We are one with the world in condoling with the victims of the senseless killings in Virginia Tech University.

The unfortunate incident magnifies the need to keep all campuses safe and secure at all times as sanctuaries of learning for the youth.

United States Peace Corps Director Ronald Tschetter called on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at Malacaņang this morning to personally extend the US government’s "deep appreciation" for the Philippine government’s support in the continuing search and rescue operations for missing Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell.

Earlier reports said the 40-year-old Campbell, who is from Fairfax, Virginia, went trekking in the jungles of Ifugao province and was last seen on April 8 in a hilly area of Batad, 1.5 kilometers east of Banaue town in Ifugao.

Malacaņang, through Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, had assured the US government that the Philippine National Police (PNP) regional office was doing everything to look for Campbell, one of the 137 Peace Corps volunteers in the Philippines.

Ermita said he had instructed members of the Ifugao police "to look for Ms. Campbell" by scouring the area where she was last seen.

"Primarily, I wanted to express (to the President) our deep appreciation for the Filipino people, the military and the Philippine police as well as the governor of the district (because) everyone has been supportive in the search for Julia Campbell," Tschetter said after he and his companions came out of the nearly 20-minute closed-door meeting with the President.

He also said that the President expressed her thanks to the US Peace Corps volunteers and asked him (Tschetter) "to tell the American people how sorry she was for what happened."

Tschetter said that after his courtesy call on the President, he was meeting with Peace Corps volunteers based in Manila as a show of support for them and to raise their morale.

According to him, the current Peace Corps volunteers in the Philippines are a close-knit group and have grown emotionally attached to each other.

"The Peace Corps volunteers will continue to do their work. I wanted to meet with them to express support to them. These volunteers get very close to each other so they feel very emotionally connected and attached to Julia so we need to just make sure that we’re sensitive to their emotions and their needs at this very difficult time," Tschetter said.

Saying that schools are "sanctuaries of learning for the youth," President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo underscored today the need to keep all school campuses safe and secure to avoid incidents such as the senseless killings that took place on Tuesday at the Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Virginia.

At the same time, the President expressed her condolences to the grieving families, students, staff and faculty of the university, and offered prayers for the victims of the worst school shooting in the United States history.

"We are one with the world in condoling with the victims of the senseless killings in Virginia Tech University," the President said in a statement.

"The unfortunate incident magnifies the need to keep all campuses safe and secure at all times as sanctuaries of learning for the youth," she stressed.

"We offer prayers and sympathies to the grieving families, students, staff and faculty of Virginia Tech University, and to the people of the United States during this difficult time," the President added.

Malacanang assured today that more than anyone else, the Philippine government is determined to put an end to the issue of political violence and human rights violations in the country.

Press Secretary and concurrent Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye said the government is "working in an open and transparent way" and with the support of international partners to put an end to human rights violations.

The Press Secretary issued the statement as he welcomed the decision of the Geneva-based International Parliamentary Union (IPU) to send a fact-finding mission to the Philippines to help the government address the issue concerning human rights.

"We always welcome the interest of well-meaning organizations in developments of mutual interest in the Philippines. On the issue of human rights, we all share the deep desire to bring the legacy of political violence in the Philippines to an end," Bunye said.

"In the meantime, the Philippines is working in an open and transparent way to solve this issue in concert with our international partners, once and for all," he added.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself is a staunch advocate of human rights that with the increasing number of killings in the country, she created last year the Melo Commission to look into such cases.

Immediately upon receipt of the initial Melo Commission report, the President called on the victims’ relatives and witnesses to cooperate in the resolution of the cases. As the Melo report was still "incomplete," she asked the Commission to continue with its task of solving the killings.

The President also asked the Department of Justice to create special courts for the speedy resolution of cases involving the killings of journalists and leftist activists.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo asked the Social Security System (SSS), which is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year, to once again increase the pension of SSS members and beneficiaries by 10 percent.

Speaking at the agency’s 2nd National Account Officers (AO) convention at the Great Eastern Hotel in Quezon City, the President said the proposed increase comes on the heels of an earlier 10 percent raise that she had also requested last September.

"The fiscal viability on the part of the SSS put the Philippines on the path to permanent economic growth," she said, stressing that the country over the past six years has enjoyed 24 quarters of continuous economic growth under her administration.

The President praised SSS president and chief operating officer Corazon dela Paz for turning the agency around during the last six years via "disciplined financial reforms."

Because Dela Paz granted no behest loans nor investments, the President explained, the actuarial life of the SSS has so far been extended from 2015 to 2038.

She lauded the SSS Account Officers who are holding their three-day second national convention starting today, saying they are "the best and brightest in the SSS." She cited their good collection rate which she equated with good governance.

"Even if we do not increase contributions by 10 percent, we can increase benefits by 10 percent, thus contributing in the effort to cover the working class," she said.

The President also lauded the employers’ confederation, which she dubbed as patriotic organizations for shouldering employes’ contributions.

She pointed to the emerging social crisis in the Asian region, saying that social services are "in dire straits in other countries," but that the Philippines is "sailing steady on an even keel."

"We have broken loose from a history of lethargy; it is time that everybody knows about these SSS reforms," the President enthused.

With better collection of SSS contributions, the Chief Executive said it is now time to crack down on those cheating on SSS remittances.

"I ask you… Let us continue to work and sustain the positive momentum as we are consolidating our gains in revenue, (so that we can pour more funds for) health, education, training, new bridges… Let us focus on the country’s overall economic health… Our external debt has been declining at a rapid rate," she pointed out.

She recalled her May 1, 2006 condonation of some 1.7 million delinquent SSS accounts, thus activating once again some 200,000 SSS accounts whose status has since been brought to good standing.

"Because of that, the SSS was able to increase pensions last September by 10 percent, benefiting one million members. And as the SSS celebrates its 50^th anniversary, I request the SSS Board to give the Filipino people another 10-percent increase in pension benefits," the President enthused.

To make this possible, the President asked the SSS to focus on increasing the coverage of the SSS among overseas contract workers, especially those working in the United States, and to also cover self-employed workers, and even those who are in the underground economy; and to increase its market by identifying new SMEs (small and medium enterprises).

Malacanang expressed confidence today that majority of the administration candidates in the local executive positions will dominate next month’s mid-term election.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita disclosed in his regular weekly press briefing in Malacanang that based on the data provided by Presidential Political Adviser Secretary Gabriel Claudio, majority of the local candidates are under the administration or belonging to the ruling coalition party.

Out of 81 provinces in the country, he said, 78 administration candidates are running unopposed or are contesting the same position against each other.

Ermita said that based on the data, 90.86 percent of the aspirants in the House of Representatives are dominated by the administration candidates because 199 congressmen are administration bets out of 219 players running.

He predicted that the number of the administration candidates who are sure or probable or sure to be probable winners are the following: governors, 77 out of 81 – 95%; congressmen, 194 out of 212 - 91.5 %; city mayors, 115 out of 120 – 95.8%; and municipal mayors, about 90%.

With these results, Ermita said, Malacanang is also looking for the victory of the 12 members of the Team Unity once the local executives bring them in their local sorties or campaign.

"We are standing on the record of the administration and we are standing on the record of performance on the program that Team Unity stands for and we are very hopeful na naiintindihan lahat iyan ng mga local executives na 95% of them are with the administration," he said.

Ermita then called on the opposition to launch a high-level campaign instead of resorting to advertisements meant to discredit only the opponent.

Malacanang assured the public today that the ongoing conflict between government troops and a breakaway group of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Sulu would definitely not affect the forthcoming elections in the province.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said in his regular weekly press briefing in Malacanang the government is doing its best to ensure that the renewed fighting in Panamao town between the military and the group of MNLF commander Uztads Habier Malik will not affect other municipalities in Sulu.

He said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has already directed Defense Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr. to undertake necessary measures to avoid a possible spillover of the skirmishes to other municipalities.

"I hope it will not spill over pero maganda ang indication hindi nakikisali yung ibang MNLF commanders," Ermita said.

He noted that since the start of the fighting, the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police have not received any information that other MNLF commanders would support the group of Malik.

Aside from that, Ermita said, former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor and MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari is reportedly distancing himself from Malik, a clear indication that some MNLF commanders are against the unprovoked attack of Malik’s group on the military headquarters.

The government, through the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), is now attending to the needs of some 8,000 people affected by the skirmishes by sending relief goods to the area, Ermita added.

The NDCC, together with the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council of Sulu, is coordinating with the Task Force Comet which is now doing some rehabilitation works and giving relief assistance to the families residing in Barangay Bitanag.

Malacanang expressed sorrow today over the death of Julia Campbell, an American Peace Corps volunteer who was found dead in Ifugao province.

"Ikinalulungkot natin na siya ay namatay pero harinawa hindi sa anumang pamamaraan other than just pure accident," Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said during his regular press briefing in Malacanang this afternoon.

Campbell’s body was found by the search team of the Philippine Army’s 502^nd Infantry Brigade in the mountains of Battad Village, Banaue, Ifugao at around 10:30 a.m. today.

The US Peace Corps volunteer had been missing since April 8.

Ermita said that it was Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon who informed him that Campbell’s body was found in Ifugao.

He said that at the time of discovery, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo did not know yet of the latest development until she got a call from US Peace Corps Director Ronald Tschetter at about 11 a.m.

Ermita said government authorities are still determining the cause of death of Campbell, one of only 137 Peace Corps volunteers in the country.