President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered today the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to stop election violence once and for all by reinforcing the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the effort to ensure peaceful and orderly elections under Commission on Elections (Comelec) supervision.

"I am calling on the Armed Forces to reinforce the police, under Comelec authority, to stop election violence and move forcefully against those using threats and intimidation for partisan ends," President Arroyo said in a strongly worded three-paragraph statement.

The President also ordered the continuous manning of checkpoints and the confiscation of loose firearms.

"Checkpoints must be manned vigilantly 24 by 7 (21 hours a day, seven days a week), and all unauthorized firearms held," she stressed.

"Cases of election violence must be speedily investigated, and cases filed promptly," the President said, adding that "all identified private armies must be pre-empted and dismantled."

With election-related violence escalating as election day nears, the President also "strongly urge(d) candidates of all parties and persuasions to keep tensions at bay and not to test or defy authorities."

This, as Mayor Julian Resuello of San Carlos City in Pangasinan died today from gunshot wounds that he sustained from a gunman’s attack during his city’s fiesta celebration last Saturday.

Resuello’s death brought to 31 the total number of people who have so far been killed in election-related violence leading to the May 14 midterm elections.

Meanwhile, the AFP had earlier committed to support the PNP in the latter’s duty to address election-related violence -- "with the PNP as the lead agency and under the supervision of the Commission on Elections."

In its April 5 website press statement, the AFP said it shall "jointly undertake measures to prevent the occurrence of ERVs (election-related violence)," what "with the noted increase in the number of election-related violent incidents (ERVIs)…"

The AFP made the early April announcement as it recalled that it had signed last year with the Department of National Defense and the Commission on Elections a tripartite Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) which "provides that specific AFP units can be called upon and deputized to address strong armed threats that would hamper and prevent the conduct of a peaceful and orderly elections."

"As the Armed Forces of the Philippines continue to actively address the threats posed by the New People’s Army, secessionist and terrorist groups, AFP units -- upon deputation by Comelec -- shall make available necessary manpower support to the peacekeeping efforts of the Philippine National Police to deter ERVIs," the AFP said.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo formally launched today two new major programs of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) aimed at improving the skills and knowledge level of the Filipino worker.

Launched during simple ceremonies in Malacaņang this afternoon were the PGMA-FAST (Free Assessment Service of TESDA) and the e (electronic)-TESDA programs which will to provide greater access to TESDA skills training and assessment services not only to high school graduates but also to other sectors, including returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), out-of-school youths and persons with disabilities.

Some 500 guests consisting of government officials and employees, students, trainees, teachers and school administrators from TESDA-accredited training institutions attended the launching.

TESDA Executive Director Augusto Syjuco said the PGMA-FAST program provides a student or trainee an assessment of his credentials and qualifications which will guide the prospective employee through the right job suited to his skills.

He added that the program will also provide free assessment certifications to poor, job-ready students who cannot afford the fees for assessment.

"The PGMA-FAST ensures that poor, job-ready students and workers can obtain certification – which is an added credential – for free, or at no cost to them," Syjuco said.

He added that the thousands of "job-ready" students graduating from the PGMA-Training-for-Work Scholarship Program will obtain certifications from the PGMA-FAST Assessments Centers all over the country.

"This will add to their credentials and will facilitate their employment," Syjuco said.

The e-TESDA is an on-line skills development system which the ordinary Filipino can access via the internet.

Through e-TESDA, any Filipino can experience and complete all the technical-education and skills-development modules already being offered by the government in the regular classroom and face-to-face instruction method online.

For those who want a mix of tech-savvy and old-school teaching methods, e-TESDA also offers "blended" methods of training and instruction in which online and other cybertech means using multi-media are combined with traditional teaching.

Aside from providing online and blended methods of training, e-TESDA services include career guidance and counseling, competency assessment and certification, job matching and referral.

During the ceremonies, the President was given a short demonstration of the e-TESDA portal (www.e-tesda.gov.ph) and was shown a live assessment file of an employee who works for Brain Bench, an online assessment partner of e-TESDA.

The President was also presented scholarships for 250 deserving students picked from the National Capital Region, Regions 3 and 4-A and from Allen, Samar who will soon avail themselves of TESDA’s e-Learning program.