I wish to thank the Chairman for giving the Philippines the opportunity to open the discussion on the agenda item on Enhancing Human Security: Counter-terrorism.

Mr. Chairman, the activities of the CTTF in 2005, demonstrates that CTTF has remained true to the mandate given to it by the leaders in Los Cabos in 2002 to secure the uninterrupted economic growth and development of the region.

For this, I would like to congratulate Ambassador Benjamin Defensor and the members of the Counter-Terrorism Task Force for a job well done.

I would also like to congratulate the task force for the successful holding of the Third Secure Trade in the Asia-Pacific Region Conference in Inchon in February 2005. That meeting resulted in new and useful ideas for further boosting maritime and aviation security.

The updated Counter-Terrorism Task Force terms of reference and the 2005 Work Plan reflected the instructions issued by the leaders in Bangkok and Santiago.  The Philippines is happy to note that the task force has realized most of its identified deliverables.

APEC-member economies are now, for one, providing information to the database of the International Criminal Police Organization on lost and stolen travel documents. This protects us from their possible fraudulent use not only by those who foment terrorism, but also by the purveyors of transnational crime and illegal trafficking of humans.

The task force was also able to forge consensus on the safe handling of radioactive sources, and the assessment of MANPADS vulnerability of major APEC airports.

The Philippines strongly supported the initiative on the Secure Handling of Radioactive Sources not only as a counter-terrorist measure against potential dirty-bombs, but also as a public safety and sanitation measure to protect our workers in the affected industries and our people at large from the hideous effects careless and irresponsible handling may bring.

Radioactive sources are subjects of industrial and economic activity and comprise a substantial portion of Asia-Pacific trade. As such the Philippines believes that, while other international organizations like the IAEA handle similar issues, it only behooves APEC to ensure their responsible disposition as the foremost economic grouping in the region. This, at the same time, facilitates their trade by informed handling and the elimination of attendant hazards.

The Philippines likewise joined the United States in its initiative to assess the MANPADS vulnerabilities of at least one major airport in each APEC-member economy by the end of 2006. This could be a manifestation of the sincere and concrete commitment of CTTF to strengthen the security of aviation in the region.

We further join Singapore in its Supply Chain Security Initiative for APEC. This would ensure the uninterrupted advancement of trade.

To fully address inadequacies in the common counter-terrorism efforts, we would like to call on the developed member economies to provide developing economies the capacity building assistance that would enable them to shoulder the requirements of protecting the movement of goods, capital formation and people in the region.

The Philippines is hopeful that the completion of the Counter-Terrorism Action Plans Cross Analysis Project would lead to more realistic capacity-building programs starting next year as counter-terrorism strategies among member economies of APEC are reinforced.

The Philippines would also like to reiterate its call for the continuation and importance of inter-faith dialogue to promote and foster mutual understanding, co-existence and cooperation.  We cannot lessen our efforts in the battle against extremism.  Such battle cannot be won by the conventional strategies of containment and armed suppression without similarly winning the hearts and minds of the people.

To underscore its own commitment to the regional anti-terrorism effort, the Philippines is continuing to work hard for the passage of an anti-terrorism law, hopefully before the yearend, to provide a solid legal dimension to its hitherto purely political and military counter-terror campaign.

The commitment of the Philippines to succeed in its tasks as Chair of the CTTF reflects our determination to vigorously fight terror, whether on the national, regional or global levels.

We have had recent major victories in the war on terror at the national level.  Among which are:

• The capture last Monday of two Abu Sayyaf camps.
• Conviction and sentencing to death last month of two Abu Sayyaf members (Filipinos Gamal "Tapay" Baharan and Angelo Trinidad) and one Jemaah Islamiyah member (Indonesian Rohmat Abdurrohim) for this year’s Valentine’s Day Bombing.
• Arrest also last month of Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM) leader Hilarion del Rosario Santos III alias Ahmed Islam and seven others.  He will be charged with the April 2000 kidnapping of 21 mostly foreign tourists from Sipadan.  We caught him before he could launch Bali-like bombings of Manila tourist area but with larger, 1,000-kilo explosives. He is linked to Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani and Jemaah Islamiyah members Dulmatin and Umar Patek. Dulmatin is suspected of masterminding the Bali bombings.
• Major strides in MILF peace process are isolating terrorists in Mindanao.
• Ceasefire agreement with Revolutionary Party of Workers in Mindanao, a breakaway faction of the New People's Army (NPA).

The Philippines is firmly committed to working with the nations of the world in fighting the deadly scourge of terrorism

Thank you. END