| The signals of war ring out on the other side of the world.
We are part of the
coalition of the willing in terms of political and moral support for actions to rid Iraq
of weapons of mass destruction. We are part of a long standing security alliance as well
as the global coalition against terrorism. This relationship is vital to our national
security. It bears a significance to this war and to our combined efforts to fight
terrorism in the Philippines and in the region.
We shall not deploy
Philippine combat troops. But the Philippines is committed to extend peacekeeping and
humanitarian assistance after the Iraq conflict. This is the subject of ongoing
consultations.
The war is reality
we expected. And we expect it to be surgical, short, and swift. But for now we have to
face our immediate imperatives.
The moral and
political cause to rid Iraq of weapons of mass destruction does not pose a mortal threat
to our nationals in the Middle East, who are in the good hands of our embassies, their
employers and the host governments. Nonetheless, it is a time of extreme distress among
all citizens of the world, and among all Filipinos. The government is working with the
private sector to open the widest lines of communication between our nationals in the
Middle East and their families in the Philippines. Government call centers are open in
many places. Let me take this opportunity to offer our nationals and their families: we
will place your calls to your loved ones at no cost.
We shall spare no
effort to keep our nationals out of harm’s way. Contingency measures are already in
place to safeguard the life and limb of our nationals in the Middle East. Most will stay
in place in order to be enveloped by the effective defense against any attack put in place
by the host nations in cooperation with the coalition forces.
The world must be
ready for terrorist attacks in any country. There is no use to argue that our political
position will only multiply terror attacks in our own country. Terrorism knows no
boundaries. It has hit many countries regardless of their political positioning. We have
already seen the worst—Basilan, General Santos, Zamboanga, Metro Manila, Davao.
Like the rest of the
world, we must be ready for terrorist attacks in our own country. Our military and police
forces are already in a high state of alert. Our communities must combine vigilance with
calm and help the authorities check terrorist incursions.
Any potential
socioeconomic dislocations, while remote, shall be dealt with in the higher interest of
the public. We will not allow transient instabilities to prejudice the poor and
underprivileged. A price watch on prime commodities is being implemented. We warn hoarders
or profiteers.
The investigation of
six banks is just one of the measures being taken by the government versus opportunist
market speculators and dollar hoarders. Coming at a time of crisis, these violations are
tantamount to economic sabotage.
The slumping of the
peso is not a time for the public to fall prey to those who are taking advantage of the
crisis. It is a time for us to close ranks, have prudence, and cooperate to address all
challenges.
It is at times like
this that we must think about our togetherness as a nation, our sense of belonging to one
Republic, and know that we have a government that cares for its citizens. |