Government's all-out campaign vs. terrorism paying off -- PGMA

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today the all-out war waged by the government against terrorism has again paid off with the death of another senior Abu Sayyaf leader in an encounter with government troops last Monday in Talipao,Sulu.

In her message at the 1st National Convention of the League of Cities of the Philippines held at the Fiesta Pavilion of the Manila Hotel, the President commended the Armed Forces of the Philippines for killing Abu Solaiman, the Abu Sayyaf leader tagged by the military as the mastermind behind several high-profile terror attacks such as the Dos Palmas kidnapping in Palawan in 2001 and the Super Ferry bombing off Corregidor island in 2004.

"The relentless pressure we have applied in the field is taking its toll and we will keep it up until all the terrorists and their clandestine cells are accounted for," the President said.

The President said the AFP’s latest feat marks another "milestone" in the fight against terrorism, which "caps with glory" the ASEAN Convention on Counter-Terrorism which was signed by the leaders of the 10-member ASEAN at the conclusion of their 12th summit in Cebu last Monday.

"We are resolved to work with our strategic allies in the region and with the United States to tighten the dragnet and stop the movement of terrorists, their finances and their deadly materiel across seas and borders," the President stressed.

Saying the Philippines has regained its place in the international landscape as a strong player in the fight against terror, the President vowed to relentlessly work for a lasting peace not only in the country or East Asian region but in the world as there are around eight million Filipinos working overseas.

"We mark every high point in the campaign against the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiyah with greater resolve to move forward in strengthening domestic, regional and global security," she said.

"The Philippines has a stake in a safer world where eight million Filipinos work and reside, and in an East Asian region that builds shared prosperity on stability and peace," she added.

The President also expressed determination "to finish the job with a hand of steel against evil and to usher in a durable peace through economic development, interfaith dialogue and international cooperation."