The tax measures we have been pushing are the best and the only option to spare the country from severe economic instability, and the people from abject poverty.

We welcome the rational debates on the issue at every level of society but let this not be overcome by rabble rousing and hate campaigns.

The slight effect of VAT on socially sensitive products shall be tempered by a vigilant price watch and measures to ensure a stable supply of basic commodities.

We are for peace but not peace based on fear.

The government is engaged with full sincerity in the peace talks with the MILF but it shall continue to use its full might in meeting the threat of terrorism.

From the very start, the government has assured that the Filipino involved has been covered by proper legal assistance, that due process have been observed and that his rights are protected under the laws of Malaysia.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has also kept the family informed of every development along the way.

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Jobs Creation and the Office of the Presidential Spokesman will hold another Call Centers Jobs Fair on March 5-6, 2005 on Mendiola st., Malacaņang Complex, San Miguel, Manila.

The two-day jobs fair is a follow-up to the successful jobs fair on Oct. 9-10, 2004, also sponsored by the OPAJC and OPS. The first jobs fair attracted more than 5,000 applicants, 2,000 of whom are now gainfully employed.

Other government agencies involved in the one-step jobs processing are the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for NBI clearances, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for Tax Identification Numbers (TIN), Social Security System (SSS) for the social security number, and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the inclusion of applicants in the jobs data bank.

All job applications are processed on the spot, enabling jobseekers to get their NBI clearance, TIN and SSS numbers during the fair.

Sponsors of the jobs fair announced that everyone is welcome to apply. There is no age limit. Handicapped persons are welcome to apply, especially those with background on foreign languages such as French, German, Spanish and Nippongo.

Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye said today the government will closely monitor prices, adopt measures to ensure stable supply of basic commodities and cushion the effects of the 2 percent increase in the Value Added Tax (VAT).

In a radio interview this morning, Bunye stressed that the effect of the 2 percent VAT increase on mass consumption food, including sardines, noodles and bread, would be minimal.

"We are not saying that the increase in the VAT will not have an effect. What we’re saying is, we will adopt safety nets and try to cushion the effect of the VAT increase on our poor countrymen," Bunye said.

He explained that the government is considering options to mitigate the effect of the 2 percent tax increase and ensure maximum protection, especially to the most vulnerable sectors of society – the poor.

Bunye said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has expressed her appreciation to members of Congress who share her vision on the urgent need to solve the country’s fiscal problems.

"They work overtime, sometimes until 3 a.m., to ensure the approval of the bill (VAT)," he said, referring to members of the House of Representatives.

In a separate statement, Bunye stressed that the "tax measures we have been pushing are the best and the only option to spare the country from severe economic instability, and the people from abject poverty."

While welcoming debates on the Malacanang tax proposals, he said however, that "this should not be overcome by rabble rousing and hate campaigns."

The military air strikes and artillery attack on a terrorist hideout in the marshlands of Maguindanao Thursday will not affect the peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said this morning.

Bunye told Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) that the military attack was directed against suspected members of the Jemaah Islamiyah, an Indonesian-based terrorist group linked to al-Qaeda, and not against the MILF.

He said the military notifies the Joint Monitoring Team and the International Monitoring Team (IMT) before launching an attack in any part of the area of conflict in Mindanao.

What is good about the situation in Mindanao now is that there are two groups monitoring compliance by both the government and the MILF of the ceasefire agreement, Bunye said, adding that the monitors are duly informed of impending military operations.

"The military objective is clear: it has to go after the terrorists," Bunye said.

He pointed out that the fight against terrorism is not the government’s alone but the MILF’s as well. "So I do not see anything that would affect the peace talks with the MILF," he said.

In a separate statement, Bunye stressed that the government is for peace but peace that is not based on fear.

"The government is engaged with full sincerity in the peace talks with the MILF but it shall continue to use its full might in meeting the threat of terrorism," he said.