We believe in the rule of law and in letting justice takes its course. Both sides have been given an ample opportunity to argue their case in court.

The President has instructed the soon-to-be-formed Anti-Terror Council and Defense Undersecretary Ric Blancaflor to lead the information campaign on the Human Security Act in partnership with other departments such as the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The campaign will focus not only on the provisions of the law but its contextual backdrop -- the existence of terror cells throughout our region and the world. It is government's duty to keep our country safe; to prevent terrorists from playing god with people's lives.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered that the government should attain its P63-billion budget deficit goal and P1.1-trillion revenue target for the year during a revenue command conference yesterday with the inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Committee, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Bureau of Customs, and the Department of Finance.

Finance Secretary Margarito Teves said that despite tax collection shortfalls in the first half of the year, the full-year deficit and revenue targets could be attained through improved collection efficiency, aggressive privatization efforts, and more effective anti-corruption programs.

Secretary Teves said that based on preliminary figures, the government budget deficit likely reached P37.7 billion in the first semester or P6.4 billion higher than the programmed deficit of P31.3 billion for the period due largely to collection shortfalls by the BIR and the BOC.

The estimated BIR shortfall amounted to P40 billion as of end-June while the BOC incurred a deficit of P13 billion during the period.

In separate presentations, the BIR and the BOC mapped out their action plans to meet their 2007 revenue targets of P730 billion and P228 billion, respectively.

BIR Offier-in-Charge Lilian Hefti, who took her oath of office Monday, said the BIR was committed to meeting its monthly revenue targets from July to December this year, and to even partly recover its revenue shortfall in the first semester.

The action plans cited by Hefti include the following: increase use of business intelligence, enhancement of audit programs, intensifying enforcement activities, and improving excise tax administration.

BOC Commissioner Napoleon Morales assured the President that by year-end, the agency would wipe out its estimated P13 billion revenue shortfall in the first half of the year.

The BOC's action plans cover the auction of forfeited items, information sharing with other government agencies such as the Land Transportation Office, and enhanced audit, among others.

President Arroyo also called on the DOF, BIR and BOC to strengthen their anti-corruption or fear-factor initiatives as part of efforts to improve revenue collection.

Specifically, the President wants the agencies to pursue convictions or successful resolution of big-ticket cases rather than simply filing cases.

"We welcome the President's call that our anti-corruption programs place emphasis more on quality rather than quantity of cases," Teves said. "We will be more aggressive in our efforts to prosecute those involved in the cases."

The heads of the Run After Tax Evaders (RATE), the Run After the Smugglers (RATS), and the Revenue Integrity Protection Service (RIPS) programs of the BIR, BOC, and DOF, respectively, reported to the President the status of cases filed before the courts and the Ombudsman.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has issued Executive Order No. 630 transferring the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) from the Office of the President (OP) to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to monitor all laws relative to the promotion of child and youth welfare.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cited today the importance of the administration’s Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH) and Roll-on, Roll-off (RoRo) Ports system in spurring interisland farm trade, improving distribution of basic goods, reducing travel time and transportation costs,and promoting domestic tourism.

The President made the assessment in a roundtable discussion this morning with Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Undersecretary Ma. Elena Bautista, Land Transport Organization of the Philippines president Alberto Suansing and Philippine Harbor Ferry and Port Services president Christopher Pastrana, the main proponents and users of the SRNH and RoRo system.

The SRNH-RoRo Ports system is an intricate network of "improved" roads and ports in various regions which "bridge" the country’s three main islands: Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

Through the SRNH-RoRo system, the delivery of basic goods and farm produce such as vegetables and livestock is made more easy, economical and efficient as travel time to and from destinations as well as transportation costs are considerably reduced.

During the roundtable discussion in Malacanang, the President explained that the SNRH-RoRo system is a better and improved version of the original RoRo system envisioned by the former Marcos administration to cut travel time between Luzon and the Visayas and Mindanao.

The President noted that the Marcos-initiated Maharlika Highway was also a combination of roads and ports which stretched from Aparri, Cagayan in the north to Davao City in the south.

From Aparri, travellers would take the Maharlika Highway all the way down to Matnog in Sorsogon, take a ferry to Allen in Northern Samar, cross the San Juanico Bridge to the tip of Southern Leyte.

From Southern Leyte, the President said, passengers would take a ferry for Surigao and proceed to Davao City by land route.

With the completion of the SRNH, travellers and farm produce from the north going to the south and vice versa can take two available routes -- the Western Highway and the Central Highway.

In the Western Highway portion of the SRNH, instead of passing through the Bicol provinces, travellers and produce take a "short cut" to the Batangas port, take a RoRo to Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, drive by land until they reach Roxas, Oriental Mindoro, take another RoRo to Caticlan, another road trip to Iloilo, RoRo to Bacolod City, road trip to Dumaguete City, and finally take the last RoRo to Dapitan City in Zamboanga del Norte.

The President said that travel time through the Western Highway portion is 17 hours shorter compared with the time consumed in traversing the Maharlika Highway for the same destination.

The Central Highway, on the other hand, starts from Cagayan de Oro City to Balingoan, Misamis Oriental to Camiguin Island, Bohol to Cebu, Masbate and Camarines Sur towards Luzon. The Central Highway of the SRNH is a network of "A-1" roads and ferries which has cut down considerably travel time and spoilage of goods being distributed to the different parts of the country.

The President pointed out that aside from the convenience of shorter travel times offered to travelers with the construction of these two routes of the SRNH, spoilage of farm produce has been lessened which in turn has translated to larger income for farmers.

She also said that the increase of visitors to the various tourist spots around the country is also a by-product of the SRNH. She noted that local and foreign tourist have been enticed to take the "scenic" route on their way to the country’s numerous tourists destinations.

The President said the SRNH is a good example of where increased revenue collections from the Expanded Value Added Tax (EVAT) Law have gone to good use.

Malacanang reiterated today its adherence to the rule of law and in letting justice takes its course as the nation awaits with eager anticipation the verdict of the Sandiganbayan on the plunder case against former President Joseph Estrada.

In a trite statement, Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye said:

"We believe in the rule of law and in letting justice takes its course. Both sides have been given an ample opportunity to argue their case in court. At this stage, we can only await the decision of the Sandiganbayan which we hope will uphold justice and the best public interest."

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita stressed in his press briefing yesterday "that we have to wait for the verdict of the Sandiganbayan."

"Let us await the verdict, after all it is not proper for anyone to say whatever it might be because they are still thinking about it," he said.

He reiterated that Malacanang would respect the decision of the judiciary as a co-equal branch of government.

He added that Estrada, as a former president, should also be accorded due respect.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo crossed the Pasig River to the Malacanang Park today to grace the 109^th anniversary celebration of the Presidential Security Group (PSG).

Riding the presidential barge to get to the PSG headquarters right across the Palace, the President was led to the PSG’s Clubhouse dubbed Bahay Pangarap where members of the PSG – officers and enlisted men alike – had their respective turns in having their photos officially taken with the top official of the land, pretty in a blue knee-length dresscoat.

On other days, the President’s "close-in" security men routinely land in newspapers and TV footages as they go about their main business – securing the President. This time, however, they got to pose – pre-planned and officially -- with the woman they have been guarding with their lives.

Armed Forces Chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. commended the PSG "for the commitment of each and every trooper of the PSG."

"You have served as modern-day knights, emissaries of goodwill, worthy of admiration. Despite the anonymity that comes with your line of work, your professionalism and perseverance have enabled the country to conduct high-level state visits," said Esperon.

From January to June this year alone, the PSG had taken care of 23 visiting state leaders.

For his part, Brig. Gen. Romeo Prestoza, PSG commander, revealed that from Jan. 1, 2007 to date, the PSG had secured a total of "295 presidential engagements, both local and foreign commitments," including their "most exigent mission" so far – the 12^th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Cebu City.

The anniversary celebration included the blessing of the motorpool lifter, eight Yamaha motorcycles and the Beach Volleyball Court; plus the groundbreaking for the 16-door condominium housing for PSG officers and the PSG dependents’ playground.

The acquisition of the 900-cc motorcycles was funded by the Office of the President to beef up current fleet and minimize borrowing from other agencies.

Meanwhile, 11 people – five of them from the PSG -- and one organization were awarded during the PSG anniversary for their outstanding performance and invaluable assistance to the group.

The PSG awardees of the year were: Cpt Erano Callanta (PA), PSG Organic Officer; PCl Aladdin Collado (PNP), PSG OpCon Officer; TSG Elpidio Bacena Jr (PA), PSG Organic Enlisted Personnel; AIC Christopher Nel Lala (PAF), PSG OpCon Enlisted Personnel; Theresa Marzan, PSG Civilian Employee; and Mario Cabanes, Engineering & Maintenance Employee.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo presented today the 2007 Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines (TOSP) awards to the winners of the annual search for young students committed to moral leadership, social responsibility, and academic and professional excellence.

The TOSP is organized by the RFM Foundation, National Book Store and the Rotary Club of Makati Central in cooperation with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

The President handed out trophies to the awardees in simple ceremonies this afternoon at the Rizal Hall of Malacanang.

Assisting the President were CHED chairman Carlito Puno, RFM chairman Jose Concepcion Jr., RFM Corporation president Jose Ma. Concepcion III, RFM Foundation president Marie Concepcion Young, and National Book Store president Alfredo Ramos.

In her message sent earlier to the organizers, the President said the young awardees are the best exemplars of what national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal had described as the hope of the country, having excelled not only in their studies but also in fulfilling their social responsibilities.

"With this kind of young citizens, I am confident that our country will have a brighter future," the President said in her message.

The 10 awardees, considered as role models and inspiration for the Filipino youth, were chosen from among 30 finalists who recently graduated from various schools in the country.

The awardees were Cherrie Atilano (Leyte State University), Michael Gamalinda (University of the Philippines-Los Banos), Dennis Umali (UPLB), Herbert Klaus Martin Hallig (De La Salle University-Manila), Luis Andres Abad (Ateneo de Manila University);

Julie Lucille del Valle (Ateneo de Naga University), Ben Secretario (Ateneo de Naga University), Roma Padua (Colegio dela Purisima Concepcion-Roxas City), Mark Carlo Pahati (University of San Jose Recoletos), and Mary Kathryn Quinon (University of the Philippines in the Visayas).