It is important that the ceasefire monitoring team get to Mindanao soon so an assessment of the situation can be undertaken by neutral observers prior to the holding of formal talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said today.

Malaysia, which offered to host resumption of the GRP-MILF peace talks in Kuala Lumpur, has volunteered to be part of the ceasefire monitoring team.

Bahrain and Libya also offered later to have representatives in the team, Bunye said on a regular question and answer radio program this morning.

The presence of the monitoring team in Mindanao is important so that neutral observers can determine whether government operations are legitimate and not harassment of the MILF, explained Bunye who is with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Bangkok, Thailand, for the 11^th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting.

Informal talks have been going on and October 28 is just another day for exploratory talks, Bunye clarified.

The government is waiting for word from Malaysia when the formal peace talks will begin, Bunye said, adding that the MILF also listens to the host country.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been expressing confidence the government’s peace initiatives "will finally bear fruit" with many interested parties, like the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), having offered to help in bringing peace to Mindanao.

The President attended the 10th session of the OIC last week in Putrajaya, Malaysia on invitation of outgoing Malaysia Prime Minister and OIC Chairman Mahathir Mohamad.

BANGKOK (via PLDT) – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today said that the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is receptive to the idea of removing contentious issues from the World Trade Organization (WTO) agenda, which have hampered discussions on the multilateral trading system.

In a statement, the President said that during the first day of the 11^th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, also known as the first Leaders’ Retreat, held yesterday at the Santi Maitri Building or
Government House here, she told her counterparts that the issues that derailed the WTO discussions in Cancun, Mexico, are more within the ambit of sovereign policy-making rather than multilateral trade.

These issues, the President said, include the determination of investment, procurement, competitiveness and trade facilitation, which the rich countries would like to incorporate in the WTO agenda but which were strongly opposed by developing countries, including the Philippines.

The President said that the ongoing APEC summit could be moving into a breakthrough in the impasse at Cancun.

"I feel that a consensus is jelling in this direction and this could move talks on the multilateral trade system forward," the President said.

She said that the reality is that these issues are proving to be more of a barrier to the WTO talks rather than the much-publicized matters of agricultural subsidies and non-tariff barriers.

A position paper issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that the Philippines would continue to call for the downgrading of subsidies that foreign governments, mostly of the rich countries, give to their own farmers.

"The Philippines supports the breaking down and dissolving of barriers to products of export interest to developing countries like quotas, health and sanitary regulations, technical obstacles and other unfair practices," the DFA statement said.

BANGKOK (via PLDT)—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today said that she is offering the Philippines as the site of a prototype of a secure port as part of the intensified global campaign against terrorism.

The President said that she will formally put this proposal forward in today’s Leaders’ Retreat of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

Today’s closing session of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting is mainly devoted to counter-terrorism issues in relation to the development of the region.

"I am proposing a concrete step of putting up in the Philippines a prototype of a secure port that could rapidly clear incoming and outgoing cargo of toxic or destructive materials without hampering the normal pace of trade," the President said.

The President said that the Philippines is seeking capacity-building funds from APEC for setting up such project.

She said that the Philippine prototype could be replicated regionally and globally so that the threat of terror on trade can be minimized, if not eradicated.

In a separate interview, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said that the United States has already signified its intention to extend financial support for the proposal, initially for the purchase of container X-ray.

BANGKOK (via PLDT)—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today called on the Filipino people to remain calm but vigilant in the wake of reports that Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) operatives have slipped through a military-police dragnet in Cotabato City.

In a statement issued here where she is attending the 11^th Economic Leaders’ Meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the President said she has ordered military and police authorities to conduct an intensive manhunt for the immediate capture of the JI operatives.

She assured the nation that like the other terrorists, these JI operatives would be accounted for "sooner or later."

"I would like the people to stay calm, keep their eyes and ears open and help the authorities in this operation," the President said.

The President directed the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to publicize the identities and photos of the terrorist suspects at large so that the whole community would be involved in the manhunt.

She said she has also ordered the authorities to make an accurate and complete account of all lethal weapons discovered or seized "so that the public will be informed of the facts and not be unduly alarmed by sensationalized reports."

The President said efforts by the Philippine authorities in capturing the JI terrorist suspects are being closely watched from the sidelines of the APEC summit.

"I would like to see continuing anti-terrorist strikes backed up by close intelligence and operational fusion," the President said.

Law enforcement in the country got a big boost from the state visit of U.S. President George W. Bush. Not only did the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other security agencies get kudos for the virtually incident-free conduct of the state visit, the US also signed a memorandum of intent (MOI) to provide assistance for capability building among agencies involved in fighting crime and terrorism.

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose D. Lina, Jr. and US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone signed the MOI on October 15 at the American Embassy, with the concurrence of both the Department of National Defense and the Department of Foreign Affairs. Sec. Lina reports that the total law enforcement assistance is valued at approximately $10 million, a significant increase over the estimated $2 million provided in the past five years.

"With this MOI," says Secretary Lina, "the anti-terrorism and anti-crime capabilities of the country would be enhanced, along with the common interest in detecting and deterring terrorists." The DILG head describes the memorandum as "a civilian version of the US-GRP Balikatan Exercises," which would benefit local law enforcers through "training and capability building programs, the transfer of the latest technologies, intelligence gathering techniques and other relevant strategies."

The MOI envisions assistance in the following areas:

• Law enforcement, preservation of peace, and protection of life and property

• Protection of the national leadership, the seat and functions of government, the diplomatic corps

• Control over international borders

• Protection of critical infrastructure

• Management of terrorist attacks that have national security implications.

Three programs are stipulated in the memorandum, the Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program (ATAP), the Joint Inter-agency Task Force, and International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL). ATAP will benefit the following agencies: PNP, National Bureau of Investigation, Bangko Sentral/Anti-Money Laundering Council, Bureau of Fire Protection, Department of Health, Presidential Security Group, Bureau of Customs, National Defense College, Office of Civil Defense, the Supreme Court, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Immigration and Deportation, and Office of the President.

The Joint Inter-Agency Task Force would enhance counter-terrorism and anti-narcotics efforts by tapping assistance from the US uniformed services as well as the Department for Homeland Security, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the FBI. The MOI cites two specific programs: the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), and the International Criminal Investigation Training Assistance Program (ICITAP).

BANGKOK (via PLDT) – The Philippines and other developing member-economies of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), have underscored the need for the abolition of all forms of agricultural export subsidies in order to enhance a really effective multilateral trading system.

The Bangkok Leaders’ Declaration, released this afternoon after the two-day APEC summit here, was devoted primarily to economic and trade issues, measures in enhancing human security, and using APEC to help people and societies benefit from globalization.

In a press conference at the Oriental Hotel here, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said that the APEC leaders have called for more work toward a balanced outcome of the Doha Round of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and making APEC’s agenda more supportive of the multilateral trading system.

The summit winded up today after discussing counter-terrorism issues that the leaders believe are relevant to the region’s continued development.

The President said that discussions among the APEC leaders in the two-day summit could help resolve the impasse in Cancun, Mexico.

She said that the several contentious issues that have been introduced in the WTO agenda, like determination of investment, procurement and trade facilitation policies, could be resolved through the policy making process of individual countries and not through the WTO.

Aside from the Philippines, China, Malaysia and Indonesia also voiced strong concern about the lack of commitment of the WTO to the elimination of subsidies by the rich countries to their farmers, a situation that puts the developing countries at the disadvantage.

In their declaration, the APEC leaders also condemned corruption as a "major obstacle" to social and economic development and called for transparency in government and private transactions.

The President said that on this issue, the Philippines has stepped up its fight against corruption through aggressive prosecution of erring officials, lifestyle checks and procedural reforms to cut red tape and graft.

The declaration also pointed out that transnational terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction posed a "direct and profound challenges" to APEC’s vision of free, open and prosperous economies.

"We agreed to dedicate APEC not only to advancing the prosperity of our economies but also to the complementary mission of ensuring the security of our people," the declaration said.

The leaders also called on APEC’s counter-terrorism task force to work closely with the Group of 8 (developed countries) and the United Nations Security Council.

BANGKOK (via PLDT) – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today winded up her three-day visit to this city to attend the 11^th Economic Leaders Meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

The President is leaving Bangkok at 4:00 pm today (5:00 pm in Manila) for the flight back to the Philippines aboard a chartered Philippine Airlines aircraft.

In a press conference at the Oriental Hotel here, the President said the discussions in the just-concluded APEC summit were tightly intertwined with the national priorities and policy directions of the Philippine government.

For example, the President said, the APEC leaders have called for a stepped-up campaign against corruption, saying that corruption is a major obstacle to social and economic development.

The President said that her administration has already put in place several measures in fighting corruption, particularly the lifestyle checks that she has ordered and the procedural reforms aimed at cutting red tape in government transactions.

She said that her administration has also embarked on an aggressive prosecution against officials suspected of having enriched themselves through illegal means.

The APEC leaders, the President said, have also called for the elimination of terror groups that threaten economies in the Asia Pacific region.

She said that the government is moving swiftly against terrorist cells in the Philippines as shown by the recent raid of a safehouse of the Jemaah Islamiyah in Cotabato, the arrest of a top JI operative in Zamboanga and the death of Indonesian terrorist Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi.

BANGKOK (via PLDT) –President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today said that the Philippines continues to support the "denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula.

In a press conference at the Oriental Hotel here before her departure for Manila, the President said a non-nuclear North Korea is important to the Philippines because it is the nearest ASEAN country to the communist state.

The President said that the Philippines supports the multi-party talks to find a diplomatic solution to the Korean problem.

"We also support extending assistance to North Korea’s economic survival and guarantees for her security," the President said.

She said that the Philippines expressed concerns about human rights issues in North Korea and will continue to provide transit points of North Korean nationals on humanitarian grounds.

The President said that the leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), who winded up their 11^th summit here, have expressed opposition to weapons of mass destruction, of which North Korea is suspected of having or trying to develop.

She also said that the APEC leaders have called for strong efforts to promote small and medium enterprises, strive for regional bond markets and pushy for knowledge-based economies.

Philippine Ambassador to Washington Albert del Rosario said today that US President George W. Bush’s designation of the Philippines as Major non-NATO Ally has pushed up the priority in supplying military equipment to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Ambassador del Rosario told a press briefing at Malacanang that when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo made a state visit to Washington last May, she instructed him to immediately request the US government for helicopters to improve AFP’s mobility.

He recalled that due to lack of funds at that time only six out of a fleet of 36 helicopters of the Philippine Air Force (AFP) could fly on a good day, while only one out of its 12 C-12 planes was serviceable.

During President Macapagal-Arroyo’s visit in May 2003, President Bush immediately promised delivery of 30 helicopters, 20 of which would be refurbished and 10 would be sourced for spare parts.

"My guess," he said, is that the 30 helicopters would arrive in the Philippines "in the first half of next year." Twenty of the helicopters will be refurbished at the cost of $1 million each or a total of $20 million.

"Before we were designated as Major non NATO Ally," the ambassador said, "there were no helicopters available for us."

Del Rosario said that the AFP did get the first request of 30,000 M-16 rifles, with more to come as they are retired and then reconditioned by the U.S. Army. "We are trying to replace the 130,000 M-16 rifles in the field" that had been manufactured decades ago, he added.