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| 15 NOVEMBER 2007 | ||
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| 15 NOVEMBER 2007 | ||
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye: Re Pulse Asia |
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Polls go up and down, but the President is focused on keeping a steady hand on the ship of state. She is dedicated to improving the economy, political stability and peace and order. In this holiday season, she believes we must all come together and help those in our country who are less fortunate by bringing food and comfort to all people of the nation. |
| President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Speech at the 33rd Top Level Management Conference of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (Grand Ballroom, Oxford Hotel Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles City, Pampanga November 14, 2007) |
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Thank you very much Secretary
Cerge Remonde for your introduction. KBP Chairman Jun Nicdao, my kabalen; KBP President Butch Canoy; KBP Regional Head, kabalen na naman, Perry Pangan; Ambassador Desjardins, welcome!; our host because we are here in his territory, CDC President Levy Laus; officers and members of the KBP, good evening and welcome to my home province of Pampanga. As Cerge Remonde has said, I'm glad to be here maybe for at least the 9th straight year in a row. And I'm glad to see that all these years, KBP has matured enough and become stable enough to have a new beginning. As Jun Nicdao said, KBP in many ways is like the Philippines. Today, the Philippines is on a path to permanent economic growth and stability. At gaya nang sabi ni Jun, marami tayong tinatamasa ngayon -- bumubuhos na pamumuhunan. Halimbawa, kaninang hapon, nagbisita sa akin sa Malacañang yung Banyan Tree group at nagbigay ng press conference pagkatapos. Itong Banyan Tree ang nagsimula ng turismo sa Phuket. Sila rin ang nag-develop ng turismo sa Maldives at sa Seychelles, at ngayon ay magtatayo sila ng isang five-star resort sa Northern Palawan, sa isang island sa Coron. Ngunit yung binili nilang islang 55 hectares, well, maglalagay sila ng resort doon pero masyadong maliit para sa kanila. Sanay sila na mag-develop ng isang resort community kung saan merong mga pitong mga hotel. Isa lang sila, kaya naghahanap pa sila ng lupa ng 300 hectares para magkaroon ng resort community gaya nang itinayo nila doon sa Phuket at itinayo nila doon sa Maldives. Kaya ito ay isang halimbawa, pinaka-latest sa mga bumubuhos na pamumuhunan sa ating bansa. At gaya nang sabi ni Jun, malakas ang piso, masigasig ang stock market kahit na nagkaroon ng bomba doon sa Batasan kagabi, tumaas pa rin ang stock market kanina. And of course, very fundamentally, nakalikha tayo ng anim na milyong trabaho sa nakaraang anim na taon. Hindi natin sana natamo ang mga ito kung hindi sa suporta ng mga mapagmatyag na kampiyon ng demokrasya gaya ng mga kasapi ng KBP. Kaya ibig kong samantalahin ang pagkakataong ito upang magpasalamat sa lahat nang ginagawa ninyo para sa ating bansa. Lagi kayong naroon sa hirap at sa ginhawa. Nagpapasalamat tayo sa taong bayan at kayo -- marami sa inyo, mga bahagi ng media -- sa inyong maingat na pag-uulat tungkol sa pagsabog sa Batasan kagabi upang maiwasan ang haka-haka. You have been a very responsible media through this occasion. Gagamitin ko rin itong pagkakataon na purihin ang Philippine National Police. Siguro kayo rin sasama sa akin sa pagpuri sa kanila sa mabilis na pagkilos upang bigyan ng higit na seguridad ang ating mga mambabatas sa patuloy nilang paglilingkod sa bayan sa kabila ng trahedyang naganap. Sa paglaban natin sa karahasan at krimen, napakahalaga ang pagkakaisa at pagtutulungan ng pamahalaan at mamamayan. I've met the National Security Council Executive Committee twice last night and today to assess the security situation and institute immediate measures to address any threats. Please convey to our people and our friends here and abroad like the countrymen of Ambassador Desjardins that the Philippines and your government shall not rest until we get to the bottom of this tragedy and hunt down and punish the perpetrators. Walang salitang makakabigkas ng pagkasuklam natin sa karahasang ito. Subalit hindi tayo magpapasupil sa mga nagpakana nito. The rule of law must prevail. No person is above the law. Justice must be served and the law upheld. I have instructed Secretary Andaya to boost intelligence spending for operations. And we assure congressmen and senators that measures are being taken to enable them to continue their sessions in peace and security. I talked to Secretary Puno this afternoon. I told him that we should permanently assign bomb-sniffing dogs in the Batasan and in the Senate. I have instructed the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office to identify and secure possible assassin targets in Congress. And I think we should do the same, KBP should do the same for the media. You must figure out who are the possible targets for media killings so that we can take special care of them. And just as we are determined to solve last night's killing, we want to tell you that we continue to be resolved to solve the killing of journalists. Twenty-seven cases since 2001 are related to media personalities, two perpetrators have been convicted and 21 are ongoing trial. And we are offering now a five-million-peso reward for information to catch perpetrators of political and media killings, and/or foil future attacks, so we've increased our kitty, including tipoffs on illegal explosives. And by the way, speaking of illegal explosives, I'd like to ask you to help me to call on Congress and convincing to pass as soon as possible the bill that makes illegal possession of explosives a crime that is punishable by life imprisonment and non-bailable. In other words, a heinous crime. We've separated the illegal possession of guns from the illegal possession of explosives. We're creating by executive order a Task Force Against Political Violence. This one will be headed by the Department of National Defense, and among the members will be the Department of Justice, the DILG, the Office of the Adviser on the Peace Process, the AFP, the PNP, the NBI, the DSWD and the Public Information Agency. They will work with the judiciary, with the council on values formation, with the union of local authorities of the Philippines and Non-Government Organizations, I hope including the KBP. Its mandate shall be to harness and mobilize government agencies, political groups, the religious, civil society and sectoral organizations like I hope the KBP, and the public for the prevention, investigation, prosecution and punishment of political violence. Also the care and protection of people and communities victimized and threatened by violence, and I hope that we can continue to do this together with the KBP to help the families of the victims of political and media violence. And also we need you to promote a culture opposed to violence and for the advancement of reconciliation and peace. Maganda ang ipinapakita ng inyong tema: "new media, new beginnings, new challenges, new KBP." at gaya nang sinabi ni Jun Nicdao ay... Ito ay tungkol sa pagsisikapan natin alang-alang sa kagalingan ng inyong industriya pero ganun din ang ating gobyerno alang-alang din sa kagalingan ng ating bayan at bansa. Indeed, it's time for a new beginning. And when we talk about a new beginning, we talk about moving on. It's time for the nation to move on and focus on the issues that are important for our future, just as the KBP is focusing on technology that is important for your future. For the future of our country, we're talking about creating more jobs, lowering prices or at least keeping them from going up, providing affordable housing, providing access to education for all our children. The preoccupation with politics does not promote the stability, policy continuity, security and peace and order that we need to continue to move our country forward. If by getting a lot of listenership or viewership because you sensationalize, you may gain something in the short run. But as Jun said and also as Butch has been saying, if in the long run that contributes to instability, that also reduces economic activity and also reduces your capability to have a sustained advertising market. The people want results, not rhetoric; action, not political posturing. Kaya salamat sa pag-papaalala ninyo sa ating mga pinuno to get on with the people's work. Ang hinihiling ko sa inyo na magpatuloy ang inyong pananalig. Marami pang kailangang gawin. Gaya ng KBP, maraming kailangang gawin para sa industriya. Ganun din ang ating bansa, marami pang kailangang gawin kaya hindi tayo dapat nalilihis. Ipunla natin ang mga binhi ng kabutihan. What's good for the country is also good for the kbp. Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat. And once more, welcome! To Pampanga. |
| PGMA cites broadcast media's responsible reportage of Batasan explosion |
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CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Pampanga -- President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo commended the country’s broadcast media for its
responsible reportage of the Tuesday night explosion at the House of
Representatives in Quezon City. In her speech during the 33rd Top-Level Management Conference of the Kapisanan ng Mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) in a hotel here Wednesday evening, the President thanked the people and the media community for heeding her call to avoid speculations, innuendoes and finger-pointing that tend to create confusion and unwarranted apprehension among the people. “Nagpapasalamat tayo sa taong bayan at sa mga bahagi ng media sa inyong maingat na pag-uulat tungkol sa pagsabog sa Batasan upang maiwasan ang haka-haka,” said the President, who added, thus: “You have been a very responsible media thru this occasion…” With the theme, “New Media, New Challenges, New Beginnings,” the three-day KBP conference was opened by KBP president Butch Canoy, while KBP board chairman Ruperto Nicdao Jr. gave an accomplishment report cum welcome message. Presidential Management Staff (PMS) head Cerge Remonde, who introduced the President, recalled that nine years ago when he was the KBP’s board chairman, he invited then Vice President Arroyo as the special guest of the Kapisanan’s 24th top-level management conference. “She committed to attend every KBP top-level conference hence. And she has kept the faith,” Remonde said to resounding applause of the KBP members. The Chief Executive, who was clad in pretty black sleeveless pant suit, also hailed the media as vigilant guards of democracy, and for helping propel the country’s economic growth: “Today, the Philippines is on a path to permanent economic growth and stability. Marami tayong tinatamasa ngayon, bumubuhos na pamumuhunan, malakas na piso, masigasig na stock market, at anim na milyong trabaho sa anim na taon. “Hindi natin sana natamo ang mga ito kundi sa suporta ng mga mapagmatyag na kampiyon ng demokrasya gaya ninyo na mga kasapi sa KBP,” she said. The President added: “Ibig kong samantalahin ang pagkakataong ito upang magpasalamat sa lahat ng ginagawa ninyo para sa ating bansa. Lagi kayong naroon sa hirap at ginhawa.” “Nagpapasalamat tayo sa taong bayan at sa mga bahagi ng media sa inyong maingat na pag-uulat tungkol sa pagsabog sa Batasan upang maiwasan ang haka-haka. You have been a very responsible media thru this occasion.”” The President also praised the Philippine National Police (PNP) for its fast action following the Batasan blast that killed at least four people, including Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar. “Pinupuri natin ang PNP sa mabilis na pagkilos upang bigyan ng higit na seguridad ang ating mambabatas sa patuloy nilang paglilingkod sa bayan sa kabila ng trahedyang naganap,” she said. The President also called on the broadcast media to “please convey our message to our people and our friends here and abroad that the Philippines and your government shall not rest until we get to the bottom of this tragedy and hunt down and punish the perpetrators.” “Walang salitang makakabigkas ng pagkasuklam natin sa karahasang ito. Subalit hindi tayo magpapasupil sa mga nagpakana nito. The rule of law must prevail. No person is above the law. Justice must be served and the law upheld,” she said. She also called on the broadcasters to call on Congress to immediately pass the administration’s proposal to make the mere possession of explosives an unbailable heinous crime punishable with life imprisonment. The President advised the broadcast media to identify the possible assassin targets among its membership so that “we can take special care of them.” |
| PGMA beefs up security measures at Senate, House |
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CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Pampanga -- President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the beefing up of security measures at
the Senate and the House of Representatives to ensure the safety of members
of both houses in the wake of Tuesday’s bombing of the Batasan building in
Quezon City. She also ordered an increase in the funding for intelligence operations, as she assured members of both House of Congress that “measures are being taken to enable them to continue their sessions in peace and security.” The President ordered the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) to identify and provide adequate security to possible targets of assassinations among members of the Congress. The presidential directives came on the heels of the Batasan blast which killed four people, including Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar. The President revealed her latest anti-terror directives when she addressed last night the 33rd Top-Level Conference of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas in a hotel here. “I have instructed the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) to identify and secure possible assassin targets in Congress,” the President said, adding that “I think we should do the same. KBP should do the same for the media. You must figure out who are the possible targets for media killings so that we can take special care of them.” She also said that she has instructed Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya to boost allocations for intelligence operations. “We assure congressmen and senators that measures are being taken to enable them to continue their sessions in peace and security,” she added. Under the President’s directive, bomb sniffing dogs will be assigned to the Senate and the House of Representatives on a 24-hour basis. “I talked to (Local Governments) Secretary (Ronaldo) Puno this afternoon (Nov. 14, 2007) and I told him that we should permanently assign bomb-sniffing dogs in the Batasan and in the Senate,” she said. She also said that she met with the National Security Council (NSC) for two consecutive days to ensure the country’s security: “I’ve met the National Security Council Executive Committee twice last night (Nov. 13, 2007) and today (Nov. 14, 2007) to assess the security situation and institute immediate measures to address any threats…” The government is “now offering a five-million-peso reward for information to catch perpetrators of political and media killings, and/or foil future attacks – so we have increased our kitty,” she said. The President has also created the Task Force Against Political Violence whose mandate is to “harness and mobilize government agencies, political groups, the religious, civil society and sectoral organizations – like, I hope, the KBP – and the public, for the prevention, investigation, prosecution and punishment of political violence.” Headed by the Department of National Defense (DND), the task force is mandated to care and protect “people and communities victimized and threatened by violence.” The Chief Executive also called on the KBP to help the government “promote a culture opposed to violence, and for the advancement of reconciliation and peace.” |
| PGMA seeks support for her vision to make RP modern nation by 2020 |
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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY---- President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo appealed today to the country’s religious leaders to help
her realize her vision of a modern Philippines by 2020. In her statement, which was read by Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza during the Bishops-Ulama-AFP-PNP Forum for Peace here, the President stressed that for a modern nation, economic progress must stand alongside peace and security. “That is why I want to make an appeal to our religious leaders: Let us work together in turning our country into a First World nation,” the President said. She cited what she called as two forces that would guide the Filipinos to achieve this overarching goal: faith in God and faith in the people. “There is one denominator among all of us: we are driven by our faith in God and our faith in the people of this nation. These are the twin forces that will strengthen our resolve and our heart to love our country, abhor corruption, unite our nation and establish harmony among our people, and accept our individual fallings, make our acts of contrition, and truly forgive and care for one another,” said pointed out. The President was scheduled to address the opening of the Bishops-Ulama–AFP-PNP Forum for Peace at the Pryce Hotel here but she was forced to cancel her trip because of inclement weather. “Just as we work for Mindanao to be an area of peace and prosperity, let us work for the next three years to be an era of peace, reassurance and hope for the whole nation,” she said. The government, the President said, is working hard on improving the economy and achieving peace and stability in the country, and a lasting peace in Mindanao. She said while the government is focused on eradicating poverty, achieving peace and stability, the attainment of the status of a First World nation in the next 20 years is all about commitment. “It’s all about making a firm individual and personal decision to consistently and perseveringly work for the betterment of our country,” she said. The President’s vision of a First World nation is of a country where poverty has been marginalized and the marginalized population raised to a robust middle class. She said by 2010, when she bows out of office, the Philippines should be on the right track to becoming a modern nation. The two-day Bishops-Ulama- AFP-PNP Peace Forum is the second such conference held in Mindanao. The first Bishops-Ulama Conference that included the military and police was held in Davao City last Sept.12, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon said. Esperon said this week’s peace forum with the theme: Building Bridges for Peace with Peace Officers, has brought together religious leaders and peace officers with the aim of promoting healthy and constructive dialogues with peace officers throughout Mindanao. It also aims to support the ongoing peace process in Mindanao with the goal of achieving lasting peace and propelling the economic progress of the whole island. Esperon added that the BUC-AFP-PNP Peace Forum is being held in the run-up to the Mindanao Peace Week set for next week. |
| PGMA remains focused on improving the economy, political stability |
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The results of opinion surveys may go up and
down, but for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo it’s all about keeping a
sure and steady hand on the ship of state. This was the reaction today of Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye to the latest Pulse Asia survey showing that the public distrust rating of the President was the highest among the country’s top five national officials. Brushing aside the survey result, Bunye said that the President “is dedicated to improving the economy, political stability and peace and order.” He pointed out that in this “holiday season, the President wants everybody to join hands and help her to bring the fruits of economic development at the doorsteps of less fortunate Filipinos, who really need an assistance to uplift their lives.” Just the same, however, Bunye noted that the public distrust rating of the President ranked highest among the country’s top five national officials. In her speech at the opening of the 33rd Top Level Management Conference of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) in Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga last night, the President said she does not allow herself to be preoccupied with politics because it would not help her move the economy forward. “The preoccupation with politics does not promote the stability, policy continuity, security and peace and order that we need to continue to move our country forward,” she said. The President said the country is now on a path to permanent economic growth and stability as indicated by the increasing flow of foreign investments, strong peso, bullish stock market, and the creation of six million jobs in the past six years. She pointed out that majority of the people in the far-flung provinces “want results, not political rhetoric; action, not political posturing,” and it’s time for the nation to move on and to focus on the issues that are really important for the country’s future. |
| Investments pouring in -- PGMA |
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CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Pampanga – President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo Wednesday night enthused about the investments that
continue to pour into the country, and the continuing surge in the stock
market despite the bomb blast at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City last
Tuesday. “Today, the Philippines is on a path to permanent economic growth and stability, at… marami tayong tinatamasa ngayon, bumubuhos ang pamumuhunan,” President Arroyo gushed as she talked about the latest investor to locate in the Philippines – the Banyan Tree Group that turned Phuket, Thailand into an international tourism destination. “Halimbawa, kaninang hapon (Nov. 14, 2007), nagbisita sa akin sa Malacañang yung Banyan Tree Group at nagbigay ng press conference pagkatapos. Itong Banyan Tree and nagsimula ng tourism sa Phuket. Sila rin ang nag-develop ng turismo sa Maldives at sa Seychelles. At ngayon ay magtatayo sila ng five-star resort sa northern Palawan, sa isang island sa Coron,” the President told the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) which invited her to be its guest of honor and speaker at the KBP’s 33rd Top-Level Conference here last night. President Arroyo reported that aside from its 55-hectare area in Palawan, the Singapore-based tourism-investing group is still looking for 300 hectares of land to add to its initial area so that it could create an entire “resort community” like it did in Phuket. “Ito ay isang halimbawa, pinaka-latest sa mga bumubuhos na pamumuhunan sa ating bansa, at… malakas ang piso, masigasig ang stock market – kahit na nagkaroon ng bomba doon sa Batasan kagabi, tumaas pa rin ang stock market kanina.” The President – who noted that the KBP itself has “matured enough and become stable enough to have a new beginning” – also cited the Arroyo administration’s successful job-creation record: “And, of course, very fundamentally, nakalikha tayo ng anim na milyong trabaho sa nakaraang anim na taon…” “Maganda ang ipinakita ng inyong tema – ‘New Media, New Beginnings, New Challenges, New KBP’ – indeed, it is time for a new beginning, and when we talk about a new beginning, we talk about moving on. “It’s time for the nation to move on and focus on the issues that are important for our future. Just as the KBP is focusing on technology… we are talking about creating more jobs; lowering prices, or at least, keeping them from going up; providing affordable housing; providing access to education for all our children.” In closing, the President stressed to the broadcaster leaders that “the pre-occupation with politics does not promote the stability, policy continuity, security and peace and order that we need to continue to move our country forward…” The President then cited a truism in the business of media: “If by getting a lot of listenership or viewership because you sensationalize, you may gain something in the short run… If in the long run, that contributes to instability, that also reduces economic activity, and also reduces your capability to have a sustained advertising market.” |
| President vows to translate economic growth into real benefits for Filipinos |
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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY----Stressing anew her
administration’s central mission of eradicating poverty, President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo unveiled today her five missions she would focus before she
bows out of office in 2010. “Over the next three years, we will translate the positive results of our reforms to real benefits for the people ---a time to usher in renewal, a jubilee for our people,” the President said in her speech which was read for her by Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza at the opening of the two-day Bishops-Ulama-AFP-PNP Peace Forum at the Pryce Hotel here. Underscoring the importance that a leader is driven by a strong vision for the nation and the determination to deliver a better life for the people, the President said that in the last three years of her administration, the government would increase investments in the country and the people. She identified her five missions as: improvement in infrastructure to create an investment-friendly environment; improve social justice; boost educational support in efforts to reduce poverty; cutting red tape and elimination of corruption from the system, and sustained fight against terrorism and working to bring peace and prosperity in Mindanao. Regarding the first mission, the President said the government would enhance the competitive advantage of the five natural “super regions” while taking care of the environment. “Investing in vital infrastructure includes not just building up a new steel structure, but also building up our environment as a reflection of our commitment to our quality of life. People need to breathe clean air and swim in clean water while we also build manufacturing and bridges to span our waters,” the President said. On social justice, the Chief Executive said she wants to uplift the lives of the poor and create a robust middle class. “In the near term, we must address the very real issues of hunger and poverty that affect us now,” she said. “Through the end of my term, my goal is to leave the nation stronger and more stable. To provide even more jobs. And to lift the poor through investments in infrastructure, healthcare, better housing and improved social justice,” she said. On education, the President explained that education is the foundation of economic prosperity and individual liberty, social justice and self-worth. This is the reason why the government would continue to invest in the construction of more school buildings at the elementary level as well as bolster the college scholarship program to give all Filipino children access to good education. Regarding the fourth mission, the President vowed to continue cutting red tape and stamping out corruption, saying that the people deserve an honest and hardworking government . She said government continues to simplify its transactions, cutting red tape that makes starting a business in the country long and arduous as well as continuing the lifestyle checks by the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC). “We must focus on addressing systemic, procedural and structural anomalies in government-client transactions…we have to turn our systems into mechanisms of trust,” she said. As for the fifth mission, the President said great nations have one thing in common---love of country. “Love of country is the one spirit that moves people to think and feel, act and move as one. Without this unity, this congruence, this synergy of purpose, vision and action, a nation cannot move forward,” the President said. |
| PGMA hopes to appoint a former SC justice as new Comelec chair by February |
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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY----President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo expressed hopes today that the new Commission on Elections
(Comelec) chairman would be a former Supreme Court Justice. In her message read for her by Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza at the Bishops-Ulama-AFP-PNP Peace Forum at the Pryce Hotel here, the President said that a major change at the Comelec would take place in February. There would be three vacancies at the poll body by February, including the post vacated by former Comelec Chair Benjamin Abalos who resigned from his post last Oct. 1, and the retirement of two commissioners that include acting Comelec Chair Resurreccion Borra. “In February, there will be a major revamp of the Comelec. In anticipation, I have constituted a search committee whose credentials have been very well received, who will give a shortlist of potential leaders in the Comelec who are irreproachable and above partisan politics. I hope to appoint a former Supreme Court justice as chairman of the Comelec,” the President said. The President noted that while the Philippines is a true democratic country, there is a need to safeguard the institution that is tasked to protect the people’s votes. “The role of the Comelec is strategic and crucial. It should be the vanguard of the promotion and protection of our democratic choices,” the President said. She said there is a need to fully computerize the elections “so that every vote will count, and so that we do not subject our people and our politicians through the agony of waiting for weeks, and even months, for the results of elections.” Earlier, Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said that the President had hinted of appointing a former SC justice to the helm of the poll body. He, however, added that the President did not say whom she was eyeing to name to the post or when the appointment would be announced. Earlier reports had it that the President had offered former SC Justice Jose Melo the top post at the Comelec. |
| PGMA hails police for quick response to the Batasan blast |
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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY----President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo lauded today the Philippine National Police (PNP) elements
for responding immediately to the blast that rocked the House of
Representatives in Quezon City Tuesday night. “Just the other day, we were confronted with a most brazen attack in one of the hallowed halls of government: the House of Representatives. In such an attack it was our police officers who are the first responders,” the President said in her message read for her by Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza at the opening of the two-day Bishops-Ulama-AFP-PNP Peace Forum at the Pryce Hotel here. She stressed that the police are charged with keeping the people safe and secure “from the evil designs of lawless elements…” The President noted that her government’s objective is peace but “we are at war, with the conflicts in the South, the local communist rebellion and terrorism.” Thus, she said it is incumbent upon government “to define the mechanisms that will help our police forces to address our multifarious problems so that we may have peace.” She credited the military, the police and the intelligence community for minimizing the threat of terrorism in the country. The strong explosion at the Batasan killed four people, including Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar, and injured several others. |
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye |
| President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has commended the combined elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for the Payatas raid which provided a significant breakthrough in the Batasan blast investigation. She also commended the informants who tipped off the authorities. |
