President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo hand-carried today P14 million donations to the government’s relief and rehabilitation efforts in the villages in St. Bernard, Southern Leyte devastated by a massive avalanche last Friday.

Before flying from Villamor Air Base in Pasay City this morning to the disaster area, the President accepted the donations from civic organizations, foundations, business firms and the government of Thailand for the victims of the tragedy.

Korea’s Han Jin Heavy Industries and Construction Co., Limited, represented by director and general manager Jong Sup Shim and consultant George Aquino, handed over a check for P8 million to the President.

Also present was Bacolod City Representative Monico Puentevella.

Metrobank Foundation executive vice president Aniceto Sobrepeņa handed over to the President P1 million as the bank’s contribution to the rescue and relief effort.

The President also received P5 million from Thailand Ambassador Asha Dvitiyananda as his government’s contribution to the rescue and relief operations.

The Chief Executive expressed deep appreciation for the outpouring of sympathy and assistance for the disaster victims coming from foreign governments, private groups and individuals both here and abroad.

The President was deeply affected by what she saw at Barangay Guinsaugon, and the enormous work that still needs to be done to uncover the school and homes buried underneath the mud, rocks, and soil.

We respect the principle of check and balance but we will not allow the Executive to be libeled and insulted by grandstanding inquisitors.

EO 464 is not intended to cloak or cover up wrongdoing but to protect the dignity of the Executive branch just as the other great branches of government—the Judiciary and the Legislative— are zealous in protecting their own.

The President has commended the PNP and the AFP for a successful operation leading to the arrest of Lt. Lawrence San Juan and his two other cohorts.

We are saddened by the fact that some young officers with promising military careers have been misled. But we are even more saddened to hear of reports of alliances between these mutineers and the NPA (New People’s Army). For here are sworn defenders of freedom in uniform apparently consorting with leftist revolutionaries. This form of treason is unforgivable.

Our people are wise to the spread of coup rumors and black propaganda as feeble attempts of a disgruntled, unproductive few to grab public attention through the media.

Saying the spirit of EDSA 1 lives, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo asserted today Filipinos do not need another EDSA People Power Revolution to show their love for country and fellow Filipinos, or for soldiers to establish their heroic credentials.

"What we need to do is to remember our duties as soldiers are disciplined to remember their duties," the President said after the wreath-laying ceremony marking the start of the four-day celebration of the 20^th anniversary of the EDSA 1 People Power Revolution.

She noted that the quest for the "spirit of EDSA" has become a familiar February refrain. "Some say it’s gone and proceed to issue obituaries for dreams lost, opportunities squandered, promises failed. Others contend even that we are worse of since the millions rushed to the barricades during those four days" in February 1986 when the nation came together to overthrow the dictatorship and restore democracy.

She took a swipe at "apostles of permanent revolution" who, if they have their way, would "dig trenches on EDSA to perpetuate its memory."

The spirit of EDSA 1 lives, the President said. "Whenever we rush to the side of a neighbor in need, a community in distress or a stranger in despair, we relieve the spirit which made EDSA possible."

The spirit of EDSA is alive in St. Bernard, "where citizens use their bare hands to claw the earth to rescue kith and kin. The same people who relied on themselves to save democracy from being entombed are the same people using their own hands to save the lives of people buried by mud," she added.

But the President pointed out that there is a time for everything.

Quoting the Good Book in Ecclesiastes, she said:

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what’s planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away, and a time to gather stones;

"A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to gain and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silent, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."

What doesn’t go out of season is "the time to serve," she stressed.

The President also paid tribute to the heroism shown by plain citizens as well as members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the ongoing rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations in disaster-stricken St. Bernard.

In Barangay Guinsaugon, the hardest hit village in the tragedy, EDSA spirit is alive as soldiers bivouac through the night so together with the people trapped in the darkness they can see the light of dawn.

"The same love for their fellow Filipinos which led our soldiers to rendezvous with people for one final push twenty years ago, is still what motivates our soldiers today to come to the side of the people when they are called," the President said.

With the Chief Executive at the wreath-laying rites at the Tomb of the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City were Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz Jr. and AFP chief of staff Gen. Generoso Senga.

ST. BERNARD, Southern Leyte -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo instructed today the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Social Security System (SSS) to extend all possible assistance to the victims of the massive avalanche that struck this sleepy town, particularly Barangay Guinsaugon, last Friday.

The President issued the directive during her visit here this morning to assess the damage wrought by the landslide and inspect the government’s relief and rehabilitation efforts.

"I think it is important that the victims avail themselves of loans. So GSIS and SSS will extend emergency loans," President Arroyo said.

Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye said the President was deeply affected by what she saw at Barangay Guinsaugon, and the enormous work that still needs to be done to uncover the school and homes buried underneath the mud, rocks, and soil.

"The President has instructed the different departments to start the spadework for shelter, livelihood, and post-trauma counseling for those affected by the landslide," Bunye added.

GSIS president Winston Garcia, who was among those accompanying the President, said that his department would comply with the Chief Executive’s directive as long as those who will avail themselves of loans are bonafide government employees directly affected by the landslide.

"We will help those victimized by the landslide as long as they are GSIS members. We will extend all the assistance that we can give," Garcia said, adding that housing, salary, emergency and calamity loans will be made available.

"All the benefits of a true GSIS member will be given to them. In addition, we will give them financial assistance," Garcia said.

He also said he has instructed his people to go around the disaster-stricken barangay to look for victims who may avail of the loans.

"So far, my people have found 12 possible victims who could be eligible for the above mentioned loans," he said.

Latest figures compiled by the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) pegged the number of bodies retrieved from the disaster site at 107, with 55 injured persons, and 980 still missing.

Aside from Garcia, the President was accompanied by Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, National Disaster Coordinating Council Executive Director Glenn Rabonza, Agriculture Secretary Domingo Panganiban, and Presidential Adviser on Jobs Generation Arthur Yap.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo commended today the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police for the successful operation leading to the arrest of renegade Army 1^st Lt. Lawrence San Juan and his two cohorts Tuesday in Padre Garcia, Batangas.

Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said in a statement the government is leaving to the proper authorities the filing of appropriate charges against San Juan.

"We hope that his arrest would serve as warning to his fellow fugitives that the long arm of the law will eventually catch up with all of them," he said, referring to three other Magdalo officers who escaped with him early this year.

The four were in detention along with several other renegade officers of the failed mutiny in July 2003 when they escaped from Fort Bonifacio last January.

Bunye said the government is saddened by the fact that some young officers with promising military careers have been misled.

"But we are even more saddened to hear reports of alliances between these mutineers and the New People’s Army," he added, referring to reports that San Juan was intercepted after attending a meeting with top NPA leaders in nearby Rosario town also in Batangas.

Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye defended Executive Order No. 464 today, saying it is not intended to cover up any wrongdoing but to protect the dignity of the executive branch.

"We respect the principle of check and balance but we will not allow the Executive to be libeled and insulted by grandstanding inquisitors," he said in a statement.

He pointed out that the other branches of government – the judiciary and the legislative – were similarly zealous in protecting their dignity.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued EO 464 last September following the intense grilling of National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales in the Senate on the Venable contract.

Invoking national security, Gonzales refused to answer certain questions of some senators for which he was cited for contempt and held under the custody of the Senate sergeant at arms.

EO 464 prohibits key government officials from appearing in any congressional hearing without the President’s consent.

EO 464 underscores the need to ensure the observance of the principle of separation of powers, adherence to the rule on executive privilege and respect for the rights of public officials appearing in inquiries in aid of legislation.

The executive order also cites the need to prevent such inquiries in aid of legislation from being used for partisan political purposes.

The Supreme Court has started hearings on the Senate’s petition to declare the executive order as unconstitutional.

"We leave the fate of this issue to the Supreme Court and we are confident it will rule with wisdom and with the interest of the nation in mind," Bunye said.

As the high court’s hearing on EO 464 entered its second day today, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago said the Supreme Court is likely to rule EO 464 constitutional provided its application is limited to certain topics that are closed to congressional investigation.

A constitutional law expert, Santiago cited the 1998 case of Chavez v. PCGG in which the Supreme Court listed four topics which cannot be investigated by Congress.

Malacanang appealed today to the media to be vigilant against rebels and insurgents who wish to cause harm to the people by spreading wild rumors particularly on coup attempts and black propaganda across the airwaves.

Press Secretary and concurrent Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye said the people are tired of destabilization and have become wise to discern the truth and dismiss these rumors as attempts by a few disgruntled people out to grab power.

"Our people are wise to the spread of coup rumors and black propaganda as feeble attempts of a disgruntled, unproductive few to grab public attention through the media," Bunye said in a statement.

"But, still we call on the media to exercise vigilance against rebels and insurgents who wish to cause our people harm through destabilization and by spreading wild rumors across the airwaves," he added.

Likewise, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita urged destabilizers to "reconsider their position" and discern if what they are doing is good for the country.

In his regular press briefing this afternoon, Ermita said coup rumors and black propaganda spread by the President’s critics and detractors is not doing the economy any good.

He cited Tuesday’s slight fall of the peso and the slide down of the stock market amid rumors of a coup.

ST. BERNARD, Southern Leyte -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered today geologists and the local government of Southern Leyte to immediately conduct aerial surveys and come up with a proper assessment of the land status of the province to avert a repeat of the tragic landslide that hit this town last Friday.

"Please ask them (geologists) to conduct the survey on the whole province," the President said during a briefing here on the extent of the damages wrought by the landslide.

She also said landslide-prone areas must be immediately inspected to warn residents against looming disaster.

Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Ryuichiro Yamazaki informed the President that two technical experts from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) are already in the country and will do an aerial survey of the province on Thursday in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways.

After her briefing, the President met with the victims' relatives of the landslide that as of this afternoon had already claimed the lives of 107 people.

SPO1 Larry Binondo, a resident of St. Bernard, lost his wife and four children to the landslide but said he came back to the disaster site to meet the President.

CEBU CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cited today the men and women of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) for their contribution to nation-building and their mature approach to the spirit and legacy of EDSA People Power 1.

Addressing the 18th PBSP Visayas Annual Membership Meeting held at the Casino Espanol de Cebu here, the President cited the organization for supporting her projects to help the poor.

"EDSA 1 has become an enduring part of our history. You honor the struggle of EDSA by bringing justice to the people. You demonstrate the transformed and mature fight for economic and social justice since EDSA 1," she said.

The President recalled that since its establishment in 1970, PBSP has created "positive change without going outside the system."

She also said two EDSA People Power events have happened in the country and were accepted by the Filipino people and the world community.

But if the opposition and her critics would insist on another EDSA uprising, the Filipino people will not tolerate it and the world will condemn the Philippines.

"The people are tired of continuous politics and want to settle into a system that is focused on fundamental and social reform without having to take to the streets to achieve that goal," she said.

She pointed out that "political revolution without economic evolution is meaningless."

"I have picked up the standard of EDSA 1, moving to free our nation of the petty politics which too often grips it," she said.

She said that since assuming the presidency, she launched drastic measures to unite the Filipino people who have been divided by political bickerings and squabbles.

"More importantly, I have freed the nation from the grip of debt and an outdated economic model and have launched a modern economy that invests in the people and will leave our nation stronger, not weaker," she stressed.

The President also urged the leaders of PBSP to continue helping her administration in the battle against poverty and pursue the gains generated by fiscal and economic reforms.

The country's economy is on the right track, the Philippine peso is getting stronger against the US dollar, investments continue to pick up, there is a rising business outlook, inflation is under control, the budget deficit is way below target and savings are up, the tourism industry is creating more job opportunities; and the stock market remains bullish, she said.

"Our vision is permanent political and economic stability to take us to the threshold of the First World in twenty years," she added.

The President congratulated the PBSP for showing its concerns for the victims of the landslide in St. Bernard town in Southern Leyte.

In his message, PBSP chairman and PLDT president Manuel V. Pangilinan informed the President that PBSP, in partnership with Gawad Kalinga, will build 100 homes free of charge for the victims of St. Bernard landslides.

Earlier, the President visited the devastated town to personally supervise the ongoing search and retrieval operations being conducted by the volunteers from the different government agencies and countries like the United States, Spain, Taiwan and Malaysia.

Founded in 1970 by 50 business leaders, PBSP is a corporate-led social development foundation dedicated to the promotion of business sector leadership and commitment to social development.

Since its founding, PBSP has harnessed partnerships among business and government groups, non-government organizations (NGOs), donor institutions and poverty groups to expand the impact and relevance of its assistance to the underprivileged sectors like landless farmers, fisherfolk, rural workers, urban poor and indigenous cultural communities.

After addressing the PBSP annual meeting, the President walked to the adjacent Madrid Room of the Casino and administered the oath of office of the newly-elected officials of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas-Cebu chapter.

From Casino Espanol de Cebu, the President motored to Malacanang sa Sugbu and administered the oath of office of newly appointed Cabinet Secretary Angelo Reyes of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), former Camarines Sur Representative and now Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr., and Secretary Esperanza Cabral, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Financial assistance for victims of the tragic mudslide in Southern Leyte is nearing the P100 million mark as cash donations from both the international and domestic communities continue to come in.

Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Deputy Administrator Antonio Golez Jr. disclosed in a press briefing presided by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita in Malacanang this afternoon that funds for the relief and rehabilitation efforts in Southern Leyte had reached over P93 million.

About P84.7 million of this cash donation came from neighboring and allied countries and P8.6 million from local donors Golez said.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) estimated agricultural and infrastructural damages in the Southern Leyte mudslide at about P114 million.

"Today is Day 5 after the tragedy that happened in Southern Leyte. The chances of survival is getting slim every day that passes. But the spirit and morale of our people on the field are still high in the hope of getting more survivors," Golez said.

The NDCC said that as of noon today, 107 bodies had been recovered from the pile of mud, 44 of which had been identified.

The number of injured victims remained at 19 while 900 are still missing. Some 560 people survived the tragedy that hit Barangay Guinsaugon in St. Bernard town the hardest.

"Governor Rosette Lerias will decide whether to shift the ongoing search, rescue and retrieval efforts to just retrieval operations in the area," Golez said.

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Undersecretary Celia Yangco reported that there are still four evacuation centers around the area of St. Bernard giving shelter to families living in the neighboring barangay that was also affected by the tragedy.

"You will note that most of the people in the evacuation centers are not from Barangay Guinsaugon because they are from the neighboring barangays who had been asked to evacuate also in the light of the continuing assessment being done by our colleagues," Yangco said.

Part of the assistance came from the corporate community such as the P1 million donation from the Manila Bulletin.