Ambassador Gaa Thanks Fil-Am Community for Expression of Support for RP Government and Philippine Democracy in Wake of Resolution of Peninsula Hotel Incident
In a statement released earlier today, Ambassador Willy C. Gaa
thanked leaders and members of the Filipino American community for their
expressions of support for the Philippine Government and for their hopes
and prayers that the situation at the Peninsula Hotel in Makati would be
resolved and the rule of law upheld.
The stand-off ended a few hours after it started at around 6:25 a.m.
(Manila time). No one was killed or injured during the incident. Around
a hundred people were taken into custody by the police, including a
number of journalists. The journalists were released later in the
evening after their identification was verified and some statements were
taken.
Additional charges will be brought by the Philippine Government for
those responsible for this criminal act. According to a statement made
today by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on the incident,
“There should be no doubt about the rule of law in this country, and the
capability of Government to enforce right over wrong.”
With the situation well under control, President Arroyo called on
everyone “to leave this short charade behind and get on with the
business of the people.” The President further added, “Our fight against
poverty and for justice must be uninterrupted. Time and again, we have
shown the world the stability of our democratic institutions and the
strength of this Government. Our strong Republic is underlined by a
strong economy that has the full support of the Filipino people.”
The President’s sentiments were also echoed by Ambassador Gaa in his
statement wherein he characterized the incident as a fleeting
distraction that will not interrupt or disturb all our continuing
efforts to bring continued growth and progress to our country.
Ambassador Gaa also thanked the U.S. government for its expression of
support for the rule of law, constitutional order and the Government of
the Philippines. Representatives of the Embassy went to the U.S. State
Department today to brief them on developments on this incident.
Officials at the U.S. State Department echoed the expression of support
made by U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney and noted the
restraint and professionalism in the Philippine Government response and
efforts to resolve the incident.
Commenting further on the incident, Ambassador Gaa said, “What this
incident shows is that the Filipino people no longer tolerates or
supports actions of any kind that will only serve to diminish Philippine
democratic processes and institutions. The Filipino people know and
understand that the stability of our democratic institutio