We have the hardest working people in the world, the most adaptable and the most congenial to employ.

I was invited by President Bush to come to the United States on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the mutual defense treaty.

I am very grateful to our Muslim population. One of the things we've been doing is stepping up our inter-faith dialogue with the Muslim population. And I think that helped very much in their support for me.

I shall work with Congress, civil society groups and local government executives who are convinced that charter changes are needed to enable the country to surmount the unprecedented challenges of the 21st century.

I will not stand idly when anyone gets in the way of the national interest and tries to block the national vision. From where I sit, I can tell you, a president is always as strong as she wants to be.

Our children are our most cherished possession. In their early years, we must make sure they get a healthy start in life. They must receive the right food for a healthy body, the right education for a bright and inquiring mind - and the equal opportunity for a meaningful job.

Now I ask you to make your sacrifice. Take a gamble. I took the plunge and I'm glad of it.

We look at the world and analyze the world, and see what we can do that is in line of our mutual interest and also in line with, you know, what the whole world needs, because this is a world where we really have to all work together.

While there's been much progress on terrorism, there's still much work to do and it is very important that the countries work together in order to address this threat together.

I want justice to be so pervasive that it will be taken for granted, just as injustice is taken for granted today.

I want ordinary people to enjoy a decent standard of living, with ever increasing security, comfort and joy.

In the time one is given, the steward must make the most of the talents one is given by the Lord.

I'm not worried. I'm in control.

It is simply the truth that the political system that I am part of has degenerated to the point that it needs fundamental change.

I can say that I have not done any culpable violation of the constitution.

In all the things I've gone through as a politician, I have seen that in this system it is really very difficult to make any headway without being somehow tainted. And let me say, 'Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.'

The military is very constitutionalist, and I have my faith in them and in the cooler heads of the people.

It is the civilian part of the politics that is very, very bad, and we have to change that.

On the economy, the U.S. cumulatively is our most important investor, most important trading partner, most important sort of tourists, and we have now a tie that will... a link that will be here for many, many years to come, and that is the big Philippine-American community in the United States - three million of them.

We've supported the U.S. every step of the way. The Philippines was the first government in Asia after September 11, in fact, the night of September 11; it was nighttime for us then. It was daytime here. We were the first government in Asia to come out and say that we're supporting the U.S.

We must promote solid traits such as work ethics, a dignified lifestyle, matching actions to rhetoric, performance rather than grandstanding.

In a global arena, what our businessmen need in order to be competitive is transparency and a level playing-field.

Filipino businessmen must have the ability to compete freely in the global economy.

The military is faithful to the constitution. They will come in only to protect the people from the enemies of the state.

In 1995, we had evidence of the brother-in-law of Osama bin Laden being in the Philippines, living in the Philippines. We had evidence of front organizations set up in the Philippines. And we uncovered evidence about, which would help the U.S. with - about the perpetuators of the World Trade Center bombing.

The Constitution says that troops can be in the Philippines if there's a treaty that provides for it, and we have two treaties with the United States.

I believe that the war against terrorism and the war against poverty in these times of turmoil go together. So you - when you fight one, you have to fight the other.

I follow my father's philosphy; 'Do what is good, do what is right, and God will take care of the rest.'

The contracts for Iraqi rebuilding are commercial contracts. I think being in the coalition of the willing puts us in the radar screen, but we also have to compete with other countries that are in the coalition of the willing, but the Philippines is a country that has produced world-class skilled workers that we have seen all over the world.

I feel that if I am freed of the burden of politics, then I can do more and I can take more unpopular decisions. I can have as my guidance for decision whatever is right, not whatever is popular.

We have our own home-grown terrorism, and to the extent that we can obliterate terrorism all over the world, then our own terrorism will be much easier to neutralize.

You have 60 countries in the world with a terrorist problem. That's two-thirds of the world. We have this group in Basilan, which is a small island in the far south of the Philippines, and the island itself has a population of - what? - 300,000.

In my presidency I've been guided by what's right, not what's popular.

I know the pain of having to deal with terrorism. And that's why, after 9-11, I was one of the first to join the international coalition to fight terrorism.

The Iraqi regime was supporting terrorist cells all over the world. We had to expel three Iraqi diplomats from the Philippines because of evidence that they were either in touch with Abu Sayyaf or doing their own espionage.

The Philippines was with the U.S. in the Second World War, in the Korean War, in the Vietnam War, and now in the war against terrorism.

I was at Ground Zero, and it was, to me, such a graphic illustration of what terrorism has done to our world.

I feel that if I am freed of the burden of politics, then I can do more, and I can take more unpopular decisions.

It's never right to fight terror with terror.

My responsibility as president is to take care to solve the problems we are facing now and to provide a vision and direction for how our nation should advance in the future.

As the leader of the nation, I say in behalf of the Filipino people to the world: we are strong and principled believers in democracy.

The Philippines has no policy that demands sacrifice of human lives.

I want to create economic opportunity at home and abroad. I don't want just one or the other. I want both.

Chronic deficits drastically reduce government's ability to make those infrastructure investments that business needs to grow and create jobs.

Our investments in social justice and basic needs are as vital to our future as fiscal and macroeconomic reforms. A nation deeply divided will not stand. And it certainly will not move forward.

I ask the educational system, the parents, the church, and pillars of the community to help shape a new culture of honesty, patriotism, respect, discipline and service for young Filipinos.

The roof cannot collapse when the value pillars of government and society are sound and strong.

We will downsize the government, motivate excess employees to become entrepreneurs, and increase the pay of a lean and mean bureaucracy.

By and large, our political system has betrayed its promise to each new generation of Filipinos, not a few of whom are voting with their feet, going abroad and leaving that system behind.

In the area of national security, I urge the swift passage of an anti-terrorism law that will protect rather than subvert, enhance rather than weaken, the rights and liberties that terrorism precisely threatens with extinction.