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

The Philippines and the U.S. have had a strong relationship with each other for a very long time now. We have a shared history. We have shared values, democracy, freedom, and we have been in all the wars together in modern history, the World War, Second World War, Cold War, Vietnam, Korea, now the war on terrorism.

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.

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

The people want government that works for them at every level. They want good government that begins at their doorstep in the barangay, and does not end before the closed door of a bureaucrat in Metro Manila.

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