Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye today called on the public to remain calm and focused after reports claimed the Abu Sayyaf Group will step up its terrorist activities in retaliation for the death of several of their members killed in their failed Camp Bagong Diwa jailbreak attempt.

"We are appealing for calm and sobriety after this very unfortunate incident," Bunye, who is also Presidential Spokesman, said in a radio interview this morning.

He said the bloody end to the Camp Bagong Diwa seige in Bicutan, Taguig City, should not have happened the way it did because the government gave in to practically all the demands of the Abu Sayyaf inmate-hostage takers.

"We gave in to the demands of the ASG inmates. We gave them every chance to surrender peacefully but in the end, they refused it," Bunye said.

"The Crisis Team had no other recourse but to assault the jail," he added.

Government forces led by elements of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force, Special Weapons and Tactics team and Regional Special Action Unit stormed the Camp Bagong Diwa Jail after the deadline given the stubborn terrorists to surrender expired.

Failing in their early Monday jailbreak attempt, and after killing three jail guards whose firearms they snatched, the ASG terrorists hostaged their fellow inmates.

The government’s Crisis Management Committee headed by Interior and Local Government’s Secretary Angelo Reyes negotiated for a peaceful resolution to the crisis for 26 hours before giving up and decided on the assault .

Twenty three, 22 of them detained ASG inmates and one policeman, were killed in the assault.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has urged barangay leaders to be vigilant in their respective jurisdictions and at the same time help the government in effectively communicating with the people.

Addressing the 7^th National Convention of the Liga ng mga Barangay at the Manila hotel Tuesday night, the President also urged the people to be prepared to fight evil not only with intelligence work and law enforcement of the law but also with the moral will to uphold what’s good and right.

She said the Bicutan incident was a lesson in sustained vigilance, referring to the just resolved Taguig crisis where jailed Abu Sayyaf terrorists held hostage their fellow inmates after they failed in their jailbreak attempt early dawn on Monday.

The Chief Executive urged the barangay leaders and officials to report terrorist activities in their areas, and speak for Malacanang on things that need to be communicated to the people.

"We must reach out to the people to make them understand, accept and support the programs of government and unite behind activities to transform our society," she stressed.

Among others, she asked them to tell the people the government is doing its best to diminish the impact of rising prices by creating new high-wage jobs, attracting investments and bringing overall economic stability to the nation.

"I count on you to tell our people that we’re cutting wasteful government programs and limiting expenditures to necessary investments for infrastructure and people," the President said.

She added that under the leadership of Vice president Noli de Castro, the government is also taking action to protect consumer rights and expand spot checks against price gouging.

The government, she said, will also undertake new conservation measures and provide tax incentives to employers to help their employees on transportation costs.

The President then outlined the overall framework under which her 10-point legacy agenda will be pursued. The three-phase scheme is as follows:

Phase 1 – Fiscal reforms. The first 12 to 18 months of her current term will be focused on passing revenue measures, plugging corruption leakages and rationalizing the power sector.

Phase 2 – Upgrading educational standards and lowering the cost of food. This will be prioritized during the second and third years of her term. The primary focus will be on education, food production and infrastructure development.

Phase 3 – Achieving a critical mass of success with the rest of the 10-point agenda during the second part of her term, building on the foundation provided by the earlier phases.

In closing the President said the country has "long left the train station of empty promises and is now on a long and difficult journey to full economic freedom."

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has declared Saturday, March 26, 2005 (Black Saturday), as a special (non-working) day nationwide.

The declaration aims to give Filipinos the "full and uninterrupted opportunity to ponder on the significance of the Holy Week and to properly observed its traditions with religious fervor, without prejudice to public interest."

Black Saturday, which falls on March 26 this year, is sandwiched between Good Friday and Easter Sunday in the Lenten calendar. It has been declared a special day throughout the country in the past.

In Proclamation No. 808 signed by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, the President said the "observance of Holy Week is one of our people’s most cherished tradition."

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye today said the trickle down effect of the high growth rate posted in 2004 would not be immediately felt, as he explained the reason behind the rise in unemployment in January 2005.

In a press briefing, Bunye also said the Arroyo administration is committed to sustaining its fiscal reform and economic programs to ensure the continued inflow of investments that would create more jobs.

"This will depend on how we will adopt and implement our fiscal reform programs as well as how we will encourage investments," he said.

Reports indicated that unemployment rose to 11.3 percent, with the number of people without jobs increasing to 4.03 million in January 2005 from only 3.09 million in the same month last year.

The rise in unemployment could, in part, be traced to the increase in the labor force or those 15 years old and above who are either working or actively seeking work.

Data from the National Statistics Office showed that an additional 300,000 workers were added into the labor force in January 2005 from its January 2004 level.

Although he noted that the 6.1 percent growth in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2004 was an indication of improvement in the country’s economy, Bunye recognized that a lot needed to be done yet so the masses could benefit from the improving economy.

"The trickle down effect of this will be felt overtime. And we have to be able to sustain the growth for a longer period, for this to be felt at the household level, especially in the case of employment figures," he explained.

Bunye also expressed optimism that over the long-term, the country would see the improvement in the unemployment rate, confident that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s goal to create 10 million jobs would be met.

"I believe that if you look at the results over a longer period, you will find out that we will be hitting close to that target, as specified by the President," the Secretary said.