UMAKYAT ANG KALAKALAN ARAW-ARAW SA ATING STOCK EXCHANGE, ANG ATING PISO AY UMAKYAT NA PO HAMBING SA DOLYAR. PATULOY DIN PO ANG PAGBUHOS NG PAGBATI AT PAGKILALA SA ATING PAMAHALAAN NG MGA PAMAHALAAN SA IBAT IBANG BAHAGI NG MUNDO.

ANG ESTADOS UNIDOS, ANG HAPON, ANG INGLATERA, ANG TSINA, ANG VATICAN, PATI NA ANG UNITED NATIONS, AY ILAN LAMANG SA MGA BANSANG KAAGAD-AGAD NAGPADALA NG PAGBATI AT PAGKILALA SA ATING PAMAHALAAN.

IN ONE SHINING MOMENT, THE FILIPINO HAS REGAINED HIS SELF-RESPECT. HE HAS REDEEMED HIMSELF BEFORE THE EYES OF THE WORLD, EARNING THE ETERNAL GRATITUDE OF A PEOPLE FOR A PEACEFUL AND ORDERLY TRANSITION OF POWER. THE FILIPINO HAS EARNED FOR HIMSELF THE ADMIRATION OF THE WORLD FOR HIS ADHERENCE TO PEACE AND DEMOCRACY.

TRULY, AS THE LATE SENATOR BENIGNO AQUINO PUT IT, "I HAVE CAREFULLY WEIGHED THE VIRTUES AND THE FAULTS OF THE FILIPINO, AND I HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT HE IS WORTH DYING FOR".

PERO, SA KABILA NG TAGUMPAY AT KABAYANIHAN NG ATING MAMAMAYANG PILIPINO, SA KABILA NG MULING PAG-ANGAT NG ATING KALAKALAN AT PAGLAKAS NG PISO, AT SA KABILA NG PANUNUMBALIK NG TIWALA AT PAGTINGIN SA ATIN NG BUONG MUNDO, MAYROON PA RING NAGBABALAK NG MASAMA LABAN SA ATING PAMAHALAAN.

THE ENEMIES OF THE STATE CONTINUE TO DESTABILIZE OUR DULY CONSTITUTED GOVERNMENT BY MACHINATIONS AND BLACK PROPAGANDA. PROCEEDS FROM ILL-GOTTEN WEALTH ARE BEING USED TO ERODE THE CREDIBILITY OF THIS GOVERNMENT AND TO SUBVERT OUR HARD-EARNED FREEDOMS.

TO THE DESTABILIZERS, I EXTEND OUR HAND OF PEACE AND RECONCILIATION. I URGE YOU TO FEEL THE SUFFERINGS OF OUR PEOPLE. I ASK YOU TO BE ONE WITH US IN OUR COLLECTIVE QUEST FOR A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE FILIPINO.

SHOULD YOU HOWEVER, PERSIST IN YOUR EVIL DESIGNS, I SAY TO YOU, YOU CAN TRY, BUT YOU WILL FAIL. YOU CANNOT WIN AGAINST THE PEOPLE. KAYA, BINABALAAN KO KAYO. MAG-ISIP-ISIP KAYO. I'VE SAID IT BEFORE AND I WILL SAY IT AGAIN, I AM NOT A HAPPY WARRIOR. BUT IF FORCED, I HAVE A SWORN DUTY TO PROTECT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION, ABOVE EVERYTING ELSE. I SHALL CRUSH YOU.

AKO RAW AY "ACTING PRESIDENT" LAMANG. THIS CERTAINLY DEPARTS FROM THE TRUTH. I BECAME PRESIDENT BY OPERATION OF LAW. NO LESS THAN THE PEOPLE HAVE INSTALLED ME. THE SUPREME COURT ITSELF RULED ON JANUARY 22, 2001, THAT MY ASSUMPTION TO THE PRESIDENCY IS CONSISTENT WITH THE LAW. THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAVE LIKEWISE RECOGNIZED THE LEGITIMACY OF THIS GOVERNMENT.

SOME HAVE CHARGED THAT TRADITIONAL POLITICIANS OR TRAPOS, SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN, RECYCLED CABINET MEN AND RAMOS APPOINTEES DOMINATE THE MACAPAGAL CABINET. HINDI NAMAN PO MAKATARUNGAN ANG PARATANG NA ITO.

OUR CABINET MEMBERS WERE CHOSEN ON THE BASIS OF COMPETENCE, INTEGRITY, AND DEDICATION TO SERVE THE COUNTRY. DUMAAN PO SILA SA ISANG PROSESO NA KUNG SAAN SINURI ANG KANILANG KAKAYAHAN AT INTEGRIDAD.

I HAVE ALSO INSTRUCTED ALL CABINET MEMBERS TO SERVE THE PEOPLE AND SERVE THEM WELL AND WITH TRANSPARENCY. THEY MUST BE SENSITIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE, WHO ARE, AFTER ALL, THE SOURCE OF ALL AUTHORITY.

LIKE CEASAR'S WIFE, THEY MUST BE ABOVE SUSPICION. I WILL NOT HESITATE TO DO WHAT MUST BE DONE IF THEY FAIL IN ALL THIS.

SA KABILA NITO, MAYROON TAYONG PARTIKULAR NA DALAWANG APPOINTEES, SINA ACTING P.N.P. CHIEF LEANDRO MENDOZA AT GENERAL LISANDRO ABADIA, NA UMAANI SA NGAYON NG MATINDING PAGBATIKOS MULA SA ILANG SEKTOR.

SA REKLAMO KAY GENERAL MENDOZA, I HAVE ASKED THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO COORDINATE WITH THE COMPLAINANTS, TO HEAR THEIR SIDE AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, TO CONDUCT AN IMPARTIAL AND SPEEDY INQUIRY. I AM SERVING NOTICE THAT I EXPECT A REPORT FROM THE D.I.L.G. WITHIN SEVEN DAYS.

AS FOR GENERAL ABADIA, WHO HAS BEEN HELPING IMMENSELY SINCE LAST OCTOBER, I UNDERSTAND THAT CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED AGAINST HIM BUT HE HAS BEEN CLEARED. HOWEVER, THERE SEEMS TO BE A MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION. GENERAL ABADIA, TRULY AN OFFICER AND GENTLEMAN, HAS ACKNOWLEDGED MY OPTION TO RECALL HIS APPOINTMENT. I AM EXERCISING THAT OPTION.

KASAMA RING BINABATIKOS ANG DALAWANG CABINET MEMBERS NA SINA ALVAREZ AT DATUMANONG, PAREHONG TAGA-MINDANAO. MORE THAN THEIR COMPETENCE AND INTEGRITY, I HAVE APPOINTED THEM TO THE POSTS OF D.O.T.C. AND D.P.W.H., RESPECTIVELY, AS A WAY OF FLESHING OUT OUR NATIONAL CONCERN FOR MINDANAO. THEIR APPOINTMENTS TO THE TWO KEY DEPARTMENTS THAT DEAL WITH INFRASTRUCTURE IS A FULFILLMENT OF A COMMITMENT THAT HAS LONG BEEN DENIED OUR BROTHERS IN MINDANAO.

THE WAR IN MINDANAO HAS EXACERBATED THE SUFFERINGS OF OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS THERE. WE MUST BEGIN IN EARNEST, THE TASK OF REBUILDING MINDANAO, OF ACHIEVING PEACE AND ONENESS AS A PEOPLE, AS A NATION.

AS FOR THE OFT-SAID SUGGESTIONS THAT MY PREDECESSOR SHOULD GO INTO EXILE, I HAVE SAID THAT IT IS HIS CALL. BUT ONE THING IS NON-NEGOTIABLE. CHARGES WILL BE PURSUED. WE WILL BE FAIR. WE WILL GIVE THE FORMER PRESIDENT HIS DAY IN COURT. BUT I WILL NOT ALLOW HIS ALLIES TO SMEAR AND PERHAPS, TO DESTABILIZE OUR GOVERNMENT. THE MAJESTY OF THE LAW MUST BE RESPECTED.

WE MUST NEVER AGAIN SQUANDER THE GAINS WE HAVE REAPED IN EDSA DOS.

TEN DAYS AGO, THE PEOPLE SPOKE AS ONE -- THE CLERGY, THE STUDENTS, THE YOUTH, THE PROFESSIONALS, THE MEN IN UNIFORM AND THE MEN ON THE STREET, INCLUDING HOUSEWIVES, THE NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS, AND PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE.

NEVER AGAIN, THEY CRIED, WILL WE ALLOW IMMORALITY AT THE TOP. NEVER AGAIN, THEY SPOKE, WILL WE TOLERATE A LIFESTYLE THAT NECESSARILY PRECLUDES SERVING THE PEOPLE AND SERVING THEM WELL. NEVER AGAIN, THEY SAID, WILL WE ALLOW OUR BASIC RIGHTS TO BE TRAMPLED.

AND SO I ASK THE FILIPINO PEOPLE TO JOIN ME IN LAUNCHING A MORAL REVOLUTION AT THE TOP. WE WILL BE TRANSPARENT, WE WILL ABIDE BY MORAL LAW, AND WE WILL BE TRULY PROFESSIONALS.

THE PROBLEMS WE MUST CONFRONT ARE MANY AND DIVERSE. YET THE UNITY THAT EDSA DOS GAVE US IS OUR STRENGTH.

WE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND WE WILL PREVAIL.