The steadiness of the markets amidst political turmoil is a constant signal that even as we keep the economy at the forefront of our concerns, we must sustain the clampdown on underground conspiracies until these are completely mopped up and wiped out.

We are determined to clean out residual threats of destabilization with the heaviest arsenal of Constitutional measures we can muster, and with full regard for human rights, whatever our critics say or do to twist the meaning and legitimacy of our actions.

The people have suffered enough and I am no longer willing to preside over chronic destabilization disguised as lawful political action. One comprehensive, continuing sweep will deal with rightist coup plotters and left wing insurgents and there will no longer be ifs and buts about it.

The choice is either to keep this nation up and about in its business, or to allow it to wallow and fester under intensive care.

I have made the decision to take the Philippines out of sick bay permanently and we will deal with those who stand in the way with the strong hand of the law.

We believe the people can clearly see through this ploy and will not be fooled.

This is just another attempt at dirty tricks and psychological manipulation. The alleged break-in supposedly took place in January 2005. Why is this being revealed only now?

Fundamental political change is long overdue. That is why President Arroyo is grateful for the growing support for Charter Change amongst members of the House.

Truly, the people’s cry for reforms is loud and clear as they want a cure to the malignancy of the present system.

On our part, we will stay on course in providing information to the people on what Charter Change is all about and how it can improve their lives. We shall go to the farthest barangays in our country and inform them of the choices they could make.

The administration assures Archbishop Angel Lagdameo that the President has the concerns of our workers at heart. She has recently launched the Strong Family Program wherein the head of the family will be given ample livelihood or employment opportunities.

This is a joint program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and other agencies of government. We are pleased to note that industrial peace continues to reign as the spirit of tripartism and voluntary arbitration keeps the number of strikes to a record low.

The ongoing revamp at the Bureau of Customs shows the Lateral Attrition Law at work.

The revamp will affect only those who have consistently under- performed despite having the opportunity to improve collection efficiency.

The BOC leadership will also keep an eye out for district officers and personnel who have reached, if not surpassed, their targets as eligible for rewards under the same law.

Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor said today initial result of the ongoing revision of the ballots for vice president in Cebu in the 2004 election clearly repudiates well-worn opposition allegations against the legitimacy of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo victory in the 2004 polls.

He said that the Presidential Election Tribunal (PET), which is hearing the election protest filed by former Sen. Loren Legarda against Vice President Noli de Castro, has already completed the revision of 40 percent of the 7,744 protested precincts from the province of Cebu and no evidence of election fraud has been noted.

Defensor said that based on the information he obtained from Atty. Romulo Macalintal, except for "some insignificant administrative lapses, the revision reveals no election irregularities committed in Cebu that could materially affect the votes of the President and Vice President Noli de Castro."

Macalintal is the election lawyer of both the President and the Vice President.

"The clear evidence of election fraud manifested in the revision of ballots from the province of Cebu in the ongoing election protest of former Sen. Loren Legarda against Vice President Noli de Castro is the best evidence that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo won fair and square in the 2004 presidential polls," Defensor said.

"Hence, those who cannot resist entertaining some doubts on the legality of President Arroyo’s victory should only look objectively on the election protest of Legarda instead of making a bare and baseless reliance on the alleged "Garci tape" which is even inadmissible in evidence," he added.

Overall, the President won by a 1.2 million vote margin over Fernando Poe Jr. In Cebu province and Cebu City, where the bulk of her winning margin came from, the President won by one million two hundred thousand votes over FPJ.

"To overcome the 1.2 million vote lead of the President, her detractors are trying to discredit the President’s one million vote lead in Cebu, with baseless and speculative arguments despite the fact that based on official reports from Vice President de Castro’s revision at the PET, no hard evidence of fraud and other irregularities had been discovered to invalidate even a single ballot of the President," Defensor said.

Defensor quoted Macalintal as saying that with "Legarda’s apparent failure to prove the massive poll frauds alleged in her protest which were the same allegation in the protest of FPJ and by the opposition, there is likewise no evidence of election frauds that could be charged against the President since the ballots now being revised by the PET are the same ballots used for the presidential elections."

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija — If there’s one thing that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wants to make clear to those wishing to topple the government at all cost, it is that her administration would no longer tolerate chronic destabilization disguised as lawful political action.

In what is seen as her strongest denunciation of those standing in the way of the country’s progress, the President vowed today to wipe out the residual threats of destabilization "with the heaviest arsenal of Constitutional measures" the government can muster.

"The people have suffered enough and I am no longer willing to preside over chronic destabilization disguised as lawful political action," the President said while addressing officers and enlisted personnel of the armed forces in a program here this morning.

Occasion was the ceremonial distribution of land titles to deserving soldiers under the program "Pangkabuhayang Gawad sa Makabagong Army" at the PGMA Fort Magsaysay Village in Sitio Pinaltakan, Barangay Caballero, Palayan City.

"One comprehensive, continuing sweep will deal with rightist coup plotters and leftist insurgents and there will be no longer any ifs or buts about it. The choice is either to keep this nation up and about in its business, or to allow it to wallow and fester under intensive care," she added.

The warning was supposed to be the general order and directive that President Arroyo would be giving to the top ranking officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in a meeting this afternoon.

But, the President decided to make the statement while expressing her gratitude to the loyal military troops who stayed behind the Chain of Command, the Constitution and to their Commander-in-Chief in the midst of the so-called "unholy collaboration" between the rightist military adventurists and communist insurgents.

"I have made the decision to take the Philippines out of sick bay permanently and we will deal with those who stand in the way with the strong hand of the law," she said.  

The President noted that the steadiness of the markets amidst political turmoil is a constant signal that even as the government keeps the economy at the forefront of its concerns, it must sustain the clampdown on underground conspiracies "until these are completely mopped up and wiped out."

"A strong economy steered by a strong government is our ticket to a better future," she stressed.

Malacaņang assured the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) today that the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is serious in safeguarding and protecting the Filipino workers.

This was the response of Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye to the call of Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, CBCP president, for the government to take care of the country’s workers.

"The administration assures Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, that the President has the concerns of our workers at heart," Bunye said in a statement.

To prove that the President is keen in resolving the problem, Bunye said she has launched the Strong Family Program (SFP) wherein the head of the family will be given ample livelihood and employment opportunities.

Last week, the President launched the Strong Family Program as one of the important structural foundations of the Strong Republic vision of her administration.

Under the program, the head of the family will be given a chance to look for and get assistance from the government to find a better job to support the financial needs of his family, health care assistance, and quality but affordable education in the global digital society.

SFP is a joint program of the Department of Labor and Employment DOLE), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and other agencies of government.

"We are pleased to note that industrial peace continues to reign as the spirit of tripartism and voluntary arbitration keeps the number of strikes to a record low," Bunye added.

Bunye also said that the President has already approved the P1,000 increase in the allowances of all government employees, more than a week before the Senate approved the bill granting the P2, 000 hike in the allowances of the state workers.

The P1,000 initial increase was released by some departments to their employees last Friday (March 10).

FORT MAGSAYSAY –President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cited today Vice President Noli de Castro, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Generoso Senga, the entire AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP) for their loyalty to the flag and their adherence to the Constitution.

The President voiced her appreciation to the Vice President and the uniformed services during the distribution of land titles this morning for the "Pangkabuhayang Gawad sa Makabagong Army – PGMA Fort Magsaysay Village in Sitio Pinaltikan, Barangay Caballero, Palayan City.

The President noted that the AFP and the PNP were the object of intense wooing by anti-government forces to join destabilization efforts against the government but they refused.

"I thank Vice President Noli de Castro, General Senga and the whole military for their loyalty to the flag, the Constitution and the commander-in-chief," she said.

"I also thank all those who refuse to join destabilization moves, our soldiers and our policemen. We are here together to work for a bright future. We will not surrender to those who want to destroy our future," she added.

During her visit to the camp, the President distributed land titles and key to the first 20 recipients of housing units inside the PGMA Fort Magsaysay Village.

A total of 4,500 lots have been set aside for the low-cost housing program of the Arroyo administration in the 60-hectare property in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija.

The President also awarded three certificates to operate Tindahan Natin in the Army camp to Remedios Badua, Erlinda Sangalang and Maj. Catalino Masa Jr., of the 7th Infantry Division (ID).

Aside from the Vice President, also present were Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Esperanza Cabral, Presidential Adviser on the Job Creation Secretary Arthur Yap, Nueva Ecija Governor Tomas Joson and Palayan City Mayor Romeo Capinpin.

Representing the military were AFP Chief Senga, Philippine Army (PA) commanding general Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) commander Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino, 2nd Infantry Division (ID) commander Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, Special Operations Command Chief Maj. Gen. Benito Ramos and Training and Doctrines Command chief Maj. Gen. Rudy Obaniana.

The housing project is a joint undertaking of the national government, AFP and Gawad Kalinga, the force behind the resurrected "bayanihan spirit" in the construction of housing units for military personnel.

Esperon said the PGMA Fort Magsaysay Village is one of 16 identified sites for government housing projects for military personnel and other government workers.

He also said that the President is scheduled to launch similar housing projects in Camp Peralta, Capiz and at a 15-hectare land in Malaybalay, Bukidnon.

The Chief Executive disclosed that about 30,000 houses will also be constructed at a 1,200-hectare property in San Miguel, Bulacan for the families of PNP and AFP personnel, teachers and other government workers.

The Bulacan property was donated to the government by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas which acquired it from Manila Bank as payment of the latter’s loan.

Malacaņang said today that the video allegedly showing several individuals replacing valid election returns kept at the House of Representatives for safekeeping was a canard meant to fool the people.

In a statement this morning, Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye branded the supposed break-in as "another attempt at dirty tricks and psychological manipulation."

"We believe the people can clearly see through this ploy and will not be fooled," he added.

Bunye questioned the timing of the reported break-in. "The alleged break-in supposedly took place in January 2005. Why is this being revealed only now?" he asked.

"We have already battled this issue to the bone and gone through the worst of unfounded allegations of election cheating. Those behind this canard should give the people a break," Bunye said.

A video reportedly taken by security officers of the House of Representatives in Batasan Hills, Quezon City between January and February 2005 allegedly showed six House civilian employes replacing valid election returns of the 2004 presidential elections.

The election returns were supposedly taken from a room at the South Wing of the Batasan complex.

The election returns cover 38 provinces, including Lanao del Sur, Southern Leyte, Negros Occidental and Benguet.

Bunye pointed out that charges of election cheating had already been discussed at length at the House of Representatives and the Senate.

CEBU CITY--- President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will deliver the keynote address at the Dialogue on Regional Interfaith Cooperation for Peace, Development and Human Dignity on Tuesday at the Shangri-La Mactan Hotel here.

Delegates to the dialogue come from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste, Malaysia and Fiji Islands.

The President has made interfaith dialogue and cooperation a cornerstone of her government’s search for peace in Mindanao.

The President is expected to discuss the importance of interfaith dialogue in the quest for lasting peace not only in the region but also in the world.

The Philippines initiated the holding of interfaith dialogue when she chaired the opening session of the United Nation (UN) general assembly in June 2005. The first Conference on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace took place at the UN Headquarters in New York City.

In September 2005, during the 60th Session of the UN General Assembly. The President addressed the Informal Meeting of Leaders on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace where she urged world leaders to promote peace and development through interfaith dialogue.

The Cebu Dialogue is a follow-on from the first Dialogue on Interfaith Cooperation Building and harmony held in Yogyakarta, Indomesia on Dec. 6-7, 2004,which was co-chaired by Indonesia and Australia.

The expected output of this dialogue will be the Cebu Declaration on Regional Interfaith Cooperation on Peace, Development and Human Dignity and Specific Country-Level Commitments. It will incorporate recommendations from the workshop themes on regional peace and security, development and human dignity, roles of education and media.

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, who will arrive today in the country for a four-day official visit, and the foreign ministers of Australia and Indonesia will give their respective messages while Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza will give the opening remarks.