President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is making charter reform her battle cry for the brighter future of the Philippines and has opened the great debate on the issue for every Filipino to participate in.

We have written the FOCAP expressing our regrets over the incident.

The supposed witnesses were already given their day before the Senate hearing but clearly proved nothing.

These new allegations are a desperate attempt to gain media mileage as the Senate is already on the verge of ending the inquiry.

Sulu and Tawi-Tawi Representatives Hussin U. Amin and Hj. Anuar J. Abubakar, respectively, have reiterated their support for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the light of the obtaining political crisis in the country.

The reiteration of support followed the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) before the joint opening session of the two houses of Congress last Monday at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City.

"President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has led and should continue to lead the country to full development and progress. Her leadership has shown that our country can indeed move forward and catch up with the developments of our more progressive neighbors in Asia," Amin said in a statement.

"I declare my unwavering belief in her leadership," he added and urged all Filipinos to rally behind her leadership and support her 10-point legacy agenda.

Amin said Filipinos "should never allow instability to take place especially at this time when we need a leadership which displays true political will in advancing the general interest of the country even at the expense of making unpopular decisions."

He also appealed to all "to be calm and sober amid this tempest and man-made storm. Let us be reasonable and not allow our emotions rule our minds. We should let the rule of law take its due course."

Tawi-Tawi lone district Rep. Abubakar, for his part, said "no matter what the destabilizers would hurl against you (PGMA)" he will always maintain his support for the President and her programs that are designed to benefit the Filipino people, "especially our constituents in Tawi-Tawi."

Abubakar said he fully appreciates the President’s accomplishments in the past four years especially for Muslim Mindanao.

The local officials of Iligan City and the 2^nd District of Sulu province have joined numerous other local officials all over the country who earlier expressed their unwavering support for the continued leadership of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The Association of Barangay Councils of Iligan City and the municipal mayors of Sulu’s 2^nd district stated in separate resolutions of support their firm belief that President Arroyo won the national elections in May 2004.

The Iligan City Council’s resolution noted that despite the destabilization moves of her detractors and the economic crisis, the President "continues implementing programs and projects for the welfare and common good of all citizens…"

The 10 mayors of the 2^nd district of Sulu said the President "has in her heart the sincere desire and conviction to improve the lives and welfare of the Filipino people, especially the poor, and lead the Philippines towards a bright future."

They called on the people "to unite and support the duly authorized and constituted authority, preserve the rule of law and safeguard our democracy."

Among the signatories of the Iligan City Council resolution were ABC president Bernard Pacana and ABC secretary Abungal Cauntongan.

Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye today clarified the reported "banning" of members of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) in yesterday’s press conference of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Malacanang.

Bunye said FOCAP members were not banned from the press conference.

In a prior telephone talk and letter to FOCAP president Carl Wilson, the Press Secretary explained that the press conference was only for 30 minutes and was planned only for the Malacanang Press Corps (MPC).

Bunye, who is also Presidential Spokesman, said a separate press conference of the President for the FOCAP is currently being arranged per his earlier talk with Wilson who also described the "banning" issue as "some sort of mix-up."

The President, Bunye said, had a series of scheduled meetings on Wednesday and could spare only 30 minutes to meet with the MPC, unlike her regular press conferences with them which normally last one hour to one and a half hours.

He said yesterday’s 30-minute allocation had to accommodate a brief statement of the President, a 25-minute question-and-answer portion and fast-paced photo sessions with the MPC, the palace photographers and the Malacanang cameramen.

The time squeeze, he said, was further compounded by the fact that 33 reporters signified their intention to ask their questions and was physically impossible to accommodate them all in just 25 minutes.

"We have written the FOCAP expressing our regrets over the incident" and "we are addressing the issues raised by the Palace Press Corps," Bunye said in his statement today.

The government is advising the public to take the necessary precautions against dengue and other diseases that are prevalent during the rainy season.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque issued the advice this morning during President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s visit to the Botika ng Bayan and Tindahan ni Gloria rolling store in Barangay Greater Lagro, Novaliches, Quezon City.

The Botika ng Bayan and Tindahan ni Gloria are selling medicines and basic commodities at much lower prices as part of government efforts to cushion the impact of price increases among the masses.

"Itong panahon na ito ay may kataasan ang bilang ng dengue cases kaya mas lalo kayong mag-iingat sa inyong mga nakaimbak na tubig (Dengue cases are usually high at this time and everybody should take all precautionary measures such as the proper storage of water)," Duque said.

Dengue is a flu-like viral disease spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes with often fatal complications common in most tropical areas of the world.

In an interview, Duque said everyone should properly cover their stored water and clean their surroundings of empty cans, rubber tires, and the like, as stagnant water is the favorite breeding ground of carrier mosquitoes.

Duque also said the reported dengue outbreak in Pangasinan is still being confirmed.

The municipal council of Binalonan town, according to the Health Secretary, immediately passed a resolution declaring a state of calamity after 16 school children, including six who were hospitalized, were suspected to have contracted the dreaded disease.

Duque said the school also declared a three-day holiday for the fumigation and other anti-dengue measures.

However, Duque said Binalonan Mayor Ramon Guico vetoed the town resolution as these cases were still being monitored.

Malacanang today branded the new jueteng allegations against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo by Lingayen Archbishop Oscar Cruz as desperate attempts to gain media mileage as the Senate is set to conclude shortly its inquiry into the illegal numbers games.

Archbishop Cruz said he has a new witness who claimed the President was present when former Lubao (Pampanga) Mayor Lilia Pineda, wife of alleged jueteng lord Rodolfo "Bong" Pineda, distributed P2 million each to Commission on Elections (Comelec) directors shortly before the May 2004 elections.

Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye said these new allegations are "desperate attempts to gain media mileage as the Senate is already on the verge of ending the inquiry" into the jueteng issue.

Bunye stressed the supposed witnesses presented by Cruz before the Senate hearings proved nothing that would suggest in any way the participation of the President in the illegal numbers game.

He advised the camp of Archbishop Cruz to stop his fishing expedition and instead help the government confront and resolve the real issues and problems the country faces, particularly the continued oil prices surge in the world market.

"It is time to move on and address the real business of economic and political reforms," Bunye added.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s push for a change to a parliamentary-federal form of government has received a much-needed boost from no less than Canada, a country with a rich parliamentary experience.

In support of the President’s vision, the Philippine Canadian Centre Foundation, together with the Canadian Embassy and the Forum of Federations based in Ottawa, Canada, will hold a conference on Canadian Parliamentary and Federal Form of Government on Aug. 11 to enrich the current discourse on the proposal to change the country’s form of government.

The conference, to be held at the EDSA Plaza Shangri-La, is expected to provide not only information to the public on the President’s proposal to Congress but also serve as a venue for discussion among the legislators and academe, according to organizers.

Education Undersecretary Mona Dumlao-Valisno said in a letter to the President that legislators led by Speaker Jose De Venecia as well as presidents and deans of universities are expected to attend.

Main speaker for the conference is Dr. Rey Pagtakhan, a renowned Filipino-Canadian former member of the Canadian parliament and Cabinet minister during the time of Prime Minister Jean Chretien.

Other speakers include Dr. Rupak Chattopadhyay from the Forum of Federations and Dr. J. Peter Meekison, University Professor Emeritus of Political Science of the University of Alberta.