PGMA's Speech during the Command Conference with the League of Cities at the International Conference on Safer Cities

Centennial Hall, Manila Hotel (21 April 2003)

I'm glad to have the opportunity to address you just after holy week, a time when a high level of community vigilance was needed. Our people are very grateful to our local executives for being on the job around the clock. Your close supervision and partnership with our law enforcement agencies in our airports, ports, bus stations and highways stood as a strong deterrent to crime and terrorism. That's why all those who said that they would do a Black Saturday on our country were not able to do anything. Thanks to you our local chief executives and the police and the military and the citizens.

The weeks running up to the Holy Week was also a period of great stress for our LGUs. Even before the war in Iraq broke out, we were met with rising oil prices, a steep dive in the exchange rate, and anxieties about the prices and supply of prime commodities. We had to deal with these challenges together, even as we had to assuage the worries of our workers in the Middle East and their families back home.

As if these were not enough, we had an extended terrorist alert that was punctured by the two Davao bombings. As the Iraq war heightened tensions, the SARS threat cut in and required another layer of vigilance, this time against illness, in our airports and ports.

Through all this time, I'm glad that the LGUs kept in step with all then needed efforts to battle crisis, to allay the concerns and anxieties of our people, and to give our people peace of mind. I thank you for your support and forbearance. You were our crisis managers and advocates for prudence and sobriety.

Indeed the times call for, not only crisis managers but also information champions and anti-crime czars. At dapat ang ating mga city mayors at capital town mayors -- ang lahat na ito kinumbina sa isa -- rolled in one in the city or capital town mayor is the role of crisis manager, information champion and crime czar.

Let me discuss first your role as crisis managers. As crisis managers on the ground, you're in charge of monitoring all kinds of social and economic problems in times of crisis.

For instance, we can contain the threat of SARS if we maintain prudent vigilance and work together. Ginagawa natin ang lahat upang matiyak ang kaligtasan nating lahat. The city mayors should be prepared for any contingency.

The national government has not lessened its vigilance in all ports of entry. Now, it's important to extend this vigilance to all our coastal communities. Many of our cities and capital towns have coastal barangays. I ask the mayors who have coastal areas especially to take the appropriate precaution. Illegal entrants must be reported immediately to the national authorities. Of course, we cannot seal off the threat of SARS completely, but we must deal with it transparently, systematically and in a unified way so that we can detect it, contain it and heal its victims.

I'm very pleased and satisfied with the efforts being undertaken by our SARS crisis team. Let's be hopeful. The virus has been identified and the search for more definitive counter-measures is underway.

Aktibong konsultasyon at pakikipag-ugnayan sa pagitan ng Pilipinas at mga bansang may kaso ng SARS ay nararapat upang makapagpalitan tayo ng mga hakbang upang masugpo ang nakakamatay na virus. Sa paraang ito, makakakalap tayo ng epektibong paraan na magagamit natin sa Pilipinas.

Now, as information champions, you are champions of information for economic stability and public welfare. And in this role, you're expected to disseminate important and helpful information on rapidly unfolding events and developments. You're expected to preempt rumors and disinformation that engender a climate of uncertainty or fear. Pag may marinig silang tsismis o spekulasyon, 'yung mga taongbayan dapat makuha nila ang totoomula sa inyo.

I ask you to be advocates of government programs. And i ask you also to be the spokespersons for prudence and sobriety.

For instance, again, with regards to SARS, we must together call on the public to stay calm and informed, and avoid panic reactions to false alarms. Manawagan tayo sa ating mga kababayan na manatiling mahinahon at tumutok sa mga kaganapan tungkol sa SARS. Walang lugar ngayon ang pagpapaniwala sa tsismis. Kung may pagdududa, tumawag lamang sa mga SARS hotline.

Now as anti-crime czars, you are expected to spearhead the fight against criminality, not just join the military and the police, but to spearhead it including street crimes and scams.

I was just in the Cordillera in Baguio and I also told the local government executives there that they're expected to spearhead the burning of all marijuana plantations, and not wait for PDEA or the police or the military to take the lead.

Knowing many of you and knowing the work you've done, I'd like to commend your valiant efforts to contain street crimes. As many of the local government units of metro manila know, I've gone on surprise inspections to police stations -- to check if ordinary Filipinos have effective access to the police. As deputies of the NAPOLCOM with functional control over the police in your jurisdiction, I hope all LGES will always practice a hands-on spirit in enforcing law and order.

I'm glad the police in the national capital region are back on the beat rather than staying in the headquarters or in the station. And I'm glad that i saw in the report of Joey Valdez that it is also doing the 15 percent office and 85 percent beat that is now our guideline. And I hope this will be the case for all the cities.

By the way, I'd like to congratulate the three presentations, because they were made by hands-on local government executives and their partners chief of police.

The paradigm shift of their applying against terrorism is anchored on the concept that cooperation and vigilance of the entire community and Local Government Units is required to keep our country safe. I was a little sad to hear the report of Colonel Sanchez, our Outstanding Commission Officer, that he's finding difficulty in community participation in Muntinlupa. Perhaps, we're too sophisticated here in Metro Manila. But It's good he pointed that out because that's really so important if we're going to fight terrorism. That's something that Zamboanga has learned. That's why in Zamboanga the whole community is really involved. We need to involve everyone in the fight against terrorism-- our LGEs, our law enforcement, our military, our justice system, our citizens and even our foreign friends.

Kaya 'yung Balikatan na noong araw pa ginaganap, ginagawa natin ngayon para matulungan, matuto ang ating mga sundalo lumaban nang mas magaling pa sa terrorism. Magaganap ang Balikatan sa 2003 sa Luzon at sa ilang bayan ng Mindanao, kabilang na ang Sulu. However, I have instructed that no American soldiers should be on the ground in Sulu, right Angie? No American soldiers will be on the ground in Sulu. There in Sulu, the focus will be on intelligence fusion, humanitarian assistance, and quick extrication of wounded soldiers, correct? Okay.

Napakahalaga ang sulu sa ating pambansang seguridad. Makakatulong ng malaki ang pagdaos ng ilang bahagi ng Balikatan sa Sulu at iba pang karatig-lugar kagaya ng Zamboanga, which has been a very hospitable host of the just concluded Balikatan exercise . And so therefore, they would like to do a large part of it again in Zamboanga. Huhusay sa labanan ang ating mga sundalo sa karagdagang karanasan. Dapat nating alalahanin na hindi magiging mainam ang pagbubuklod o pag-isolate ng mga bayan sa Mindanao, lalo na ang mga lugar na nakakaranas ng banta ng terorismo tulad ng Sulu.

Ipagpatuloy natin ang kampanya laban sa ASG. Sabi nga ng chief of police ng Zamboanga matinding kalaban nila 'yon pero hindi lamang sa Zamboanga. Kabilang sa ating estratehiya ay ang pagtutol sa anumang uri ng negosasyon at ang paghingi ng kooperasyon ng taong bayan. Kailangan talaga ang kooperasyon ng taong bayan kung lalabanan natin ang terorismo. Kamakailan lamang napatunayan natin na pag tayo ay nagtutulungan laban sa ASG at iba pang alagad ng terorismo, nagbubunga ito ng mabuti, tulad ng matagumpay na pagtakas kamakailan ng dalawang bihag sa kamay ng kaaway.

Today, as I said earlier, we've been privileged to listen to the valiant accounts of three cities in upholding public safety across a broad consensus with the military and police forces.

I'm glad that there has been a very strong consensus among our local governments and the PNP and the military on the matter of operational synergy, this consensus has ensured the success of our law enforcement operations.

In response to my directives to the police, station commanders are now helping train our barangay tanods in the fight against criminality. And I saw that in the presentation.

I commend our city mayors who have extended all out support to this training program, and I ask the others for the same kind of support. I hope you've already received a copy of the latest circular explaining that you may use your 5 percent calamity fund in order to fight terrorism. And Mayor Francis Tolentino also ask me to further clarify that this includes the purchase of equipment that you need to fight terrorism.

Together, we will prevail over all challenges to law and order and public safety. Flexibility, consistency and constancy to public needs; a sharp local focus and operational synergy -- these are the principles that i would like to stress in today's guidance. The flexibility to deal with terrorist threats, street crimes and a pathological threat like SARS; the consistency to demonstrate excellence across a broad spectrum of responsibilities; the constancy to be there when you are needed most in close consensus with the private sector; to serve the people or responding to the call of duty for peace and democracy -- these are the hallmarks of the Philippine executive and the local executive of the 21st century.

I, too, am trying to live and work by these hallmarks. And I thank you all for your support.

Maraming salamat at congratulations sa inyong tagumpay.

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