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10 OCTOBER 2003 |
| Statement of the President : Re Sandigan Ruling on San Miguel Shares |
We stand firm on good governance and we do not cut deals with the courts. This case has been under litigation for a long time and my administration has stood at arms length from the proceedings. Those imputing political interference are irresponsibly fishing for issues. |
| Statement of the President : Re Parliamentary Form of Government |
A parliamentary form of government improves the political interface between the executive and the legislature, and thereby could galvanize reforms more efficiently and effectively. It would also enable our country to keep in step with our Asian neighbors in terms of political and economic modernization and consolidation. The early part of this century is the proper time to think about these fundamental changes in our political system and it would be best that these be incorporated in the platform debates of all parties vying in the electoral field. Our people themselves should be enlightened on the issues involved so that when the proper time comes, they can make informed decisions on their future. |
| Statement of the President : Re Al-Ghozi Manhunt |
I commend the police and military operatives who conducted the arrest for their loyalty and dedication to the task. We hope this would increase our chances to land an early capture of Al-Ghozi. This arrest demonstrates how much we have tightened the dragnet against terrorists, to the extent that they have been continuously immobilized. Our eyes and ears are open in the communities most vulnerable to terrorist incursions and our vigilance will not relent. |
| Statement of the President : Terrorist Threats |
The Philippines is an open target. But we would like to assure everyone that we are ready to thwart any plan of JI or any other terrorist group. Potential targets have already been secured and hardened and we will continuously keep up with emerging intelligence assessments. |
| GMA informed of DPWH's new procedures for right of way to facilitate road construction |
Streamlined procedures for identification, acquisition and management of the right of way (ROW) have been adopted by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to fast track road construction. In a report to Malacanang, the DPWH said that the new procedures are being pilot-tested in Region III (Central Luzon) and the National Capital Region (NCR). When these procedures are implemented nationwide, DPWH Assistant Secretary Rafael C. Yabut said, construction of road projects will be fast tracked as directed by Secretary Florante Soriquez. "As everybody knows, the acquisition of right of way is often one of the major causes of delays" in road construction, Yabut said. To address the major issue of funding, particularly the payment to landowners, the DPWH now requires its implementing units to factor in the costs of right of way in the project budgets. Apart from the ROW costs, the DPWH also requires the inclusion of schedule of implementation and areas to be acquired, in working out the project identification and action plans. The DPWH said that a Land Acquisition Plan and a Resettlement Action Plan, which provide for standard compensation package and determination of project affected persons, are needed for all projects to be undertaken by the department. Under the new procedures, the first mode of acquisition shall be to request for donation from the property owner. If the owner refuses, there shall be negotiations for purchase of the land as well as the improvements thereon, in accordance with the law. For appropriate internal controls, all ROW claims shall be screened, fully verified and validated, with the supporting documents authenticated in accordance with the checklist as set forth in the Procedural Manual prior to payment. An Infrastructure Right of Way and Resettlement Project Management Office, set up as part of the reform, will monitor the releases and disbursement of ROW funds by the implementing offices. |
| GMA thanks local gov't executives for supporting her bid in 2004 Presidential polls |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has thanked the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, the Union of Local Authorities in the Philippines and the League of Cities, together with barangay officials, for supporting her decision to run in the 2004 elections. "I based my decision on our national interest and also on the interest of your constituencies," the President told the Luzon Island Conference of local government executives held Thursday at Pasay City. "In the more than two years of my presidency, I have gained the necessary experience to understand what we need to do in order to change society in a way that leads to economic development and the elimination of poverty," the President rationalized her decision. Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo enumerated the many accomplishments of her administration in just two and a half years, particularly the 4.8 percent GNP growth in the first six months of the year which, she said, is the highest achieved by the country since the 1997 Asian crisis. The President noted that the country performed better than our neighbors, mainly because she built up domestic demand by releasing all the Internal Revenue Allocation (IRA) and Local Government Service Equalization Fund (LGSEF) to the municipalities and condoning their debts to the national government. But, she warned that "our neighbors are starting to accelerate their growth again and this time we cannot afford to be left behind." The historic economic problems of our country, she said, cannot be blamed on one single president since they are caused by our economic and political system. "I said and you agreed in your resolution that to really develop our economy and create a stronger republic, we need to change our system, we need to institute true reforms in our way of politics and our economy. And I am glad that in your covenant, you have peace, democracy and unity because we also need unity as a people," she said. Because of the loss of jobs in the countryside recently due to El Nino and typhoons, she asked the mayors to use a million pesos from their LGSEF for micro-finance to create more jobs. In closing, the President assured the mayors she would always be their champion for local autonomy. She mentioned earlier that one of the first things she did in her administration was to recall the executive orders that placed a yoke on their fiscal autonomy. |
| GMA favors Cha cha, but wants right timing and approach to it, says Presidential Spokesman |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is in favor of Charter change (Cha-cha), but she wants the l986 Constitution to be amended after the elections in May 2004, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said today. In an interview with Radyo ng Bayan, Bunye said that the President, even while still serving as senator, has proposed amendments to the l986 Constitution, including shifting to a parliamentary form of government. "Ang ibig sabihin noon ay talagang kumakatig ang ating Pangulo sa pagpapalit ng ating Konstitusyon (This means that the President sides with the proponents of Chater change)," he said. "But again, we have to go back to the timing at saka iyong manner of changing the Constitution. He pointed out that "iyong pamamaraan ng pagpapalit nito ay pinapaubaya niya sa Senado at sa Kongreso (the procedure for changing the Constitution is being left by the President to the Senate and the House of Representatives)." The two chambers of Congress differ in the approach to the Charter change, with the House of Representatives in favor of transforming Congress into a Constituent Assembly, while the Senate is for electing delegates to a Constitutional Convention. "Ang pamamaraan ng pagpapalit ay kailangang pag-usapan sa Kongreso (It’s up to Congress to discuss and decide the procedure for amending the basic law," he added. Bunye said that the President prefers to amend the Constitution after the 2004 elections, because there are many bills before the House and the Senate, and the Charter change may distract deliberations on those pending measures, particularly the ones being given priority by her administration.. |
| GMA to press for political, economic reforms |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today told a delegation of top level Hong Kong journalists, who called on her in Malacaņang, that she will be running in the 2004 elections on a platform of reforms and reconciliation. "If we are truly to develop in accordance with the needs of the 21st century, we have to have deep reforms in our way of doing politics, our way of doing the economy, even if it means changing the Constitution," the President said. The President also emphasized the need to unify as a people. "The Philippines has been very deeply divided, and it is very important that we heal this deep division," the President said. While the President explained the importance of having justice, she also underscored the importance of reconciliation, and finding a way to put a closure on national division. The President expressed the belief that the Philippines’ historical problems were not the fault of just one person, but were the results of very severe defects in the nation’s economic and political systems. "For one thing, many of the economic legislations have difficulty getting passed because of bicameral and presidential form of government," she said, expressing the conviction that there will be faster passage of economic legislation in a parliamentary form of government. The President has, however, stressed that the shift to parliamentary form of government should be discussed after the 2004 elections. The Hong Kong journalists, who are here as guests of the Chinese Commercial News on the occasion of the launching of the Philippine edition of the Hong Kong Wen Wei Po, include Zhang Guolian and Wong Bak Yao, publisher and managing editor respectively of Hong Kong Wen Wei Po. Also in the group were the chief of the Asia Pacific Bureau of the Xinhua News Agency and Hong Kong bureau chief of the China News Agency. |
| RP ready to thwart any terrorist threat -- GMA |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today assured both Filipinos and the international community that the military and the police are ready to thwart destabilization plots by terrorist groups. "The Philippines is an open target. But we would like to assure everyone that we are ready to thwart any plan of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) or any other terrorist group," the President said in a statement. The President said that potential targets have already been secured and hardened and that the government will continuously keep up with emerging intelligence assessments. National Security Adviser Roilo Golez, speaking during a press conference in Malacaņang, said that the statement of Australian Defense Minister Robert Hill that the JI is targeting the Philippines has no basis. "There are no specific threats against any particular country. There is no specific JI threat against the Philippines," Golez said. He said that the government is closely monitoring the JI situation in close coordination with security and intelligence counterparts in the region. "We are dealing with terrorists, and it is very hard to predict where they will strike next. We haven’t ruled out the possibility that they might target the Philippines. However, we are ready to thwart any possible threat posed by any terrorist group and secured all possible targets," he said. Golez said that he has already talked with the Australian Ambassador to Manila Ruth Pierce and asked her for some clarification on this matter. "The Ambassador is providing a copy of the speech of the Defense Minister delivered in the Canberra forum," Golez said. He explained that there is a general alert in the region, in view of a possible retaliatory attack in reaction to the arrest of Hambali and sentencing of Indonesian JI members like Samudra and Ambrosi. "The general alert covers several Asian countries, all of which, have been cooperating very closely in the effort versus the Jemaah Islamiyah," Golez said. He said that the general alert also includes Northern Australia, which is included with the JI’s vision of a Pan-Islamic state. Golez also stressed that there is a memorandum of understanding between the Philippines and Australia on cooperation to combat international terrorism, which was signed in March 4, 2003. "If the Defense Minister, for example, has some bit of information on any threat in the region, he should have conveyed this to us in the spirit of intelligence sharing, instead if a public announcement made in a forum in Australia," Golez said. |
| GMA gets bipartisan support from Luzon mayors |
Municipal mayors from Luzon broke party lines Thursday night to support President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s bid for a fresh mandate and signed a covenant for peace, unity and democracy, denouncing failed attempts to destabilize the government and topple her administration. More than 400 local chief executives from various towns in Luzon endorsed the resolution authored by Mayor Marino Morales of Mabalacat, Pampanga, executive vice president for internal affairs of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, hailing the President’s decision so she may be able to continue her program of economic and political reforms and national reconciliation beyond 2004. In their Luzon Island Conference at the Westin Philippine Plaza hotel in Pasay City, local government executives cited the President’s strong position in promoting genuine local autonomy and her vast experience in governance as good leadership qualities that will decidedly earn widespread support from the electorate in the grassroots in her bid for a full six-year term. Morales said that President Macapagal-Arroyo has also gained the respect and admiration of world leaders because of her tough stand against terrorism and immaculate image as an incorruptible leader, even drawing endorsements from some of them in recognition of her achievements. LMP national president Mayor Ramon Guico of Binalonan, Pangasinan said that the peace covenant is a reflection of the aspiration of local chief executives "to destroy the morass of hatred and violence and substitute this instead with peace and unity. " "We want to preserve the gains of democracy. We are against attempts to destabilize our government. We also frown on vicious allegations that are baseless which only drive wedge of discontent and fissures among our people," Guico said. He said local officials are sick of highly-partisan activities that have only slowed down the economy, thereby creating lost job opportunities and raising the volume of crimes in the communities. "The greater good of the people must rank high in our priorities. We are committed to ensure a bright future for our people," said Guico, who also presented a separate resolution by Pangasinan mayors anointing President Macapagal-Arroyo as their choice in the 2004 polls. The mayors’ convention tackled issues on agricultural productivity and infrastructure support, anti-terrorism, program against poverty, health initiatives, tourism efforts, good environmental governance, agrarian reform communities and campaign against illegal drugs. Earlier, municipal mayors from Mindanao and the Visayas region met in separate gatherings to talk on the same program on good government including adopting similar resolutions of support behind the leadership and government of President Macapagal-Arroyo. |
| ULAP throws support for GMA administration |
To show their appreciation for her inspired leadership, officers of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) threw their support for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Thursday night, thanking her for her help in the furtherance of local autonomy. In its joint 29th National Executive Board and Third General Executive Council meeting held at the Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel in Pasay City Thursday, ULAP cited the President’s commitment to the local government units translated to 12 gains which it said highlights its united efforts to make the 12th anniversary of the 1991 Local Government Code as "the most memorable of all celebrations in the past under your able leadership." "We are committed to support your crusade against terrorism, promote peace and order throughout the country, implement your economic policies to fight poverty, and sustain your administration’s priority programs to promote good governance and ensure a Strong Republic through strong LGUs," ULAP national president, Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario said. Saying it is a partner in development, ULAP expressed its strong support for the President’s decision to seek a fresh mandate and run as president in next year’s elections. The 12 gains cited by the local government units under President Macapagal-Arroyo are:
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| GMA creates task force to safeguard RP's infrastructures from terrorist attacks |
A task force that would implement a comprehensive and integrated security measure for the protection of the country’s critical infrastructures against terrorist attacks has been created by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo under the Cabinet Oversight Committee for Internal Security (COCIS). The creation of the Task Force for the Security of Critical Infrastructures (TFSCI) that took effect last September 24 this year, was in line with the President’s 16-point Counter-Terrorism Program. The TFSCI shall enlist the active coordination and collaboration of concerned government agencies and the private sector, and the dynamic participation of the Filipino people. Named to head the Task Force is Deputy Presidential Adviser for Special Concerns Undersecretary Abraham A. Purugganan. Critical structures are physical facilities and cyber-based systems essential to the operations of the economy and government. They underpin the security of the country’s defensive capability, national wealth, economic prosperity, and the way of life of the people. Their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating impact on the defense, economic security and standard of living in the country. They include power plants, power transmission and distribution facilities, vital communication facilities, oil and gas depots, key public works infrastructures, public and private buildings, and facilities in the nerve center of commerce and industry. Identified as critical infrastructures by the Philippine Y2K Commission in 1999 are seven sectors, namely transportation, telecommunication, utilities, banking and finance, health, manufacturing and government services. Among the programs envisioned for the TFSCI are: integration and codification of all initiatives, programs and procedures to protect critical and vital infrastructures; formulation of a strategic and integrated plan for the protection of critical infrastructures to be known as the National Critical Infrastructure Security Plan (NCISP); establishment of an emergency management facility to respond to physical and cyber threats; and establishment of a public-private citizenry partnership forum. |
| China to send high-level mission to BIMP-EAGA countries |
China would soon send a high-level trade mission to the Philippines Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Indonesia to look at opportunities for specific projects in the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines - East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). These specific projects would deal on tourism, transportation and agro-industry, Jesus Dureza, Presidential Adviser for Mindanao and chairman of the Mindanao Development Council (MEDCO), said today in a press briefing in Malacanang. Dureza said this came about when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo attended the 9th Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit held recently in Bali, Indonesia. Dureza accompanied the President to Bali. "One of the important things that came out was the commitment of a non-BIMP-EAGA member, which is China, to the President to send a high-level trade mission very soon to look at opportunities for specific projects in the BIMP-EAGA ," Dureza said. He said this is significant because many people look at China as a threat economically. "But actually, we are looking at it as a big opportunity, as a big market for our products not only from Mindanao and Palawan and the BIMP-EAGA area, but also from the whole country," Dureza said. Dureza said one of the sidelights of the ASEAN summit was the BIMP-EAGA Leaders’ Meeting wherein the President prominently figured in pushing for the revival the activation of more activities in the BIMP-EAGA to make Mindanao and Palawan no longer the backdoor but the gateway to the ASEAN countries. He said the President also proposed in the meeting to invite China, Japan and Korea as cooperation dialogue partners in the development of BIMP-EAGA. After their meeting, the four leaders of the four countries jointly affirmed their commitment to accelerate economic development efforts to improve the living conditions of the 15 million people in the BIMP-EAGA and maintain security and stability in the region. He said one of the policies that resulted from the BIMP-EAGA meeting was the waiver of the traditional travel tax to promote travel and tourism in the sub-region. "If you fly from any point in Mindanao or Palawan now to any of the BIMP-EAGA areas, you are exempted from the traditional P1,620 travel tax," he said He said that the President has approved this and would remain in effect until 2005 and could still be renewed if necessary. |
