This is a fight against terror and dictatorship as it is a fight for democracy and justice. For too long, the leadership of the revolutionary left has sought refuge in a foreign land while commanding and controlling the agents of terror in the Philippines engaged in murder, extortion, the use of child soldiers and the deployment of land mines.

The global community, including the United States and the European Union, are our strong allies against terror and both Mr. Sison and the New People’s Army (NPA) are in their lists.

CAUAYAN CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo thanked the people today for their support for the People’s Initiative of amending the Constitution, saying the more than eight million pro-Charter change signatures already gathered do not only justify the validity of Cha-Cha but open the possibility of a national plebiscite on the issue.

The President expressed her appreciation for the public endorsement of Charter change in her opening statement before the joint Cabinet and Regional Development Council (RDC) meeting this morning at the Isabela Hotel here.

"I am thanking all of you involved in the People’s Initiative for the eight million plus signatures supporting People’s Initiative as a legitimate issue. This gives the initiative and the constituent assembly a life of their own," the President told the governors, mayors and other local executives from Regions I, II, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and the provinces of Aurora and Nueva Ecija.

Malacaņang is supporting the People’s Initiative to amend the Constitution, saying the people’s right to speak and voice out their sentiments, especially on such a crucial issue as changing the Constitution, is enshrined in the Constitution.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) had declared that it has the budget to verify the authenticity of the more than eight million signatures collected, and prepare for the holding of a national plebiscite on the issue.

The proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution include clarifications on the parliamentary system, economic reforms and the shift from centralized to federal structure once the amendments are passed.

CAUAYAN CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo instructed Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya today to release P1 billion to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to finance their operations against the communist New People’s Army (NPA).

In her opening statement before the joint Cabinet and Regional Development Council (RDC) meeting at the Isabela Hotel here, the President said the amount is needed by the armed services in their fight against the communist insurgency especially in the countryside.

"I am instructing Secretary Andaya to release P1 billion to the AFP and PNP to finance operations versus the NPA. This is a fiscal investment that will yield peace dividends to the economy," she said.

The Chief Executive instructed the AFP and the PNP to work with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on matters relating to their operational requirements, including the procurement of military hardware for the anti-insurgency campaign.

"I am instructing the national security group to work with the DBM on selected hardware and funding, aside from the P5 billion per year for modernization that will give the armed forces a decisive edge against the NPA," she said.

In an interview, Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor said the President sees a timetable of one to two years to end the decades-long communist insurgency.

CAUAYAN CITY—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo underscored today the need for a strong partnership among the regions of the Philippines to boost the economic and market potentials of these areas and spur further development of the entire country.

In her message at the first mega-scale joint Cabinet and Regional Development Councils (RDCs) meeting held at the Isabela Hotel here, the President said the ongoing updating of the Medium Term Public Investment Program and her forthcoming State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) on July 24 are opportunities that could be used in a novel way to discuss development from the perspective of the regions.

"A good potential vehicle would be the ongoing revision of the Medium Term Public Investment Program and the forthcoming SONA, but used in a novel manner, rather than discuss the administration's vision from the usual central/national point of view, to discussing the vision/program from the perspective of the RDCs and other regional institutions," she said.

The President explained that the vision of her SONA should come from the perspective of the RDCs as her partners in governance.

The consultative planning would be done on a mega-scale with four multi-regional groupings--North Luzon which includes Regions 1, 2, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) plus Aurora and Nueva Ecija; Metro Luzon covering Regions 3, 4A and the National Capital Region (NCR); Central Philippines comprising Regions 4B, 5 to 8) and the Mindanao provinces.

The rationale behind an enlarged development area is that there would be greater economic and market potentials of the area compared to what each region could generate, as there would be complementation and synergies that would be more attractive to investors.

In addition, a larger resource base for each mega-region would be available for the delivery of basic social services and pump-priming infrastructure particularly for the poorer regions.

"What happens here is the richer regions would be supporting the poorer regions," Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo said.

"Today, we begin a renewed partnership with regional leaders to bolster education, invest in infrastructure and encourage greater investments all over the country such as logistics investments," the President said.

Malacanang welcomed today the support of former President Fidel V. Ramos for the growing clamor to change the 1987 Constitution via the People’s Initiative.

"We appreciate the support of the former President for Charter Change," Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said in a statement this morning. "At the end of the day, we believe that the growing clamor of the majority will become irresistible."

Bunye was reacting to the pronouncements of Ramos who has reportedly agreed to become a constitutional warrior of the Charter Change Advocacy Commission (Ad-Com) and personally witness the People’s Initiative to succeed.

Ad-Com Chairman Lito Monico Lorenzana said the former President and other members of the Ad-Com will join hands to drum up the largest possible support for People’s Initiative, one of three ways by which the Charter may be amended.

More than eight million signatures have already been gathered by Sigaw ng Bayan nationwide in support of the People’s Initiative, according to Lorenzana.

He said Ramos and the commission are one in pushing for amendments to the present Constitution that will enable Filipinos to break free from poverty, particularly on the proposed change from the present bicameral-presidential setup to a unicameral–parliamentary form of government.

"Our paramount concern has always been the national interest. That is why we both want to see the People’s Initiative being the only constitutional instrument left, make it to the Commission on Elections and the Supreme Court. By then, we can say that this is the first big step to victory," Lorenzana said.

JONES, Isabela – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo inaugurated today the P286-million Dalibubon bridge here as part of the government’s recognition of the significant role of bridges in national development.

The President arrived here at 10:00 a.m. on board the presidential helicopter from Cauayan City. She was welcomed by some 2,000 residents and national and local officials led by Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, Isabela 4th District Rep. Anthony Miranda, Jones Mayor Anthony Raspado, and Echague Mayor Leoncio Kiat.

The President led the inaugural drive-through and the unveiling of the marker at the foot of the 320-meter Dalibubon bridge which is the only route linking the municipalities of Jones and San Agustin and Barangay Ipil in neighboring Echague town.

The inaugurated bridge replaced the existing concrete overflow bridge across the Cagayan River which usually becomes impassable during the rainy season.

Residents welcomed the inauguration of the new bridge which would provide a quicker access not only for the commuting public but also for farmers transporting their agricultural products to the market.

CAUAYAN CITY -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today the government will invest P75 billion over the next three years to develop agribusiness in the mega-region composed of the provinces, cities and municipalities of Northern Luzon.

In her message at the Joint Cabinet-Regional Development Councils (RDCs) meeting held at the Isabela Hotel here, the President said that "the strength of Northern Luzon is agribusiness...the strongest way to fight poverty (in the area) is to concentrate on agribusiness investments in this area."

She specifically mentioned Ilocandia, or the Ilocano-speaking areas of Zambales, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, and Tarlac.

"This grouping goes beyond political boundaries and goes towards the direction of economic boundaries," the President said.

Aside from agribusiness, there are other areas within the mega-region which have strong potentials as tourist destinations, including the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). The Ilocos provinces and Baguio City could also be developed as business process outsourcing (BPO) havens, she added.

In his socio-economic report on North Luzon, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Director General Romulo Neri said that to fully harness the growth potentials of North Luzon, the national and local government units (LGUs) should forge a strong partnership in pursuing the following development strategies:

• maximizing the mega-region's proximity to China and Taiwan.
• harnessing the potentials of its watersheds and river basins.
• gearing up as food basket of Luzon and Metro Manila through agriculture and mariculture development.
• pursuing sustainable minerals development.
• enhancing the investment climate.
• addressing basic social development concerns, and,
• strengthening infrastructure support.

In strengthening infrastructure support for the super-region, the President underscored the need for a low-fare air cargo for agribusiness.

North Luzon is composed of 17 provinces, namely, Abra, Apayao, Aurora,Batanes, Benguet, Cagayan, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Kalinga, La Union, Mt. Province, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Pangasinan and Quirino, and the 15 cities of Alaminos, Baguio, Cabanatuan, Calasiao, Candon, Cauayan, Dagupan, Gapan, Laoag, Munoz, Palayan, San Fernando, San Jose, Santiago and Vigan.

The mega-region hosts 13 percent of the country's population in 2000, and one province is listed as one of the 10 poorest provinces -- Mt. Province.

"I congratulate Ifugao for graduating from the list (of 10 poorest provinces in the country) and as a super-region, we will all work together to make Mt. Province graduate (from the list)," the President said.

CAUAYAN CITY --- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will sign into law the bill scrapping the death penalty on June 24, the eve of her departure for Milan, Rome and Spain.

The President made the announcement in her opening message at the Joint Cabinet-Regional Development Councils (RDCs) meeting today at the Isabela Hotel here.

She said Saturday (June 24) is a "good day to sign the death penalty abolition not because it is the eve of my departure, but it is the feast of St. John the Baptist, who is a victim of death penalty in his time."

In a rare display of bicameral accord, the Senate and the House of Representatives readily agreed to strike down Republic Act 7659 or the Death Penalty Law early this month.

The common version of the bill is undergoing finishing touches before it is transmitted to Malacaņang for the President’s signature.

In 1993, Congress reimposed the death penalty by lethal injection for those convicted of heinous crimes.

CAUAYAN CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today that a command conference with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) would be held next week to monitor their collections in line with government efforts to help narrow the budget shortfall to P125 billion this year.

In her opening statement at the first joint Cabinet and Regional Development Councils (RDCs) meeting at the Isabela Hotel here, the President said the P5.8-billion surplus posted in May is the first in 20 years.

She, however, cautioned that a continuous monitoring of the government revenue agencies is necessary to attain the target shortfall of P125 billion and possibly balance the budget by 2008.

"We have made great fiscal gains with a P5.8-billion surplus for the month of May. It’s the first time in 20 years, but we will continue to monitor BIR and Customs. Next week, we will have a command conference with these revenue agencies," the President declared.

The P5.8-billion budget surplus in May helped narrow the budget gap of P44.2 billion for the first five months compared to the shortfall of P50 billion from January to April this year.

The BIR is now pushing for more tax initiatives, including the campaign against tax evaders, to meet its tax collection goal of P675.353 billion for 2006.

The BOC, meanwhile, has increased its collection target of P200 billion for this year, up from their original target of P190.5 billion.

Earlier, the President said narrowing the shortfall to P125 billion in 2006, the smallest in seven years, would help balance the budget by 2008.

Malacanang pointed out today that the case being readied against exiled Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Ma. Sison will expose him as "an enemy of democracy and freedom and not the oppressed political refugee that he portrays himself."

"This is a fight against terror and dictatorship as it is a fight for democracy and justice," Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said in a statement.

"For too long, the leadership of the revolutionary left has sought refuge in a foreign land while commanding and controlling the agents of terror in the Philippines engaged in murder, extortion, the use of child soldiers and the deployment of land mines," he pointed out.

Bunye made the statement in response to the claims of Sison that the murder charges set to be filed by the government against him were politically motivated and meant to deceive the people and divert their attention from the criminal culpabilities of the Arroyo regime "for electoral fraud, corruption, and gross human rights violations."

The murder charges to be filed against the communist leader stemmed from the killings of Romulo Kintanar, former chief of the CPP-led New People’s Army on Jan. 23, 2003 and Arturo Tabara, a former member of the CPP Military Commission and Political Bureau on Sept. 26, 2004.

The widows of the two ex-CPP and NPA leaders – Gloria Jopson-Kintanar and Veronica Tabara--claimed that Sison, as the chairman of the CPP, personally ordered the killing of their husbands.

Defense and Security officials said the murder charges would be filed in the Netherlands where Sison has been living in self-imposed exile since 1987.

Bunye pointed out that the global community, including the United States and the European Union, are strong allies of the Philippines in the campaign against terror, adding that both Sison and the NPA are in their lists.