The President has expressed her personal feelings on this issue and let us leave it at that.

There is no point in putting extraneous meaning to her words.

Everyone is entitled to express sincere compassion and no one should read politics or judicial interference into it.

The President has expressed her personal view on this issue based on her policy of unity and reconciliation, which is a matter of public interest.

The President has repeatedly stressed that the determination of medical necessity is the exclusive prerogative of the Sandiganbayan availing of its expert resources.

We are not speculating on the court’s position and we are not interfering with it.

The former President will continue to enjoy all the rights entitled to him by law subject to the parameters set by the court.

President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo said today that the Supreme Court ruling declaring with finality its earlier decision to award to the government more than P36 billion of the Marcoses’ ill-gotten wealth is a clear victory for Filipinos.

The President said this is a welcome development in the government’s national consolidation and reconciliation efforts as Filipinos heal the wounds of the past and move forward to a brighter future.

"The Supreme Court ruling is a victory for the Filipino people" she said. "The resources that rightfully belong to the people shall be applied to the compensation of human rights victims and in the continuing quest of social justice."

The decision according to her is a clear triumph for the administration’s all out campaign against graft and corruption.

It also shows, she said, that the judicial system in the country works and sends a strong signal that everyone is equal before the law.

"This proves that even the mighty and the powerful cannot be exempt from the application of the law," the President said.

The Chief Executive said that part of the P36 billion Marcos ill-gotten wealth will go to the government’s land reform program.

"This is a very important SC ruling, the Ill-gotten wealth now belongs to our farmers," the President said after breaking the news to farmers in Lipa City in Batangas, yesterday, where she distributed certificates of land ownership to the latest batch of farmer beneficiaries of the government’s land reform program.

In a 21-page resolution, the SC issued the ruling penned by Associate Justice Renato Corona, affirming its July 15, 2003 decision forfeiting more than $658 million held in escrow at the Philippine National Bank in favor of the government.

The Marcos heirs had filed a motion for reconsideration and Tuesday’s ruling ended their efforts to keep the funds.

In the same resolution, the SC rejected the order of US District Court Judge Manuel Real barring any transfer of the Marcos funds on pain of being declared in contempt of court.

Judge Real said that he was trying to protect the 10,000 martial law victims who sued for damages in Real’s court and won a $2.3 billion award and up to now, have not yet received any payment for the Marcos estate.

The SC rejected Real’s order outright because it is a transgression not only of the principle of territoriality in public international law but also on the jurisdiction of this court recognized by the parties-in- interest and the Swiss government itself.

LIPA CITY – In line with government efforts to improve the lot of farmers, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo distributed Tuesday a total of 158 Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) to 112 agrarian reform beneficiaries from six municipalities of the province of Batangas.

The President, assisted by Agrarian Reform Secretary Roberto Pagdanganan, Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas, Senator Ralph Recto and his wife Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos-Recto, Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Rep. Oscar Gozus, awarded the CLOAs to qualified farmer beneficiaries during workshop and dialogue with Batangas farmers here.

The awardees were residents of Tui, Lobo, Padre Garcia, Ibaan, Rosario and San Juan all in the province of Batangas province.

In her speech, the President lauded the farmer-beneficiaries for being the new owners of the agricultural lands they till.

"Sa inyong lahat, congratulations sa mga bagong may-ari ng lupang sakahan (I congratulate all of you as the new owners of the agricultural land you till)," the President said.

The President told the farmers attending the workshop the importance of the Supreme Court decision to award to the government the more than P36 billion in ill-gotten wealth from the Marcoses saying that the ill-gotten wealth "will now serve as the wealth of the farmers."

Aside from CLOAs, the President also distributed four boxes of assorted medicines to the city government of Lipa City, P70,000.00 check for the construction of deepwell in Alitagtag town and another P70,000.00 check for the construction of deep well in Barangay Sta Maria in the town of Laurel, and P1 million for the implementation of micro-finance enterprises and livelihood foundation in Batangas province.

The President directed Housing Undersecretary Manny de Castro to inform Chairman Michael Defensor of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza to utilize the abandoned land property of the Philippine National Railways (PNR).

PAGALUNGAN, Maguindanao -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo formally opened today the P161-million bridge and siphon components of the Japanese-funded $38.9M (P3.18 billion) Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project (MMIP) at Barangay Kilangan.

The President arrived here aboard a presidential chopper around 11:10 a.m., and was joined by Agriculture Secretary Luisito Lorenzo, North Cotabato Governor Emmanuel Piņol, MMIP project director .Engr. Norodin Oyod and Maguindanao government officials led by Maguindanao Vice Governor Datu Bimbo Sinsuat.

Also present in the ceremony were US Ambassador to the Philippines Francis Ricciardone, US-Pacific Fleet Forces Commander Admiral Thomas Fargo, Japan Consul-General Akio Egawa, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) Chief of Mission Mitsuru Tanuki and Japan Financial Attache Hiromichi Sakuma.

"This place was once a battlefield, a battlefield controlled by the enemy. Therefore for so long, during the past 14 years, this (MMIP) project could not be implemented," the President stressed in her speech here.

Since the start of the project in 1990, the vast MMIP site, which straddles Pagalungan, Maguindanao, and Pikit and Carmen towns in North Cotabato, was a veritable combat zone between government forces and Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels.

Thereafter, MMIP construction continued at a snail’s pace, often punctuated by continuing clashes between the military and MILF rebel forces.

Sometime in the mid-90s, government forces drove away MILF forces operating in the area and undertakings at the MMIP site returned back to normal.

Eventually, a covenant between the government and MILF representatives declared the MMIP area as a zone of peace and development.

"With this, we should thank the people of Pagalungan, Maguindanao, and North Cotabato for their support to the national government as we must all thank our soldiers for this great victory," the President said.

"This Malmar project is the showcase of our peace and development efforts here," an obviously pleased Mrs. Arroyo stressed.

The President then released a check worth P20 million intended for MMIP’s social component. "I hope that there will be permanent peace in Malmar," she said.

The President bared her strategy for peace and reconciliation in Mindanao by relating a two-handed approach: "The right is the sole arm of the law, while the left hand is for peace, reconciliation and assistance to the poor who are once who resort to rebellion because of desperation."

"This is also the way I learned to push forward development in the Philippines," the President said.

She ended her speech with, "Tapos na ang Malmar 1, prepare for the sequel, Malmar 2."

Shortly thereafter, the President rode in a pick up truck to cross the newly-built bridge with Ambassador Ricciardone and Admiral Fargo.

The bridge, 100 meters long and six meters wide, has a 20-ton capacity. It specifically connects Barangay Gocotan in Pikit, North Cotabato, and Barangay Kilangan in Pagalungan, Maguindanao.

The siphon project was opened by the President to irrigate some 3,000 hectares of farmlands in Pikit, and 1,100 in Pagalungan.

The Chief Executive left here at around 12:00 for scheduled press conference at Awang airport before proceeding back to Manila.

The MMIP is part of the agricultural modernization program the President announced in her first State of the Nation Address (SONA).

The Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization Act programmed P20 billion a year for the improvement of farming and fishing. P24 billion a year was actually spent in 2001 and 2002 and P33 billion have been programmed for this year.

The government is continually pushing infrastructure projects and programs so that farmers will realize an increase in production.

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today announced in a press conference here that the government has the full support of the United States government in hunting down members of militant Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) group in the country.

At the same time, President Macapagal-Arroyo said that the JI group, which has been in the country for years now, is the number one threat to the country on matters of national security.

"The JI has been in Mindanao for years and it is my administration that is revealing their presence and putting them as the number one threat of national security," the President said.

"But we have a lot of assistance from the United States in hunting down their members in the country," she quickly added.

At present, the Chief Executive revealed that the government is investigating the reported presence of JI in Cararao, a mountainous area located in the border of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur provinces.

The JI, tagged as the Southeast Asian counterpart of Osama bin Laden's global terrorist network, was responsible for the bomb attacks that left over 200 dead in Bali, Indonesia last year.

The same group was also identified to have perpetrated a series of bombing incidents in the Philippines.

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao – A monitoring body from Malaysia will arrive in the country next week as part of the preparation for the resumption of the Philippine government-Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace talks.

This, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today in press conference here without elaborating on the date of the first round of formal talks between the government and MILF in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Malaysia earlier committed to broker the peace talks between the Philippine government and MILF.

The President said the Malaysian delegation would arrive after Ramadhan, a month-long fasting period of Islam believers that will culminate on November 26.

The Malaysian party is tasked to monitor the truce between the government and MILF.

"As you know, we have a local ceasefire monitoring which is working well. We have no major clashes now," the President said.

President Macapagal-Arroyo also expressed joy that the United States is assisting the peace process, diplomatically and financially, as committed by US President George W. Bush.

BAGUIO CITY—President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo arrived here today for various official functions including her formal opening of the 18th Philippine Advertising Congress (PAC) Thursday.

The PAC, which is expected to draw some 3,000 delegates, will be held at the CAP Convention Center in Camp John Hay.

The event, brings together various advertising practitioners from all over the country.

While here, the President will grace a forum of Benguet vegetable farmers where she is expected to make a review of the development of the agriculture sector in the area, as well as to be informed of further needs of the localities.

Records show that the local farmers' production increased since Christmas of 2002 when the President ordered the construction of multi-million peso storage facilities from here to Manila to assure the freshness of Baguio vegetables retailed to consumers.

Meanwhile, President Macapagal-Arroyo also today sent her message to the 54th Fil-Am amateur international golf tournament slated Dec. 1-6. Some 250 foreign golfers mostly from America and Asia will join a field of 720 parbusters from 145 teams from the Pacific basin and across the country.

"Your efforts to promote friendship and good will through golf advance our national agenda for peace, unity and progress." She said the game of golf teaches the importance of focus, commitment, determination and creativity in achieving goals and facing challenges.

"I am confident that your annual golfing event will strengthen unity among your ranks and inspire you all to continue your contributions to Philippine development," the President said.

PAGALUNGAN, Maguindanao -- The multi-million peso Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project (MMIP) imparts agricultural and livelihood development to over 20,000 farmers in the provinces of Maguindanao and North Cotabato.

This became a reality when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo opened here today the P161-million Japanese-funded bridge and siphon components of the MMIP for the towns of Carmen, Pikit, Kabacan, Aleosan in North Cotabato and Pagagawan and Pagalungan in Maguindanao.

Maguindanao Second district Congressman Guimid Matalam said among the farmer beneficiaries are 2,000 former Moro National Liberation Front rebels who returned to the fold of the law.

Matalam describes the MMIP initiative as the symbol of the government’s peace and reconciliation efforts on Muslim rebellion in Mindanao.

"With this project, we are giving Muslims a chance to live normal lives and overcome poverty through their irrigated lands," he said.

The newly-opened siphon project has the capability to irrigate 12,000 hectares of farmlands in the two provinces, thereby increasing rice production and providing added income to farmers in the area.

Farmer constituents here also expressed appreciation for the government’s irrigation initiative.

Rebel-turned-farmer Mamalangkay Abdul, 49, said work in the field would be less difficult for them now because of sufficient water supply coming from the MMIP project.