, Lubao and the City of San Fernando.

He said the dredging in river channels in the eight towns and city would help drain its waters down to the Manila Bay particularly during heavy rains.

After the briefing, the President inspected the ongoing dredging beside the San Lorenzo bridge.

She was warmly welcomed by the pupils, teachers and barangay officials here led by Barangay Captain Eugenio Bautista Jr. She was accompanied by Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon, Governor Lito Lapid, and Mayor Ernesto Punzalan.

Mayor Punzalan said they are thanking the President for the help as 20 of his town's 43 barangays are usually hit by flash floods during the months of August and September that last from four days to one week.

The rebellious soldiers, who styled themselves as the "new Filipino heroes," were planning to set up a 15-man junta to rule the country had they been successful in seizing power, according to National Security Adviser J. Roilo Golez.

In his opening statement this afternoon at the start of the congressional hearing of the Makati siege, Golez said under their action plan, entitled "The Last Revolution Toward A New Philippine Order," the rebellious young Filipino soldiers would create a 15-man National Recovery Council to govern the country if they succeed in their power grab.

Although the document did not say how the members of the junta would be selected, it says that they will be Filipino men and women of wisdom, integrity, with selfless love of country, and would come from the different sectors of society, Golez said.

Golez said that as early as the second week of July, the intelligence community had already learned about the existence of a anti-government plot of a group of young officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

He said the government was already preparing for any eventuality that could result from reports of some questionable recruitment happening within the AFP.

Quoting from the action plan of the rebellious soldiers, Golez said that Phase 1 of their struggle involved the assumption of power "through all means necessary and must be absolute… the means would not be confined within the ambit of constitutional framework."

"In other words, this is extra-constitutional. The use of force and violence is very clear from this excerpt," Golez said

Golez said that intelligence work, relentless intelligence build-up had been largely responsible for gaining advance knowledge of the plot and recognizing the existence of the crisis situation.

Malacaņang said today the excellent credentials of the members of the fact-finding body tasked by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to investigate the roots of the Makati rebellion would be enough assurance that there would be no whitewash or cover-up on the case.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said during his regular press briefing that it would be to the best interest of everybody that a commission composed of members who are not working in the government should take care of this inquiry.

"Let us give them the chance to do their work first and let us judge their work after it is accomplished," Bunye said.

The President has named retired Supreme Court Justice Florentino Feliciano as chairman of the fact-finding panel, with former Justice Minerva Gonzaga-Reyes, University of the Philippines professor Carolina Hernandez, Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas, retired Commodore Rex C. Robles and Captain Rex Banjo Q. Bumanlag as members.

The President has issued Administrative Order No. 78, instructing the commission to evaluate all the facts and circumstances surrounding the rebellion, its roots and the provocations that inspired it, and to submit its finding and recommendations to her.

Bunye said the commission assured that it will come out with results as soon as possible.

Bunye also explained that there is nothing wrong about the House of Representatives and Senate initiating separate investigations on the one-day Makati mutiny initiated by the misled and misguided junior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

"The House and Senate could work independently and pursue separate investigations," Bunye said.

Bunye also explained that the President did not give definite timeframe on how long the state of rebellion will be in force.

"It is very difficult to put a timeframe because you cannot put a deadline to catch elements who are still out there," Bunye added.