Our campaign against illegal drugs rolls on with greater momentum.

As I speak, authorities are raiding a clandestine research and development facility in Manila, a laboratory in Paranaque, and a warehouse and distribution center in Las Pinas.

These three facilities are all part of an integrated drug network that has been under extended surveillance. We have identified the mastermind and he is in custody. Large quantities of shabu and precursor chemicals have been captured.

Once more, the anti-illegal drugs task force, the PDEA and the Southern Police District must be commended for this accomplishment. This is our 17^th big catch in 6 months and the dragnet is closing in on the drug syndicates. We are drying up the supply, clearing the barangays of pushers and taking in more users for rehabilitation.

Our target is secure families and safer communities. We must stop the scourge of drugs as we change the culture of corruption and wipe out terrorism.

For as long as the law says so, we will make sure the elections will push through as scheduled.

The COMELEC has affirmed its preparedness for any scenario and we are ready to implement the directives of the electoral body.

I disagree with any plan to defer or postpone the elections.

In any electoral contest, once a contender submits his or her certificate of candidacy, there is always the presumption that everything is in order and that all the qualifications are met.

In any election, particularly in the presidential race, all should be afforded fair and equal opportunities.

The President’s electoral bid will not be marred by smear campaigns against other contenders.

The President is for a parliamentary and federal form of government and this is part of her fight for fundamental change in the political system.

Analysts have a positive forecast in terms of our economy.

They largely agree that the country is heading for economic growth this year as bolstered by the gains we have achieved in exports, goods and services.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) collected taxes amounting to P424.27 billion in 2003, exceeding the revenue goal for the first time since 1997.

The 2003 collection of P424.27 billion is P260 million more than the revenue target for that year.

In December 2003, the BIR collected P1.1 billion over the P35.68 billion target on the back of strong flows of tax payments to its Large Taxpayers’ Service (LTS). The LTS accounts for the bulk of tax revenues being collected by the agency.

BIR Commissioner Guillermo Parayno said that the December collection of LTS was five percent higher compared to the figure for the same period last year

Parayno said that the LTS made a strong performance in December despite falling excise taxes from the petroleum industry. But, he noted that the royalties on computer software helped the BIR post higher collections in December.

Administrative measures earlier adopted by the Macapagal-Arroyo administration coupled with rigorous efforts to collect backtaxes, enabled the BIR to wipe out the collection shortfall in the first half of the year.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC), also reported a strong revenue performance with total collections exceeding by P6 billion for the whole year.

Finance Secretary Juanita Amatong said that the country’s budget deficit for 2003 stood at P198.7 billion, or lower than the P202 billion target for the year.

The 2003 budget deficit marks the first time since 1998 that the national government has been able to rein in the deficit within the programmed level.

Executive Secretary Alberto G. Romulo will assume a bigger responsibility in running the day-to-day affairs of the government when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will hit the hustings as the official campaign period starts next month.

But in a radio interview, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said that definitely, the President will not forget the aspect of governance or management.

Bunye said that in their last meeting the President noted that the executive secretary, known as the "little President," will become a "big President," stressing that Romulo will be assuming a bigger role.

"What we are saying is that the Executive Secretary will take on a bigger responsibility," Bunye said.

But the President will still be on top of the situation because of the wonders of modern-day communications, Bunye explained.

Bunye said that the other Cabinet members, who are the alter egos of the President, will also be taking more active roles during the campaign period.

Government relief and rehabilitation efforts are in full swing for some 4, 500 families left homeless by a fire that gutted their community at the Baseco Compound in Port Area, Tondo, Manila early Monday morning.

Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita, concurrent chief of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), reported to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that eight evacuation centers have so far been set up for the displaced families.

The centers are located at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) compound, on a basketball court in the area, at the Iglesia ni Kristo compound, at the premises of the Pulang Lupa Elementary School, Barangay Hall 649, the Tambakan Center and in an old warehouse.

Ermita said more evacuation facilities might be put up as the need arises.

Meanwhile, registration of the affected families are still underway.

Arson investigators of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), assisted by elements of the Office of Civil Defense-NDCC, are also busy assessing the extent of damage.

Ermita said that at least 27 fire trucks of the BFP and various volunteer fire brigades around Metro Manila responded to the fire, believed set off by a liquefied petroleum gas task explosion.

The 51^st Engineering Brigade of the Army, Ermita said, also deployed 11 enlisted personnel and officers, 19 trainees with rescue equipment and tents. The NDCC dispatched a rescue van, one tower light, 12 portalets, three cargo trucks, one Isuzu Elf truck and one Tamaraw FX van.

All the candidates should have equal and fair opportunity in any campaign, Malacaņang said yesterday.

"President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is for fair and full opportunities, or equal opportunities for all candidates," Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said today in a press briefing, following the same line he pursued in a statement he issued earlier in the day.

"The President will stand by the record of the administration, the progress the country made during this administration," Bunye emphasized.

The President will just emphasize the positive. As far as the campaign is concerned, she would rather concentrate on the accomplishments of the administration rather than focus on the negative side of the other candidates, Bunye amplified.

"We are stating a general proposition or a general principle that in any campaign, all the candidates should have equal and fair opportunity," Bunye stressed.

CANLUBANG, Laguna – President Gloria Mapacapagal-Arroyo today lauded the top executives of Jollibee Foods Corporation for their continuing trust and confidence in the government by putting up its new and most advanced commissary plant in the country.

"Congratulations to the good investment of Jollibee. This new investment is a good signal of your trust and confidence in my administration," the President said in her brief message.

The President said that she is very grateful that since it started its operation in the country 25 years ago, the Jollibee company has become a "partner of the government in addressing the ordinary aspiration of every Filipino" which is to provide them decent jobs.

She said, Jollibee has provided 10,000 jobs to the Filipinos and the number would double once its new commissary plant in Canlubang becomes fully operational.

"I am hoping that in the near future, Jollibee and Zenith will continue its success not only for themselves but for the benefits of ordinary Filipino citizens," the President added.

In his welcome remarks, Jollibee chairman Tony Tan Caktiong said the company invested in the new manufacturing facility to support its fast growing business and as part of its thrust to ensure consistent product quality and improve efficiency as the company moves to make Jollibee a truly global brand.

He said the P1.5 billion investment of Jollibee is a "testament of the company’s optimism about the prospects of the country’s economic growth."

The new commissary is the most advanced food processing plant in the country today and probably in all Asia, Caktiong added.

The President arrived at Carmelray Industrial Park 1 here around 2:15 p.m. on board presidential chopper to officially switch on the production lines of the P1.5 billion manufacturing and logistics center of Jollibee Zenith Food Corporation.

Upon her arrival, the President led the ribbon-cutting at the entrance to the administration building following her short tour and inspection of the state-of-the-art facilities of the patty-forming machine and sauce and pie line facilities.

The new commissary, a sprawling facility that sits on a 10-hectare property, features custom-made state-of-the-art equipment designed to service 800 Jollibee and Greenwich outlets nationwide.

The Jollibee Foods Corporation Group, which operates the country’s largest fast food network that includes Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich and Delifrance, has a total of 989 stores nationwide at the end 2003. This includes 468 Jollibee stores, 248 Chowking outlets, 213 Greenwich outlets, and 27 Delifrance branches nationwide and another 33 stores abroad.

Jollibee vice president for commissary Belen O. Rillon said the new commissary includes the country’s first chicken marination line for its popular Chickenjoy and a bread line for its hamburger buns, sauces, pies and hamburger patties.

The facility has a central manufacturing control center, cold storage facilities to ensure the freshness of the products, and a water waste treatment facility in keeping with the company’s policy to protect the environment.