Terrorism is our enemy. In her weekly radio address Saturday morning, President Gloria Arroyo called upon the Filipino public to unite in the face of the on-going Middle East crisis. Likewise, Pres. Arroyo likened the war in Iraq to the one in southern Philippines as having the same face: “The war in Iraq and the chaos in Mindanao has the same enemy - terrorism.” “We have to disarm Iraq of their weapons of mass destruction or else these may be smuggled into our country and used by terrorists to attack our poor soldiers,” Pres. Arroyo said in Tagalog.
Furthermore, she said, “There is the possibility that (Iraqi leader) Saddam Hussein’s allies will be using chemical or nuclear weapons to spread terror to different parts of the world. This is the reason why I have ordered the military and police to be on total alert and coordinate with the local governments and communities.” She pointed out that, “It is here that we will see the link between the war in Iraq and the active defense of our communities against those spreading fear in Mindanao.” The President noted that the government was doing all it could to face the crisis but added that vigilance was needed to ensure everyone’s safety. In the same weekly radio address, Arroyo also ordered the mobilization of the barangays throughout the country in the anti-terror war.
“(Terrorism) needs the wholehearted action of the government - including the barangays - to guard against suspicious persons, movement and packages,” Pres. Arroyo said in Tagalog. “This is why I am ordering all local officials to meet with their crisis management councils and personally implement the crisis contingency plans,” she added. She also pointed out that in order to succeed, these officials should coordinate with the barangay officials under them to guard against rising prices of basic commodities and ensure the safety of the communities. Likewise, she said the local leaders are “information champions” and anti-street crime czars against rumour-mongerers in their respective areas.
“The support of the community is the key for the effective prevention of crime. That is why I am asking the public to help our police force,” the President said. Meanwhile, as a show of their opposition to the US-led attack on Iraq in a novel way, Filipinos on Saturday flew kites with slogans condemning the offensive. About 40 members of the left-leaning group, Youth Peace Watch, flew 10 kites in Manila’s central park, carrying such messages as “Iraq Freedom, Killing Innocent Lives,” and demanding “Missile Free Skies.” Unlike other protest rallies in this country, which were closely watched by riot police, the kite-flyers only had curious bystanders as onlookers.
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