Apart from helping strengthen security in Asia, the recent visit of United States President George W. Bush also boosted efforts to accelerate Philippine economic development with concrete investment commitments

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who led her people in extending warm welcome to the American chief executive on his eight-hour state visit October 18, said Convergy’s, the largest customer care service company in the world, has decided to make the Philippines its center of operations.

The President also noted Ford Motor Company has in the pipeline an additional $50 million to launch the Philippines as a vehicle export hub to Southeast Asia and other regions of the world.

She said power company Mirant has just opened a plant in the Visayas and put resources to contribute to the Philippine government’s barangay electrification program.

The President also revealed computer chip firm Intel has just applied for a P300 million expansion, while Texas Instruments will put in $70 million more to expand its production in the country.

The President, who mentioned these initiatives at the annual luncheon of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) in Dusit Hotel Nikko, Makati City, last Friday, said the state visit of Bush marked another step forward in the development of a modern and mature relationship between friends and equals.

Meanwhile, the American Chamber of Commerce Inc. (ACCI) lauded President Macapagal-Arroyo for her deft handling of problems confronting the country.

ACCI board member Bart Lucarelli said the visit of President Bush last week was "a shot in the arm, a morale booster for the Philippines," adding that "it should be taken as a statement of confidence at the highest level from the United States."

The staging of the visit, he said, has earned the respect of the entire international community. "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," he said.

President Macapagal-Arroyo said Bush acknowledged the gains her administration has made in all fronts, including poverty alleviation and combating corruption. "And we appreciate his generous words for our country and our government," she said.

As regards security, the Philippines and United States have firmed up a comprehensive security assessment with the review and endorsement of findings of the 2003 Joint Defense Agreement (JDA) of both armed forces’ capabilities and requirements.

"The purpose of the JDA is to assist our government in developing a defense program that will improve the ability of the Philippine military to respond to threats to our security," the President said.

Bush, in his speech before the joint session of Philippine Congress, committed to assist the Philippines in its program of military reform, including increased allocation of resources to the national defense.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo expressed optimism that her government will overcome the threats of insurgency and terrorism in the country as two communist leaders, captured Saturday in Butuan City, were presented to her at the Philippine Army headquarters in Camp Evangelista here.

The President thanked the military and police operatives for capturing the two high-ranking leaders of the Communist Terrorist Movement (CTM) New People’s Army (NPA) Front Committee 88 in Barangay Bihangin, Butuan City, early Saturday morning.

The dissidents were identified as Dionisio Micabalo, also known as Cardo, secretary of the CTM NPA FC88, and his wife, Lorna Songahib, a.k.a. Sarah/Yanda, finance officer of FC4A. They were nabbed in the house of San Luis Municipal Councilor Ruayan, a Bayan Muna leader, in Barangay Buhangin.

After the presentation to her of the two rebel leaders by Brig. Gen. Ernesto Boac, commander of the 401^st Brigade, 4^th Infantry Division, President Arroyo said, "We shall overcome this conflict. We shall overcome the insurgents (and) the Jemaah Islamiyah."

The President, who flew to Cagayan de Oro after formally opening the Palarong Pambansa in Tubod, Lanao del Norte, reminded the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) of the guidance she had issued to the military and police authorities that "the JI is at the top of our priorities of public enemies."

The NPA leaders were subjected to medical examination before military debriefing.

They were reportedly planning to meet with other top CTM leaders at the time of their arrest to finalize plans for attacking AFP/PNP and other public installations in time for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s visit during the Mindanao Business Conference in Cagayan de Oro City that will be held at the end of the month.

Among the items recovered from the couple, Boac said, were an unlicensed caliber .45 pistol, a scanner, subversive documents, two cellular phones, P10,839.00 cash, a lap top computer and compact discs (CDs) that contain details of extortion and terrorist activities as well as the communist political works not only in the two Agusan provinces but also in the whole of Northern Mindanao.

Micabalo is facing arrest for at least three criminal cases that carry no bail bonds: Criminal case No. 4603 for double murder with frustrated murder, before Judge Emilindo D. Andal, Branch 6, 10^th RTC, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, dated April 18, 2001; CC-2846 for murder before Judge Alfredo P. Palad, MTC, also of Prosperidad, dated November 16, 1999; and CC-3485 for robbery with multiple homicide before Judge Elisio Campus of MTC Esperanza, San Luis and Talacogon, all of Agusan del Sur, dated December 6, 2000.

Before the media presentation of the NPA leaders, President Macapagal-Arroyo expressed satisfaction with what the AFP and the PNP have been doing as part of the government’s wholistic approach in bringing government to the countryside and dealing with the communist terrorist problem, particularly in the recruitment of insurgents.

"When I was still the Vice President and acted as secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), we rescued a child combatant, Delyn Dayun, who, despite the efforts of some groups to get her, had chosen to stay with us at the DSWD. I am very happy to see her now as a grown-up lady and about to finish her training to join the regular force of the AFP," she said. She presented Dayun before media in her military outfit.

The President said that Dayun is the product of an approach of working together and producing a good citizen.

CAMP EDILBERTO EVANGELISTA, Cagayan de Oro City -- She was just a child when she joined the guerilla movement. Now, she is a young woman dedicated to the service of country and people under the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Delyn Dayun, 18, was rescued by soldiers from a rebel territory in Surigao del Sur at the height of the conflict with the New People's Army (NPA) in 1999.

A daughter of an NPA supporter, Delyn was molded to the goals and vision of the communist guerilla movement. She became an NPA member at a tender age.

Soon after her rescue, however, Delyn’s life drastically changed. She saw and learned the realities of life outside the NPA community.

Delyn chose to become a government soldier and vowed to serve and protect the people.

She is presently undergoing a regular course in the Armed Forces of the Philippines and is set to graduate by next month.

But none of her opportunities would have come, had President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was then Vice President and concurrent secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, not fought for Delyn’s transfer to the custody of the DSWD.

Thus, the President is a key witness to Delyn's transformation from a child guerilla to a full-pledged member of the AFP.

Delyn stayed with the DSWD family that took care and nurtured her as a real family member.

When she reached the age of 18, her guardians gave her permission to join the military service as she had wished.

Reunited with Delyn, sporting a smart military uniform, inside this camp on Friday, President Arroyo expressed gladness over meeting the former child combatant again.

The President was here to witness the presentation of Dionisio and Lorna Micabalo, both high-ranking leaders of the Communist Terrorist Movement New People’s Army Front Committee 88, who were arrested in Barangay Buhangin, Butuan City, at dawn Saturday.

In her speech, Mrs. Arroyo described Delyn as a "product of the left and the right hands working together and producing a good citizen of our country."

The impeachment complaint in the House of Representatives filed against Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide should be resolved soonest to give Congress enough time to pass the national budget for next year, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said today.

Bunye said in a radio interview this morning said he understands the budget will be given priority because it is most important that it be approved but expressed fears the proceedings on the Davide case in the Senate could eat up a lot of its time,

If the budget for next year is not passed in time, the government will have to make do with the current budget.

The best case scenario is that the Davide case be resolved right away or between now and the time it is forwarded to the Senate, he said.

That is also the hope of the President, for the conflict to be resolved as soon as possible, Bunye added.

In her speech yesterday at the 50^th founding anniversary of the Federation of Free Farmers, the President expressed confidence 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.

The Presidential Spokesman also reiterated President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s feelings over the impeachment of Davide.

She is deeply saddened by the development because she holds the Chief Justice in high esteem, Bunye said.