The Senate report is political harassment of the highest order. There is nothing in the facts that links the President to the fertilizer fund.

The determination of whether the threats have been contained, and the probability of resurgence, will rest upon information and assessments rendered.

The security situation in the country during the next 24 hours will determine whether or not the state of national emergency--now on its seventh day--will be lifted immediately or at a later date.

Indications, however, are that the three government agencies ordered by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to make an assessment of the overall security situation will recommend the lifting of Presidential Proclamation 1017, or the state of national emergency.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez told members of the media this noon in Malacanang his team is leaning towards "recommending the lifting (of PP 1017) to the President."

Yesterday, the President directed Gonzalez, Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz and Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Arturo Lomibao to determine whether the security situation throughout the country already warrants the lifting of Proclamation 1017.

For his part, Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye also said that the determination of whether the threats against the country’s security have been contained, and the probability of resurgence, will rest upon the information and assessments of concerned authorities.

"All may rest assured that the President will act in the best interest of our people," Bunye said.

The Gonzalez-Cruz-Lomibao team was given 24 to 72 hours to submit their recommendations to the President following the failed coup against the government by Leftist rebels, military adventurists and opposition politicians.

The attempt to topple the administration was timed with the celebration of the 20^th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution last week.

"If (the situation) continues to normalize, we will recommend the lifting" of PP 1017, Cruz said.

"I am confident domestic tranquility will continue to normalize," Lomibao said.

Gonzalez, however, pointed out that the final decision on when PP 1017 would be lifted rests entirely with the President.

"It will be a judgment call of the President, who has other sources of information but we are sure she is aware of the present situation," Gonzalez said.

The three officials stressed that their agencies will remain vigilant, with or without PP 1017.

Cruz said the assessment made by his department was based on the report of AFP chief of staff Gen. Generoso Senga, who said that the problem in the Marines and Scout Rangers headquarters had been resolved.

"The plotters that sought to undermine the government have been thwarted…a significant number of them have been exposed and we continue to monitor developments even after the situation subsides," Gonzalez said.

"We can now get back to our important mission of serving the majority," Lomibao said.

Malacaņang branded today the Senate report linking President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the so-called fertilizer fund scam as "political harassment of the highest order."

Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye said in a statement there is nothing in the facts that links the President to the fertilizer fund.

"We have nothing to hide but we will not stoop down to the level of media grandstanding," he stressed

Bunye was reacting to the report of the Senate committee on agriculture and food and the blue ribbon panel that the President should be held accountable for the alleged misuse of the P728 million fund.

The report said the President must "take it upon herself to institute measures to correct the flaws in her administration."

The Senate committee recommended the filing of plunder charges against former Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo and former Undersecretary Jocelyn "Joc-joc" Bolante.

Agriculture Secretary Domingo Panganiban welcomed the findings of the Senate joint panel, saying this is the time for those named in the report to shed light on the same issue in the proper forum.

Malacanang likened today the peso to the average Filipino: resilient, optimistic and forward looking that it has been able to weather destabilization moves by foes of the Arroyo administration from the Left, Right and the political opposition.

Press Secretary and concurrent Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye came up with this simile to describe the continuing surge of the peso against the US dollar despite the political crisis churned up by anti-Arroyo forces.

While the peso sagged a bit in the wake of last Friday’s rumble that marred the 20^th anniversary of EDSA 1 People Power Revolution, it rebounded on Monday, the first trading day after the Friday that was.

Yesterday (Wednesday), the peso hit P51.38-$1, the highest surge in three and a half years.

Bunye has time and again said that Filipinos are sick and tired of destabilization moves, that they are no longer shaken by coup rumors and would rather focus on improving their lives.

"The peso, like the average Filipino, has surmounted destabilization moves and continues to maintain a positive outlook," he said.

Economists and market analysts said that after its value against the US currency dropped a bit following the President’s declaration of a state of national emergency last week, the peso has bounced back stronger.

People in the know are simply ignoring the current self-defeating political wrestling.

The discovery of the coup plot against the President last Friday pulled the peso down to 52.30 to $1.

But as the political noise continues to dissipate, market analysts said the peso would further strengthen and may even hit the P50-$1 level.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has attributed the strengthening of the peso to continuing foreign exchange inflows and the bullish regional currency market.

Malacanang said the holding of the National Manpower Summit which kicked off this morning at the Manila Hotel shows that the government will not be distracted from its primary mission to serve the needs of the people.

Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye said in a statement this afternoon that this objective is in line with the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) of the Arroyo administration which seeks to enhance key employment generators and reduce structural unemployment or jobs and skills mismatch.

The summit, according to the Department of Labor and Employment, will focus its attention on industries or sectors that are considered key employment generators.

These sectors are e-services, mining, health services, agribusiness, hotel and restaurant, medical tourism, aviation, creative industries, and overseas employment.

For these sectors, the summit intends to produce an Action Plan to identify the in-demand jobs and provide for active linkages among schools, training institutions, and industries in generating the human resources needed by emerging industries in the country and the rest of the world.

Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas said the summit will mobilize the country’s cyber services sector following the launching last year of the 600-mile cyber service corridor from Luzon to the Visayas and Mindanao.

The cyber services sector, Sto. Tomas said, has been singled out as the fastest growing sector of the economy in terms of output and employment.

Commissioner Damian Domingo Mapa of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) said with the measures to produce the right workers, the cyber services industry’s total employment capacity is projected to grow to 1.083 million by 2010 from the 163,000 workers employed in 2005.

Mapa recommended improvements in education and training like teaching English, the language of global services and communications in four years of college, and enforcing "English only zones" among the country’s high schools.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo congratulated today the Department of Finance, particularly the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for surpassing its monthly revenue collection target.

In a round table discussion in Malacanang with Finance Secretary Margarito Teves and BOC Commissioner Napoleon Morales, the President noted that since her appointment of Morales last January, the BOC collection has improved considerably, allowing it to surpass its revenue collection target.

"Mula noong siya (Morales) ay maging commissioner ng Customs nitong Enero at Pebrero 2006, nalampasan ng Aduana (BOC) ang target na koleksyon. Kumpara sa Enero at Pebrero 2005, mas mataas ng mahigit kalahating bilyong piso ang nalikom sa unang dalawang buwan ng taong ito," the President said.

In February this year, the BOC exceeded its monthly revenue collection target, posting P12.488 billion which was P206 million over the P12.282 billion target for the month. The total collection was also P3.272 billion higher than the P9.216 billion collected for the same month last year.

The BOC also surpassed its January target by P313 million, collecting P12.396 billion compared to the target of P12.083 billion.

The Port of Batangas and the Port of Manila posted the highest collections, surpassing their revenue targets by P707 million and P404 million, respectively, for January-February 2006.

The two ports exceeded their combined targets by P2.1 billion for the first two months of the year.

Collections from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) also breached the monthly target for the first time this year.

The BOC, according to President Arroyo, is going on with its campaign to weed out corrupt officials.

As of today, at least 52 cases of graft and corruption had been filed by the BOC against corrupt employes with two others set to be filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The President said the economy continues to improve as a result of her revenue and economic reform measures implemented a month ago.

She also revealed that the budget circular for the P1,000 additional compensation (ADCOM) of all national government workers has been released by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Last Tuesday, the President announced in a round table discussion with her key economic managers that she signed Administrative Order No. 144 that would provide P1,000 across the board additional monthly compensation to all employes of the national government, including military and uniformed personnel, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2006.

She said the budget circular amounting to P3.4 billion will be sent to the different agencies on or before March 15 "so that the state workers can receive the P3,000 total ADCOM, retroactive since January."

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo inducted this afternoon the newly- elected officials of the Liberal Party (LP) during its national assembly attended by some 500 members at the Manila Hotel.

Manila Mayor and erstwhile party Chairman Lito Atienza was unanimously elected party president who promised to work for the stability of the country.

"The challenge is given and the answer is yes, we will work for the stability of the nation," Atienza said in his acceptance speech.

Also elected were Presidential Chief of Staff Secretary Mike Defensor as LP chairman; Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr., vice chairman; and Ilocos Sur 2^nd District Representative Eric Singson, executive vice president.

Others elected were Quirino Rep. Junie Cua, vice president for external affairs; Northern Samar Rep. Harlene Abayon, VP for policy, platform and advocacy; Oriental Mindoro 1^st District Rep. Rodolfo Valencia, VP for Luzon; Antique Governor Salvacion Saldivar-Perez, VP for Visayas; Malabon-Navotas Rep. Ricky Sandoval II, VP for the National Capital Region; and Laguna 3^rd District Rep. Danton Bueser, VP for sectors.

The President’s Chief Legal Counsel, Secretary Antonio Eduardo Nachura was elected LP secretary general; Ambassador to Greece Rigoberto Tiglao as deputy secretary general; Quezon 3^rd District Rep. Danilo Suarez, treasurer; Aklan Rep. Florencio Miraflores, deputy treasurer; Ifugao Rep. Solomon Chungalao, party legal counsel; Capiz 2^nd District Rep. Fredenil Castro, party spokesperson; Manila 3^rd District Rep. Miles Andrew Roces, party deputy spokesperson; Eleazar Quinto, director general; and Batanes Governor Vicente Gato, chairperson for the Council of Local Chief Executives.

The LP, through Mayor Atienza, earlier handed to the President a resolution expressing the party’s "unequivocal support to the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, the rule of law, and the duly elected officials of the government."

"Resolved finally, that the Liberal Party declares its support to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her administration," said Atienza, who read the resolution.

The President congratulated the newly elected LP officials and thanked them for expressing their support.