We respect the decision of the Supreme Court and our legal team will continue to try to obtain a favorable ruling.

The decision on whether a dialogue will move forward or not is clearly in the hands of the Senate.

Our demand to have Secretary (Norberto) Gonzales released is reasonable, sensible and righteous. He has suffered enough and the Presidency has been insulted enough by this situation.

Malacanang said today the decision on whether the proposed dialogue between the Executive and the Legislative will move forward is in the hands of the Senate.

Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said in a statement that the burden of offering a confidence building measure rests with the upper chamber.

He pointed out that the perceived rift between the two equal branches of government "would not have come this far had some of our legislators simply drawn the line between responsible legislation and irresponsible politicking."

He noted that up to this time the Senate has not acted upon the request of Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita for the release of National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales.

"Our demand to have Secretary Gonzales released is reasonable, sensible and righteous," Bunye said. "He has suffered enough and the Presidency has been insulted enough by this situation."

The Palace earlier said that it is willing to sit down with the senators and settle their differences which started when Gonzales was treated rudely in the Senate hearing on the Venable LLP deal and was detained for contempt.

That incident prompted President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to issue Executive Order No. 464, which bans senior officials of the government, including the police and the military, from appearing in legislative hearings without the permission of the Chief Executive.

A group of lawyers and militant groups have challenged the constitutionality of the EO before the Supreme Court, but the Palace has stood pat on the order, stressing that it has a precedent memorandum order issued during the time of former President Corazon Aquino.

The Senate has made known its intent to pursue a dialogue with the President, but Malacanang demanded  "proof of sincerity" on the part of the upper chamber before a dialogue could be arranged as it noted that the Senate hearings have at times been used for "muckraking in the guise of hearings in aid of legislation."

"Yes, we are open to dialogue but we demand proof of sincerity before we sit down and talk," Bunye said.

President Gloria Macapagal–Arroyo today said the Philippines is on its way to fulfilling a commitment to the United Nations (UN) to pass an anti-terrorism law.

In a roundtable discussion with lawmakers and police and military officers in Malacanang, the President expressed elation over the House of Representatives approval of the Committee Report on the proposed Anti-Terrorism measure.

It is the obligation of all the 191 member states of the United Nations to adopt an anti-terrorism law, she stressed.

The Chief Executive noted that the Philippines is one of the remaining few nations that have yet to enact an anti-terrorism law.

During her attendance at the 2005 UN Summit in New York last month, President Arroyo, in her message delivered during the High-Level Plenary Meeting of the 60^th Session of the UN, rallied UN members to take collective action in confronting four great challenges that most member states of the world body experience today.

One of these four great challenges is the fight against terrorism for which she cited the gains attained so far by the interfaith dialogue as an alternative approach to conflict resolution. The approach is a signature Philippine initiative which has been adopted by the UN and other international groupings.

At the third UN Security Council Summit where she presided, the President also endorsed the United States Proliferation Security Initiative against terrorism. The Philippines held in September the revolving presidency of UNSC, the most important and powerful organ of the world body.

"The fight against terrorism is a worldwide obligation," she said. "We should stop terrorism in order to achieve a peaceful and strong country," she added.

The House of Representatives yesterday approved a consolidated version of 10 anti-terrorism bills. The Committee Report of the joint House Committees on Justice and Foreign Relations is up for plenary debates next week.

Congressmen Teodoro Locsin Jr. (Makati), Roquito Ablan (Ilocos Norte), Antonio Cuenco (Cebu), Salacnib Baterina (Ilocos Sur), Marcelino Libanan (Eastern Samar), and Amado Espino Jr. (Pangasinan), who were at the roundtable discussion with the President, admitted that the anti-terror bill is "not a perfect bill but we would be able to perfect it" during the plenary debates.

The legislators said the most contentious provision in the consolidated bill is the period of detention for suspected terrorists.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) wants a suspected terrorist detained for interrogation for 15 days while some lawmakers prefer three days only.

The lawmakers, however, assured the proposed anti-terrorism law respects basic human rights.

"We removed all provisions (in the bill) that violate the Constitution. We are aware that we should protect basic human rights," Makati Rep. Locsin said.

Ilocos Norte Rep. Ablan said once the country has an anti-terror law in place, more investors would have confidence in pouring their capital into the country.

Malacanang expressed confidence today the Supreme Court would eventually uphold the validity of Republic Act No. 9337 or the Expanded Value Added Tax (EVAT) Law.

Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye made the statement after the High Court decided to delay anew its ruling on the EVAT for at least two more weeks.

"We respect the decision of the Supreme Court and our legal team will continue to try to obtain a favorable ruling," Bunye said.

"Our economic team, meanwhile, will continue to set up the smooth implementation of the Expanded Value Added Tax (EVAT) Law if and when the temporary restraining order (TRO) is lifted," he added.

Yesterday, the SC delayed its ruling on the latest challenge to the broader sales tax and instead ordered the consolidation of all the comments on the EVAT for final deliberations on Oct. 18.

SC spokesperson Ismael Khan said the TRO, issued on July 1, remains in effect until the SC issues its final decision.

The EVAT Law is expected to raise an additional P2 billion to P3 billion in monthly revenues this year once it is implemented.

The reformed VAT Law expands the tax base to include fuel, electricity and transport and other previously exempted industries.

Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye clarified today that his recent comment on retired generals referred only to the group involved in destabilization plots against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and not all former top officers of the armed services.

Bunye made the clarification in a letter to former President Fidel V. Ramos, a four-star general and former Armed Forces chief of staff, who took offense at Bunye’s remarks.

"My remarks were never intended as a slur against all the retired generals, many of whom are not in any way involved in any destabilization moves and continue to be loyal to the Constitution," Bunye said in his letter to Ramos.

"But if any of them took offense in my remarks, I would like to extend my apology," he added.

Bunye was referring to a press briefing last Sept. 19 wherein he was asked about a reported coup plot being hatched against President Arroyo with the participation of a group of retired generals.

Bunye dismissed the seriousness of the alleged plot, saying "their bark is worse than their bite," referring to certain retired generals who have been openly calling for the President’s ouster.

When asked in the same briefing if Malacanang was filing sedition or rebellion charges against the retired generals, he remembered answering "there was no need since some of them cannot walk."

"My words, which referred only to some retired generals, who may be plotting against the President, were twisted and slanted by some tabloid newspapers and maliciously repeated as factual by some grandstanding senators like Rodolfo Biazon," Bunye told Ramos in his letter.

He said his comments were backed up by the transcript of the press briefing, a copy of which he attached to his letter to the former President to "negate any intention on my part to malign all the retired generals many of whom I hold in high respect."

Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman said today they are recommending the cancellation of the implementation of the Stock Distribution Option (SDO) being implemented by the Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) based on the findings of the HLI task force and the legal team created by the DAR.

At a media briefing this afternoon in Malacanang, Pangandaman said the joint terminal report submitted last week by the task force and legal team found out that there have been violations in the implementation of the SDO at Hacienda Luisita.

Pangandaman said they will evaluate further the terminal report before endorsing it to the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) secretariat with the corresponding recommendation to cancel the implementation of the SDO.

He said the task force report showed that the living condition of the farmers, who have been long tilling the sugar lands of Hacienda Luisita, has gone from better to worse with the implementation of the SDO.

"So, ito iyong conclusion ng aming findings para ibasura at sana ma-sustain po ng Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) executive committee para maipatupad na po iyong land acquisition and distribution program dito sa Hacienda Luisita," Pangandaman said.

The government’s Energy Audit Team reported today savings of 23 percent in energy and 13 percent in fuel by the Office of the President (OP) under the energy conservation (Enercon) initiative launched by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in response to the spiraling world oil prices.

In a press briefing this afternoon at the Palace, Enercon chairmen Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Waldo Flores and Energy Undersecretary Peter Abaya updated media on the status of the government’s Enercon program.

Flores said their team has already made spot checks on 26 government agencies, five of which received excellent grades equivalent to a 5-star rating.

The top raters, he said, include the Department of Energy (DOE) 96%; Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), 95%; Department of Agriculture (DA), 94%, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), 92%; and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), 90%.

Two government agencies, Flores said, received failing grades -- the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Department of Health (DOH).

During their spot inspection at the DBM and DOH, Abaya said they noted that the two agencies continue their heavy use of their air-conditioners between 12 noon and 1:00 p.m. that constitutes disregard of the guidelines that they turn their aircons to "fan" only during the period.

"We also received reports that their aircons were operating even after 6:30 p.m. in violation of the same guidelines," Abaya added.

Flores also reported that their team has updated their inventory of luxury vehicles of agencies which will be passed shortly to the Commission on Audit (COA) before disposing the vehicles via public auction.

Cars to be auctioned, he said, range from Land Cruisers, Ford Châteaus, Expeditions, Cadillacs and Lincolns to Rolls-Royce units.

He also noted that illegal and private use of government vehicles during weekends has drastically been reduced after President Arroyo ordered the implementation of an energy conservation program to help cushion the impact of the soaring prices of crude oil in the world market.

Malacanang today announced the appointment of seven more members of the Consultative Commission (Con-Com), the body created recently and tasked to review the 1987 Philippine Constitution and propose amendments to the charter.

The Con-Com now has 48 members even after one nominee, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte declined his nomination and another member, Bro. Rolando Dizon resigned for personal health reasons.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita announced the seven additional members to the Con-Com in his weekly press briefing at the Palace today.

The new members include Court of Appeals Justice Omar Amir, Atty. Andres Bautista, Noel Cariño, Atty. Raul Lambino, Liberato Laus, Sister Luz Emmanuel Soriano and Betty Lourdes Tabanda.

Executive Order 453 which created the Con-Com provides that the body shall have at most 50 members, but Ermita said the President "has all the leeway to increase the number should it become necessary."

Justice Amir, an incumbent Court of Appeals magistrate has undertaken advanced studies on Continuing Legal Education Program of Instruction for Lawyers (PIL) from Harvard Law School in the United States.

An alumnus of the University of Santo Tomas, Atty. Bautista is a member of the Governing Board, Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Office and Vice President for Academic Affairs of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa).

Cariño is the senior vice president of Fil-Estate Realty Corporation, the president of the War Against Poverty Foundation (WAPF) and founder of the Kilusan at Ugnayan ng Maralitang Pasigueño, Inc (KUMPAS) and Lakas Pilipino.

Atty. Lambino is a Professor of Law at the University of the East (UE) College of Law and University of Pangasinan College of Law in Dagupan City where he graduated Cum Laude (AB in Political Science). He also earned his Masters in Business Administration at the University of the Philippines (UP), Diliman in 2001.

Laus is board chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Laus Group of Companies and received the Presidential Award for his outstanding achievement as entrepreneur. He also served as director of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).

Sr. Luz is president of the Philippine Council for Peace and Global Education (PCPGE). She graduated Magna Cum Laude (Bachelor of Science in Education) from Assumption College.

Atty. Tabanda is corporate secretary and legal counsel of the Child and Family Service Philippines, Inc. He graduated Cum Laude (Bachelor of Laws) in addition to his Masters in Political Science degree, both at the Baguio Colleges Foundation in Baguio City.