Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople today said that one of the primary tasks of the Philippines, as a member of the United Nations Security Council, would be to help heal the divisions in the UN that were brought about by the military action in Iraq and the early return of Iraq to its people.

"These are important challenges and we hope to do our part in successfully facing these challenges. Important steps have already been taken to address these challenges and we hope to continue to build on what has already been started," Ople said.

Consensus building, particularly on the more difficult areas, will characterize the term of the Philippines on the Security Council, according to Secretary Ople. "We intend to help in building consensus on issues before the Council. Consensus building will characterize our term in the Security Council," Ople said.

He emphasized that the Philippines has already started its consultations with interested countries and will continue to do so. "We have already started our political consultations with other countries on the issues that are likely to be brought before the Security Council during our term," the Secretary said.

The Philippines will be joining the Security Council at a time when grave challenges continue to threaten the peace and security of mankind and at a time when many questions have been raised as to the ability of the United Nations to address these challenges.

"These are not easy times for the Security Council. The role of the Council, its powers and its abilities are under scrutiny and are being questioned. The Philippines remains committed to the letter and the spirit of the Charter of the United Nations and continues to be confident in the central role of the United Nations, particularly the Security Council, to carry out its responsibility in preserving peace and stability," Ople said.

In addition to the current issues before the Council, Secretary Ople said that he anticipated that, for the first time in many years, a number of issues relating to Asia might also be on the Security Council agenda.

This would include, he said, the situation in the Korean Peninsula, the issue of Kashmir, and the nuclear problem in Iran. "Other potential conflicts in Asia, particularly those involving territorial and maritime disputes might also be brought to the Council," the Secretary said.

The war against terrorism will also be a priority of the Philippines in the Security Council. "We intend to bring to the Council the zeal, determination and commitment that we showed in our own national and regional fight against terror," the Secretary said.

"We will join the other members of the Council in concentrating the efforts of the international community on fighting terrorism," the Secretary said, adding that "We will work closely with the other members of the Council in carrying out the work of the Counter-Terrorism Council."

In elections held early Friday at the United Nations in New York, the United Nations General Assembly, by a vote of 179 out of 182 votes cast, elected the Philippines to the United Nations Security Council for the term 2004-2005.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has lauded the expanding transnational cooperation against the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) as she noted that the only way to address such a transnational threat is to have the same transnational cooperation against such terrorist groups.

"How do we intend to face this terrorist threat? By having them recognized as a transnational threat and the way to address a transnational threat is through transnational cooperation," the President said during the luncheon yesterday hosted by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) at the Dusit Hotel Nikko in Makati City.

The President said she is glad that Thailand, Brunei and Cambodia have joined the trilateral agreement jointly initiated by the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia after the September 11 attack on the United States.

"This is an increasing recognition that we should work together exchanging information intelligence, (sharing intelligence on) the money flow and doing joint patrol as necessary," the President said.

The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia signed a trilateral agreement on terrorism and transnational crimes last May 2002, vowing to cooperate in preventing the utilization of any one of their land-air-sea territories for the purpose of committing or furthering terrorism, money laundering, smuggling, piracy or robbery at sea, hijacking, illegal entry, drug trafficking, marine pollution and illicit trafficking of arms.

The trilateral agreement was proposed by the Philippines during the Seventh ASEAN summit held in Brunei Darussalam in November 2001.

It was signed by Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina Jr. for the Philippines, Foreign Minister N. Hassan Wirajuda of Indonesia and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur last May 7 2002.

Yesterday, the President also announced that the government is elevating the JI as an official national threat spectrum.

She described the JI’s sinister plans as both deadly and far-ranging, "both intended to threaten our country and to sow fear in the region."

"We are going into a more focused campaign against the JI, complete with a new order of battle and targets for domestic and international intelligence in concert with our allies," she said.

As such, the President is also asking the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to stand clear of the JI elements as government and the secessionist group are now readying for another round of peace talks in Kuala Lumpur.

The President has noted that the government peace panel has just finished setting the detailed guidelines for closer coordination with the MILF in going after lawless elements.

Magandang araw sa inyong lahat. Isa sa mahahalagang kaganapan nitong nakaraang Linggo ay ang Eleventh (11^th) Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit na ginanap nuong nakaraang Lunes hanggang Martes sa Bangkok, Thailand, at dinaluhan ng mga lider ng iba’t-ibang bansa sa Asya Pasipiko.

Sa ating pagtalakay sa sitwasyong pang-ekonomiya ng rehiyon, binigyang diin namin ang problema sa terorismo. Dahil na rin sa masamang epekto nito sa pang-daigdigang kalakalan. At sa ating pina-igting na operasyon laban sa terorismo, hindi na matatawaran ang mga tagumpay na ating natamo.

Maraming terorista na – mga Pilipino, at banyaga, tulad ni Fathur-Al-Ghozi at Taufek Refke – ang mga nahuli at napatay, at ang mga natitira pa ay unti-unti nang nasusukol.

Nitong linggong ito lamang ay may nadiskubre tayong isang hideout ng mga terrorista sa Cotabato City na pinaghihinalaang pagawaan ng bomba. Kaugnay nito, apat-napung terroristang banyaga na kasapi sa Jemaah Islamiyah ang pinaghahanap ngayon ng mga awtoridad. Kilala na sila kaya inaasahan ang mabilisang paghuli sa kanila. Sa paghahanap na ito ay katulong natin ang Estados Unidos na nagpadala ng mga sundalo nito para sanayin ang ating mga kawal sa counter-terrorism.

Kaya naman, hinihiling ko sa ating mga kababayan na tulungan ang mga awtoridad para na rin sa kapakanan ng lahat. Mananatili tayong kalmado at buksan natin ang ating mga mata at tainga at maging alerto. Ipagbigay alam kaagad sa mga kinauukulan kung may napapansin kayong mga kahina-hinalang tao sa inyong paligid.

At habang pinai-igting natin ang ating laban kontra terrorismo, puspusan naman ang pagpapatupad ng ating anti-poverty programs para mabura na nang tuluyan ang recruitment bases ng mga terrorista.

Ako ay nagagalak dahil kasama sa side events sa APEC ang pakikipagkasunduan ng Pilipinas at Thailand para sa agricultural cooperation at oil and gas investment.

Kabilang sa kasunduang agrikultura ang pagpapalitan ng teknolohiya, sa ganu’n ay tutulungan tayo ng Thailand kung paano magtanim ng mas-mabisang palay sa ating rice terraces.

Kabilang naman sa kasunduan sa enerhiya ay maglalagay ang Thailand ng puhunan sa petrolyo duon sa Subic.

Malaki ang magiging hatid na pakinabang ng mga kasunduang ito para sa ating katiyakan sa pagkain, paglikha ng kabuhayan, at pagpapatatag sa ating supply ng enerhiya. Tinatayang sa susunod na mga taon ay aabot sa 9,000 megawatts ang kakailanganin natin para lubos na masuportahan ang ating inaasahang paglago ng ekonomiya. Kaya naman, lubusan ang ating panghihikayat sa mga posibleng mamuhunan sa larangang ito.

Ang mga kasunduang ito ay bunga na rin ng kasiglahang ipinakikita ng ating ekonomiya nitong mga nakaraang buwan. Katunayan, kinilala ng APEC secretariat ang Pilipinas bilang isa sa pinakamabilis na lumalagong ekonomiya sa buong Asia-Pacific region, na isang patunay na naman na ang mga repormang pang-ekonomiya na ating inilatag ay nagtatagumpay.

Ayon sa secretariat,sa dalawampu’t-isang miyembro ng APEC, pang-anim ang Pilipinas sa inaasahang may pinakamataas na Gross Domestic Product o GDP growth ngayong taon. Ang GDP growth forecast ng APEC para sa Pilipinas ay mas mababa ng kaunti sa Malaysia, at mas konti sa China Vietnam, Russia at Thailand.

Kapuna-puna rin na dumarami ang namumuhunan dito. Ayon sa DTI, mula Enero hanggang Hulyo ng taong ito, ang approved investment ay umaabot sa halagang P22-B na tinatayang magbibigay ng trabaho sa may halos 40,000 katao.

Nagtala ang ating industry and services sectors ng pagdami ng trabaho ngayong taon. Industry generated almost 260,000 jobs or an increase of almost 6 percent, while service has generated more than 250,000 jobs, or an increase of 1.8 percent. Ang mga sektor na ito ang mas matatag na sukatan ng ating ekonomiya.

Ilan sa mga naglalagay ng puhunan dito kamakailan ay ang Convergy’s ng Estados Unidos, ang pinaka-malaking customer service company sa buong mundo na kumukuha ng tatlong libong mang-gagawa sa unang taon ng kanilang operasyon sa Pilipinas.

Halos kasabay nito ang mirant at cal energy na maglalagay ng maraming elektripikasyon na libre para sa ating baranggay elektripikasyon program. Ito ay sa ibabaw ng ating bagong power plant na itinayo ng Mirant.

Nariyan din ang Ford Motor Company na nagdagdag ng $50 million para gawing regional export hub ang Pilipinas.

Isa ring consortium na pinangungunahan ng Australian-based La Fayette Philippines ang nakahandang mamuhunan ng $30 million para ma-develop ang Rapu-Rapu Poly-Metallic mines sa Albay.

Ang China naman ay pinupuntirya ang Pilipinas bilang panibagong pagkukunan ng kanilang coconut oil.

Isang Austrian Packaging Unit naman, ang Tann-Papier of Austria, ay maglalagak ng P1 billion para sa – pagtatayo ng isang manufacturing company sa Batangas.

Kabilang din sa mga nagpahiwatig ng pagtatayo ng mga sangay dito ang kinikilalang higante na Texas Instruments, $70 million.

United Parcels Service, at ang United Kingdom-based Aviation Firm Mace.

At saka ang Hitachi rin, ay daan-daang milyon and ilalagay na muling pang dagdag sa Pilipinas.

Ang Asya ay muli na namang mamayani bilang growth area in terms of foreign direct investment, at isa ang Pilipinas sa makikinabang dito.

At bilang suporta sa inaasahang patuloy na paglakas ng kalakalan dito sa ating bansa, minabuti ko na ipag-utos ang pagkumpleto ng mga kinakailangang imprastraktura at pasilidad tulad ng Strong Republic Nautical Highway. Ang ruta nito ngayon ay umaabot na mula Maynila hanggang Bataan sa North, at Dapitan naman sa Zamboangga del Norte sa South. Pati na rin hanggang Cagayan de Oro.

Noong nakaraang Miyerkules naman ay nagkaroon tayo ng ground breaking rites para sa konstruksiyon ng extension ng South Luzon Expressway mula Calamba hanggang Sto. Tomas, Batangas. Magkakaron tayo tuloy ng expressway mula sa Manila hanggang Calabarzon, at hanggang Batangas port.

Ilan lamang ito sa mga patunay ng ating gumagandang ekonomiya. Maging ang ating mga bangko na basehan din ng kaunlaran ay nagpapakita ng magandang performance.

Halimbawa ang PNB na nuong araw ay luging-lugi, ay kumita ng P127 M sa nakaraang siyam na buwan. Noong nakaraang taon ay nalugi sila ng P1.52 billion.

Ang Chinatrust naman ay nagkaroon ng 27 percent improvement sa kanilang income sa loob din ng nakaraang siyam na buwan. Ang China Bank naman ay kumita ng P2.18 billion sa ganoon ding panahon, na mas mataas ng 10 percent sa kinita nila nuong nakaraang taon.

Maging ang remittances ng ating mga OFWs ay tumaas ng 4.8 percent at naging $5-B sa nakaraang walong buwan. Ang OFW remittances ay pangunahing pinagkukunan ng Regular Foreign Exchange ng ating bansa. Pinasisigla nito ang piso at ang ekonomiya. Ito ay nagsisilbing sandigan ng ating bansa kapag ang ekonomiya ay humihina sa ibang bagay.

At dahil na rin sa ipinakikitang magandang performance ng mga ekonomiya sa Asia-Pacific, kaya isinaalang-alang ng APEC ang lubusang proteksyon sa mga ito. Lalung lalo na sa terorismo. Aking iminungkahi ang pagtatayo sa Pilipinas ng prototype ng isang Secure Port kung saan mabilis na malalaman kung ligtas ang mga kargamentong papasok at palabas ng bansa mula sa nakakalason o mapanirang materyales na hindi maa-abala ang normal na takbo ng komersiyo. Ang America ay naglalaan ng $5.4 billion para sa counter-terrorism capacity building dito sa Asia-Pacific. Ito ay pwedeng magamit natin regionally at globally, at sa Pilipinas, para mabawasan kung hindi man tuluyang mapawi ang banta ng terrorismo sa kalakalan.

Kailangang matatag nating maitaguyod ang panawagan ng APEC na burahin ang terrorismo sa Asya-Pasipiko. Ang Pilipinas ay patuloy na gaganap ng mahalagang papel sa larangang ito kaya dapat tayong maging alerto sa lahat ng oras. Patuloy nating palakasin ang ating kakayahan sa pagsugpo sa kasamaang ito at ang pakikipag-tulungan sa ating mga kapanalig sa buong rehiyon para sa mabilis na pag-usad ng ating mga ekonomiya. Mahalaga ito sa pagpapalago ng pamuhunan. Sa paglikha ng mga trabaho at sa pagtataguyod ng pambansang kaunlaran.

Tulad ng alam ninyo, kasama ko sa pagbiyaheng ito ang ilang alkalde ng Metro-Manila, at gusto ko silang pasalamatan dahil sa kanilang makabuluhang pakikilahok sa mahahalagang meetings kung saan ipina-abot nila sa international business leaders at policy makers ang mga mithiin ng kanilang constituencies. Nalaman ko na ilang foreign IT businessmen ang nagpahayag sa kanila ng hangaring magtayo ng IT Centers sa kalakhang Maynila.

Mga minamahal kong kababayan:

Sa dalawa at kalahating taon ng aking panguluhan ay nagkaroon na ako ng malawak na karanasan sa paghahangad ng kapayapaan, sa paglaban sa terorismo at ibang kasamaan, sa pagsasa-ayos ng mga kinakailangang gawin para sa pagbabago ng lipunan na siyang magbibigay-daan upang lumago ang ekonomiya at mawakasan ang kahirapan. Ang mga ito ay itinataguyod ko nang lubusan saan man ako magpunta. At ito ay patuloy kong gagawin hangga’t nariyan kayo na handang sumuporta at umagapay sa akin.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today expressed sadness over the impeachment complaint filed against Supreme Court Justice Hilario Davide, saying that she has the highest respect and regard for the chief justice.

In her keynote speech this morning at the 50^th founding anniversary of the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF), the President said she holds the chief justice in "highest esteem."

"His integrity and professionalism are impeccable," the President said, adding that she is confident that the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court could settle their differences and avoid an unproductive clash between the two independent and co-equal branches of government.

In her speech at the luncheon meeting Friday hosted by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP), the President also said that she was sorry to learn about the impeachment raps against Chief Justice Davide.

The President also allayed fears that the impeachment case could lead to a constitutional crisis in the Philippines.

She noted that the rule of law is being followed, and there is a constitutional process being applied.

TUBOD, Lanao del Norte —Security is tight around the 64-hectare Mindanao Civic Center (MCC) for the arrival this afternoon of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who will formally open the 2003 Palarong Pambansa here.

Col. Francisco Gudani, 8th Marine Batallion Landing Team commander and chief of composite Task Force Ranao (TFR), said everything has been prepared when it comes to the security aspect of the national games.

"We have laid all the necessary measures to ensure the overall safety of the event. Our months of strategic planning and coordination with local officials and games committees made all these possible," Gudani said.

The Palarong Pambansa was originally scheduled April this year but had to be deferred due to the earlier attack launched by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels led by renegade Commander Bravo in the outskirts of Lanao del Norte.

Gudani assured that such incident would not happen again, saying he has arranged with the mainstream MILF forces to cooperate with authorities in ensuring the success of the national games.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today announced that starting Monday, former Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor would head the Coconut Industry Investment Fund (CIIF) that manages the estimated P700-million accrued dividends from the coconut levy fund.

The President made the announcement during the celebration this morning of the 50^th founding anniversary of the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) at the Le Pavilion building along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City.

The President told the officers and members of the biggest farmers’ organization in the country that the Sandiganbayan has already decided that the farmers own the United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) that, in turn, owns the 27 percent exposure of the CIIF at the San Miguel Corporation (SMC) now estimated in billions of pesos.

In January this year, the President released the check of P700 million to the CIIF, through the UCPB Finance and Development Corporation, for eventual distribution to some 3.5 million coconut farmers nationwide.

In her first State of the Nation Address (SONA) that she delivered in July 2001, she said that she will not stop until the coconut farmers benefit from the coco levy fund.

Although the SMC management has filed a motion for reconsideration of the Supreme Court ruling that the coco levy fund is public in nature, the President said the CIIF could use the P700 million under the preliminary compromise agreement with SMC for the benefit of the country’s small coconut farmers.

The President earlier announced that her administration would tap the coco levy fund for the government’s micro-financing scheme for farmers and the land reform program to improve the lives of farmers nationwide.

The President added that the government is also waiting for the Supreme Court decision on the motion for reconsideration filed by the Marcos family to use the more than P30-billion ill-gotten wealth to further push the land acquisition agenda for farmers under the government’s land reform program.

She also told the members of the biggest farmers’ organization that unity, justice, and genuine reforms would weed out poverty in the countryside.

The FFF is the largest organization of farmers in the Philippines. It was organized as a peasant union in 1953 by Jeremias Montemayor, the father of the former agriculture secretary.

The late Jeremias Montemayor was appointed by the late President Diosdado Macapagal, the President’s father, as member of the presidential committee that drafted the proposed Agricultural Land Reform Code that was eventually passed as Republic Act No. 3844 on August 8, 1963, the forerunner of what is now the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today said that there has been a remarkable increase in foreign investments in the country during the first seven months of this year.

In her regular radio address to the nation, the President said that approved investments in the country reached P22 billion from January to July this year, citing figures from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

These investments are expected to generate about 40,000 jobs, the President said.

The President also noted employment increases achieved by the industry sector, 260,000 jobs; and services sector, 250,000, which are better gauges of the country’s economy.

Yesterday, the influential American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (ACCI) said that it was "very impressed" with the way the Macapagal-Arroyo administration had handled the setbacks faced by the country.

"The US investment community has developed a very good relationship with this administration. We have established rapport and this has been very positive for American businessmen," ACCI board member Bart Lucarelli said.

Among the members of ACCI that have brought new investments into the country are Convergy’s, the biggest customer care service in the world, and Ford Motor Co.

The President also named Australian-based La Fayette Philippines, China, United Kingdom-based aviation firm Mace, United Parcels Service and Hitachi as among the foreign-based firms that are ready to pour in more investments into the country.

The President also expressed elation over the forecast of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) secretariat for the Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) growth for this year, which was released during the 11^th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting held in Bangkok last week.

Gov. Dimaporo said their campaign to have the Palaro in Tubod is an effort to show Filipinos that Lanao is not "like how others conceive it to be."

Before the President’s arrival here, activities starting at 12 noon included the parade of Lanao del Norte Festivals and the Grand Palaro parade, which included the 4^th Infantry Division band.

TUBOD, Lanao del Norte – While expressing sadness over the impeachment complaint filed against Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide, President Gloria Macapagal–Arroyo vowed today to ensure and uphold the integrity of the institutions of the Supreme Court and the House of Representatives, saying "we shall overcome this conflict."

"Inaasahan ko na sa lalong madaling panahon ay mareresolba ang hidwaan ng Kongreso at Supreme Court (I look forward to the speedy resolution of the conflict between the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court), " she said at the opening of the 2003 Palarong Pambansa at the sprawling Mindanao Civic Center here.

She said that like the Palaro, fair play and teamwork is crucial in nation- building.

"We need fair play, kailangan natin ng katarungan or we need team work, kailangan natin ng pagkakaisa.Kailangan nating ang rekonsilyasyon maging sa bansa, maging sa Palaro," she said.

The President reiterated what she said in her earlier speech at the 50^th founding anniversaryof the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) this morning that she holds the Chief Justice in high esteem.

"Kaya nalulungkot ako sa kasong impeachment na isinampa laban kay Chief Justice Davide na nirerespeto ko sa kanyang integridad at pagiging propesyonal (that’s why I feel sad over the impeachment raps filed by the House against Chief Justice Davide whom I respect for his integrity and professionalism)," she said.

She cited the comprehensive and far ranging reforms in the judiciary initiated by Davide, describing them as "revolutionary reform efforts that will bring our judicial system to the 21^st century."

"It is a vital effort that will strengthen our democracy and satisfy our people’s demand for reliable and speedy justice," she stressed.

The President, in her speech at the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) Friday, allayed fears that the impeachment case could lead to a constitutional crisis, noting that the rule of law is being followed and there is a constitutional process being applied.