Remarks at Dinner In Honor of Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of The Philippines

And I thank you very much for your overly kind introduction. Indeed, taken together with the fact that the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council and the U.S. Government have moved so closely in step for so many years, I was a little worried that you were going to ask me to dance. (Laughter.) It's a ballroom, after all.

In any case, I am pleased to be with you tonight -- business leaders, government officials, independent thinkers, and legislative leaders. You are the community of interest that supports and sustains the relationship between the United States and the Philippines. And while I have no doubt there are many gracious ladies and true gentlemen in the room tonight, there is only one First Gentleman, and we are delighted to have you here, Mr. Arroyo, in your official capacity -- (applause) -- and as a leading lawyer and business executive from your nation.

And I, of course, am absolutely delighted to be with you this evening to honor a leader, who is an ally and a friend to all Americans, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.  (Applause.)

Some of you had the opportunity to attend the State dinner last night, but I believe all of you are aware that such occasions are quite rare in this Administration. As President Bush has said, President Arroyo is one of the few people in the world for whom he will wear a tux. (Laughter.) And Madame President -- I don't know if you speak Texan -- but, trust me, that translates to high praise. (Laughter.) I think it is fair to say that the affinity that has grown between our Presidents reflects the affection between our people.

Today, our nations have a partnership that is both vibrant, as well as vigorous, one based on mutual respect and blood ties -- and above all, on our shared interests in economic prosperity and national security. A sign of the strength and maturity of our relationship came in President Arroyo's courageous stance on Iraq. She was one of the first global leaders to join the international effort to disarm the dictator of Iraq and to free the people of that country. (Applause.) She has offered not only considerable political and moral support, but now tangible military assets as well. This show of support is all more impressive when you consider that the Philippines continues to battle its own violence insurgencies.

And, indeed, our nations have come to rely on each other for support in the common struggle to defeat terrorism. Long before September 11th brought home to the American people the full meaning of terror, and long before we were united in death and grief by the May [12^th] attacks in Saudi Arabia, the Philippines knew what it meant to live with senseless violence and unexpected savagery. And now so many others have had to learn this terrible lesson -- from Indonesians in Bali, to Moroccans in Casablanca, to Saudis in Riyadh. Indeed, we all know now that these terrorists are a force of hatred with no regard for humanity. They don't care whom they kill. They are unconcerned about innocence or about guilt, about age or about youth, ethnic origin or religious faith. They are only interested in publicity for their ideology of destruction.

With the burden of awful experience, it came as no surprise that President Arroyo was also one of the first global leaders to join with President Bush in the war on terror. And today we are taking that fight to the terrorist groups that hide in the shadows of the Philippines. Last year's Balikatan training deployment against Abu Sayyaf was just one example of our cooperation in fighting these groups. The United States will continue to assist, as asked. And, as both of our Presidents announced yesterday, we will continue to engage in programs to enhance the capability of the Philippine military.

Of course, a stronger and more professional military force is not the only answer to terrorist problems in the southern Philippines. The United States absolutely supports the territorial integrity of the Philippines, but we also recognize that the people of Mindanao have legitimate aspirations and some grievances. At the same time, we firmly believe that this issue will not be resolved through violence. So the United States is prepared to encourage a negotiating process by supporting the efforts of the U.S. Institute of Peace and key international actors, such as Malaysia. As part of that support, we are willing to underwrite any progress toward peace, should both sides so desire, by contributing new assistance programs and encouraging foreign direct investment in the south.

In the Southern Philippines, it is clear that the key to overcoming the violence would be a comprehensive strategy, one that rests as much on economic development and political reform as it does on military force. And this is entirely consistent with the vision President Arroyo has for her country.

She came into office with an ambitious program of economic and political reform, one that seeks to lift her people from poverty and give them good governance. One that promised economic progress and reconciliation with all of those willing to live in peace. Indeed, President Arroyo has already shown that she will leave a lasting legacy.

She has, for example, taken concrete steps to attract and sustain investment by improving the business climate. She has done everything from bolstering market forces and protecting intellectual property rights to attacking the stifling corruption that was so common. I think these are reforms that everyone here would encourage and will reward with new business -- not just in the Philippines, but in any country across Southeast Asia that adopts a similar program.

I think President Arroyo's priority for economic development and political reform speak to a broader truth about this war on terrorism, and that is the inseparable and intertwined nature of prosperity and security. I suspect that those of you from the business community have found in your own experience that you cannot have one without the other. And so the agenda for the war on terrorism has to be expansive.

Just as the great threats of our day -- from terrorism to narcotics trafficking to diseases such as SARS and HIV -- have no respect for lines on a map, the great opportunities of our time -- from training to education to technology -- are unconstrained by geography, as well. And so today, as we work with our allies in the Philippines and our friends around the world to meet the threats, we are also working to seize the opportunities, to extend to all of our people the benefits of freedom, the rule of law, and the equality of opportunity. And, perhaps, as we pull all of these pieces together, we are not so much waging war, as we are building inexorable peace.

And in this effort, there is no finer architect, no better builder than President Arroyo. She is taking her country in the right direction, and in the process she has restored the bruised confidence of her people in the institutions of democracy. And she has shown her neighbors, many of whom will face elections over the next few years, the path to prosperity and the path to security.

The United States has a vested interest in the success of the Philippines as a partner with shared interests. And I know that President Arroyo has communicated to President Bush her commitment to stay the course. He, in turn, has committed to helping wherever he can.

To some extent, we can attribute President Arroyo's success to her background. We can point to her formidable family and her considerable intellect, her advanced degree in economics and her time in academia. We can detail her wealth of experience in governance, as well as an administrator and a legislator.

Just reading her resume will not really tell us the true story of President Arroyo's strength. For that, we have to look to the rare and intangible quality that we quite simply call leadership. It is that quality and her force of personality, along with the President's singular determination to succeed, that will help all Filipinos to find the resolve to overcome terror and to face the structural and political reforms that will open their economy.

President Bush has said he is proud to call his counterpart from the Philippines a personal friend and a friend to freedom. And I can't tell you how proud I am to have the honor of introducing tonight, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the President of the Republic of the Philippines.  (Applause.)