Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera is set to file a Motion for Reconsideration of the Supreme Court's ruling on the Batasan 5 because of its potentially adverse effect on law enforcement.

While we will respect and fully abide by the Supreme Court's Final ruling, and are committed to maintaining the integrity of criminal prosecutions in general and preliminary investigations in particular, it is well within the rights of the Solicitor General as the statutory counsel of the national government to file this Motion for Reconsideration.

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ROME, ITALY--- President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo arrived here at 10:30 p.m. Saturday (4:30 a.m. Sunday, Manila time) to a warm welcome on the first leg of a two-nation, four-day visit of Europe to boost religious, cultural, diplomatic and economic ties.

The President and her party were welcomed by Philippine Ambassador to the Vatican Leonida Vera, Philippine Ambassador to Rome Philip Lhuillier, and officials of the Holy See and the Italian Foreign Ministry.

From the airport, the President motored to St. Regis Hotel where she is billeted while in Rome.

The highlight of the President’s visit to Rome is her attendance at the canonization rites for Blessed Marie Eugenie de Jesus Milleret, foundress of the Religious of Assumption, tomorrow (Sunday) at the St. Peter’s Square.

Blessed Marie Eugenie and three others will be canonized by Pope Benedict XVl in solemn religious rites at St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican at 10 a.m. Sunday. The three others to be canonized are Karel Van Sint Andres Houben, Syymon z Lipnicy and Georgia Preca. The four new saints bring to 14 the number of saints proclaimed under Benedict XVl’s pontificate.

Blessed Marie Eugenie, who was born in Mertz, France in 1817, founded the Religious of Assumption in 1839. The miracle attributed to her concerned Risa Bondoc, a Filipino girl who was born with a condition that prevented the two halves of her brain to join.

Risa’s family and the Assumption sisters prayed for the intercession of Blessed Marie Eugenie and although Risa’s brains have not joined she can talk, walk and go to school like any normal child.

Experts could not find a scientific explanation for Risa’s "normal" condition.

The canonization of Blessed Marie Eugenie is significant to the President as well as to the Filipino people, the Chief Executive being an alumna of the Assumption College in Makati City, and for the Philippines being the largest Catholic country in Asia and the fourth in the world.

Another highlight of the President’s visit here is her scheduled audience with his Holiness Pope Benedict XVI at 11 a.m. Monday (Rome time) at the Sala del Trono of the Apostolic Palace.

The President is also scheduled to meet with Vatican Secretary of State Tarciso Cardinal Bertone before flying to Lisbon, Portugal on the second leg of her three-nation foreign trip.

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Malacaņang expressed support Sunday for the plan of Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera to file a motion for reconsideration of the Supreme Court’s ruling dismissing the rebellion charges filed against six party-list lawmakers.

In a two-paragraph statement, Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye, himself a lawyer, said "it is well within the rights of the Solicitor General as the statutory counsel of the national government to file this Motion for Reconsideration."

Devanadera is set to file a motion for reconsideration of the High Court’s decision, as she warned of the potential adverse effect of the ruling on law enforcement.

The "Department of Justice is saddened and apprehensive with the recent ruling of the Second Division of the Supreme Court involving the Batasan 5 because beyond being a decision on this particular case, the Supreme Court ruling is fraught with far-reaching and adverse consequences for our criminal justice system," she said.

In his statement, Bunye explained that while "we respect and fully abide by the Supreme Court’s final ruling, and are committed to maintaining the integrity of criminal prosecutions in general, and preliminary investigations in particular, it is well within the right of the Solicitor General as the statutory counsel of the national government to file this motion for reconsideration."

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After launching wide-ranging fiscal and economic reforms, Malacaņang’s next target of restructuring is the electric power sector.

In her meeting with officials of Australian mining companies in Canberra during her visit Down Under last week, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said she would institute initiatives that would address the concerns of investors about the power sector, especially power costs and supply.

Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye, in his column, View from the Palace, which comes out tomorrow (Monday) in the Manila Bulletin, said the President assured the Australian mining executives that their misgivings about power supply in the Philippines would be given priority attention.

"The President announced that her next area of economic reform is in the electric power sector," Bunye said.

He said that "the next Congress is expected to introduce reforms to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA)."

"When the EPIRA was passed in 2001, the President recognized that it was not perfect, but it was vital to pass it at that time, rather than wait for a legislative masterpiece that was next to impossible," Bunye added.

He said the President’s appearance before the Asia Society gave her the opportunity to respond to various questions by Australian business leaders on mining and energy in the Philippines.

"The key players in Australia’s highly developed mining industry are very keen on working on mining projects here, considering our vast mineral resources and highly trained professionals in geology, exploration, mining engineering and metallurgy," Bunye said.

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VATICAN CITY --- (via PLDT) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a devout Catholic, joined today millions of Catholics all over the world, including Filipinos, in celebrating the canonization of four new saints at St. Peter’s Square.

Arriving in Rome at 10:30 last night on the first leg of her two-nation European trip, the President was among the dignitaries from seven Catholic countries who arrived in this bastion of Catholicism to attend the canonization rites for Blessed Marie Eugenie de Jesus Milleret, Karel Van Sint Andres Houben Szymon z Lipnicy and Georgio Preca.

She joined the company of Irish President Mary McAleese, Malta President Edward Fenech Adami, Polish President Lech Kaczynski, France’s Minister of Culture Christine Albanel, and Paesi Bassi’s Minister of Justice Hirsh Ballin at the dignitaries’ area at the right side of St. Peter’s Square during the canonization ceremonies.

Pope Benedict XVI, after celebrating the Sunday Holy Mass, started the canonization rites by unveiling the statues of the four new saints at the faįade of St. Peter’s Basilica facing the Square.

The canonization rites, which began and ended in chilly and rainy weather, drew thousands of Catholic devotees to St. Peter’s Square.

The President is an alumna of Assumption College in Makati City where she attended elementary and high school. Blessed Marie Eugenie founded the Religious of Assumption.

For the Filipino people, the religious event here has a special meaning not only because the Philippines is the world’s third largest Catholic country and the biggest in Asia, but also because the miracle attributed to Blessed Marie Eugenie concerned a Filipino child Risa Bondoc, who was born with a condition that prevented the two halves of her brain to join.

Medical experts said that normally, the Risas of the world have very little ability to walk or talk. The child’s family and the Assumption sisters, who joined in praying for Risa’s health, attributed the miracle to Blessed Marie Eugenie’s intercession.

After 12 years, Risa’s brain remained halved, yet she can now talk, walk and go to school -- a phenomenon that experts say has no scientific explanation.

After the canonization rites, the President had lunch with the Assumption Committee for the Canonization (of St. Marie Eugenie) at the Hotel Michaelangelo.

Today’s canonization ceremonies for the four new saints brought to 14 the number of saints proclaimed under the pontificate of Benedict XVI. They joined the 798 others who had been canonized since 1594.

During the pontificate of John Paul II, 482 were proclaimed saints.

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