Today we raise the bar on our campaign against terrorists who kill, bomb and maim to enforce an ideology of evil.

We have the legal muscle to help end the paralysis of fear, empowered with a law that identifies terrorism and penalizes it, a law that preserves and protects freedom.

Our resolve to criminalize and penalize terrorism through this law is not an offshoot of 9/11, for we had come face to face with this scourge ahead of the rest of the world.

The first Philippine anti-terrorism bill was filed by Senator Juan Ponce Enrile in January 1996, three years after the first bombing of the World Trade Center, five years before the Rizal Day bombing in 2000, six and a half years before the tragedy of 9/11 and eight years after the bombing of Super Ferry 14.

One can imagine the possibilities had we passed this law earlier. Perhaps, the Dos Palmas incident would not have happened, and Gracia Burnham would not have lost her husband, Martin. Many Filipino lives could have been spared had the State been equipped with the legal arsenal to flush out evil before it could do harm.

We must invest in peace and order.

The next three years will see record levels of well thought out and generous funding for investments in crushing terrorism wherever it threatens, regardless of ideology; and in putting a stop to human rights abuses whatever the excuse.

We fight terrorism for it threatens our sovereign, democratic, compassionate and decent way of life.

Therefore, in the fight against lawless violence, we must uphold these values. It is never right and always wrong to fight terrorism with terror.

Crime is down in the nation because we have made investments to put more police on the street. Our military must continue on its path to reform, becoming even more professional every day at the same time they fight to eliminate the armed terrorist threats to the nation from religious extremists or communist terrorists. Whatever ideology is being pursued that undermines our stability must be defeated.

If you are armed and kill innocent civilians, you will be tracked down and prosecuted. If you are a communist terrorist, we will stop you. If you are a religious terrorist, we will stop you. If you are a rogue element of your own police or military, we will stop you.

I have the deepest respect for our military and police institutions as do most Filipinos. We want our nation safe. We trust our men and women who put their life on the line every day to protect our nation and our communities. As high as 99% of these hard working and patriotic men and women love this nation and abide by the rule of law.

The political terrorists who reside outside the boundaries of human justice and who have marked the stability of our nation and the rule of law for extinction live by no moral code. They lack all humanity and concern for the people. Yet for our public servants in uniform, fidelity to the Constitution is a sacred duty. These public servants have a moral obligation to uphold the Constitution to protect the innocent. For this very reason, any violent crime that a member of the law enforcement or military community may commit against innocent people is even more wrong and must stop. No one is above the law.

There is a fundamental difference between those who take up arms and wish the violent overthrow of the state and those who take to the ballot box for political change. Our government will protect the political rights of any person who wishes to participate in our democracy however we might disagree on philosophy and approach. We cannot stand idly by, however, and let the purveyors of violence cloak their agenda behind the innocent men and women they hold hostage to their failed ideology. We will wrestle these failed terrorists to the ground and free the nation to live in peace and harmony.

Subalit, pangunahin-pakikibaka-pa-rin-para-sa-karapatan ang-pagpapalaya-ng-masa-sa-gutom-at-hirap.

Economic and social development is still the best guarantee of achieving human security. Only equitable and sustainable growth can free us from want and fear. Poverty, though not the cause, abets terrorism.

We pay tribute to the fearless fourteen who sacrificed their lives in Tipo-Tipo and to their equally valiant comrades-in-arms. We mourn with their families. Our marines who were victims of a decades-long conflict that can and will end. The tragic encounter will not deter us from our mission, which is to bring long-lasting peace to Mindanao.

Talk is cheap. It is action that counts. I ask the public to give the Human Security Act a chance.

Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye commended today in behalf of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo the Korean Broadcasting Institute (KBI) for spearheading an international co-production workshop with the Philippine government’s National Broadcasting Network (NBN) .

In a speech at the launching of the workshop this morning at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati, Bunye described the co-production venture as very timely "and certainly most welcome."

"This workshop, I am sure, will further broaden and deepen the sharing and appreciation of cultural diversity among Asian nations and, more importantly, it will serve as a model for increasing socio-cultural understanding among nations of the world," he said.

The workshop is part of KBI’s international program production exchange project which also involves four other Asian countries -- China, Indonesia, Mongolia and Vietnam.

Among those in the launching were NBN 4 chairman and president Rolly Reyes, KBI president Gyun Yu, South Korean deputy chief of mission Sungmog Hong, NBN general manager and chief executive officer Joey Isabelo, IBC 13 vice president Bob del Rosario, Pal Marquez of RPN 9 and Evelyn Alcaraz-Macayayong of the Department of Tourism.

Bunye, who is also the Presidential Spokesperson, pointed out that KBI’s partnership with NBN should inspire other nations of the world to appreciate the wealth and diversity of other cultures and traditions.

"Technology neither brings us together nor apart, but it serves to magnify what is in our hearts," he said. "It is our willingness to cross cultural boundaries that we will be able to achieve understanding and create a safer, more stable and more humane world."

Bunye also said in his speech that the Philippines is now hosttothe largest group of overseas Koreans in Southeast Asia.

South Korea, he stressed, has invested and continues to invest in the Philippines as exemplified by Hanjin, the fourth largest shipbuilding company in the world which is now operating in Zambales.

"Employing close to 3,000 of our highly-skilled welders, Hanjin has embarked on a very ambitious project, that of building the biggest ocean-going vessel right here in our country," he said.

Stressing that terrorism is a scourge that threatens the country’s sovereignty, democracy, compassionate and decent way of life, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo called on the people today to give the Human Security Act (HSA) of 2007 a chance to prove its importance to national security.

The President sounded the call as she led the launch of the new law -- also known as Republic Act (RA) 9372 -- this morning in Malacanang.

She also paid tribute to those who have fought vigorously against terrorism, which she branded as an "ideology of evil."

"Today, we raise the bar in our campaign against terrorists who kill, bomb and maim to enforce an ideology of evil," she said.

"Talk is cheap. It is action that counts. I ask the public to give the Human Security Act a chance," the President said.

She pointed out, however, that human security could best be achieved through economic and social development.

"Only equitable and sustainable growth can free us from want and fear. Poverty, though not the cause, abets terrorism," she said.

The President said that with the HSA, the government’s fight against terrorism now has the "legal muscle to help end the paralysis of fear," as it is now "empowered with a law that identifies terrorism and penalizes it, a law that preserves and protects freedom."

Saying that the country had come face to face with the scourge of "terrorism ahead of the rest of the world," a number of lives would not have been lost to terrorist attacks had an anti-terror law been passed a few years back.

"One can imagine the possibilities had we passed this law (HSA) earlier. Perhaps, the Dos Palmas incident would not have happened, and Gracia Burnham would not have lost her husband, Martin. Many Filipino lives could have been spared had the State been equipped with the legal arsenal to flush out evil before it could do harm," the President said.

She recalled that the first anti-terror bill was filed by Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile in January 1996, a good five years ahead of the Sept. 9, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York that galvanized global action against terrorism.

The Chief Executive said the Dos Palmas incident, the Rizal Day bombing and the Super Ferry attack may not have happened had the Enrile terror bill hurdled the legislature when it was first filed.

The Rizal Day bombing in 2000, which occurred in five places almost simultaneously in the span of an hour, claimed the lives of 24 people.

On the other hand, the Dos Palmos terrorist kidnapping on Feb. 26, 2004 of 16 people, including Gracia Burnham and her evangelist husband Martin, ended in the death of Martin, Filipino nurse Edivora Yap and Guillermo Soberon, an American.

Gracia, who has written a book about her ordeal, was held for more than one year.

The most devastating of the terrorist attacks in terms of human lives lost was the Super Ferry bombing on Feb. 26, 2004. The attack claimed 116 lives and left more than 100 other persons injured.

The President stressed that the government’s resolve to criminalize and penalize terrorism through an anti-terror law was not an offshoot of the 2001 World Trade Center. "We had come face to face with this scourge ahead of the rest of the world," she said.

She also said funding support and investments in crushing terrorism would be significantly increased in the next three years.

"We must invest in peace and order," she said.

"The next three years will see record levels of well-thought out and generous funding for investments in crushing terrorism wherever it threatens, regardless of ideology; and in putting a stop to human rights abuses whatever the excuse," the President said.

The President signed into law RA 9372 or "An Act to Secure the State and Protect Our People from Terrorism," also known as the Human Security Act of 2007, on March 6, 2007.

Kidnapped Italian priest Father Giancarlo Bossi is now in good hands.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared this minutes after presenting to media in Malacanang this afternoon the Italian priest, who was freed by his kidnappers last night after 40 days of captivity.

The President personally welcomed Bossi at the Palace Reception Hall lobby before leaving for another engagement in Taguig City.

In her brief statement read by Press Undersecretary Robert Rivera in a press conference later, the President said that the Filipino nation is rejoicing over Fr. Bossi’s safe release from his captors.

"Fr. Bossi is now in good hands. We pray that he could soon gather his strength and recover from this ordeal," she said.

The Italian priest was freed at 9 p.m. Thursday in the town of Karomatan, Lanao del Norte province, according to police officials.

Obviously having lost weight, Bossi was wearing black sweatshirt, black pants and brown leather shoes when he was met by the President at the Reception Hall lobby.

Joining them were Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Oscar Calderon and Italian Ambassador to the Philippines Rubens Anna Fedele.

Puno and Calderon escorted Fr. Bossi in Malacanang from Zamboanga City where he underwent a series of medical tests. They left Zamboanga on board a private plane at 11:30 a.m. and arrived in Manila at 12:40 p.m.

The President acknowledged the efforts of the law enforcement agencies and civilians in helping the government to recover Bossi from his kidnappers.

"We thank our soldiers, police and concerned civilians who valiantly work for his freedom," she said.

In his remarks during the press conference, Bossi admitted that during their brief conversation, the President congratulated him and told him that she will pray for his fast recovery.

Bossi, a member of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, has worked in the Philippines since 1980. Appointed parish priest in April, he was a newcomer to the quiet fishing and farming town of Payao, considered a safe place for foreigners.