USH TO SEND HIGH-LEVEL DELEGATION TO GMA INAUGURAL

LAHUG CITY, June 23, 2004 (STAR) By Pia Lee-Brago - US President George W. Bush will send a "very high level delegation" to attend President Arroyo’s June 30 inauguration, US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone said yesterday.

Congratulations from officials of foreign governments have begun to pour in, with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and Romanian President Ion Iliescu becoming the first heads of state to send their congratulations to Mrs. Arroyo, Malacañang disclosed yesterday.

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan also sent his congratulatory message to Mrs. Arroyo through Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Albert, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

Speaking to reporters in a satellite video conference from the State Department in Washington, Ricciardone said US Cabinet officials and some of Bush’s close friends will be in the delegation.

"I saw President Bush about 10 days ago when we talked about the progress in Iraq and the Philippines a little bit. He promised me he’ll send a very high level delegation," Ricciardone said. "And I intend to arrive to help celebrate the oath-taking of the new president."

In an earlier interview, Ricciardone said he "looked forward" to working with the Arroyo administration.

The White House is awaiting the formal proclamation by Congress of the winners of last month’s presidential vote before Bush sends his formal congratulations and announces the members of the US delegation, the envoy said.

"I expect we’ll be doing that but the White House is waiting with respect to the Philippine Congress to make the formal announcement. It’s for the Philippine government and Congress to conclude its work first and make the announcement."

Congress will hold a joint plenary session today to approve a congressional committee recommendation proclaiming Mrs. Arroyo and her running mate Sen. Noli de Castro the winners of last month’s election.

After 17 days of acrimonious debates between administration lawmakers and those with the opposition Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP), the committee wrapped up the canvassing of the presidential vote late last Sunday.

However, the KNP has vowed to contest Mrs. Arroyo’s victory, claiming that their standard-bearer Fernando Poe Jr. was robbed of victory.

Obasanjo sent his formal congratulations shortly before the congressional canvass was over, Albert said, adding that more congratulatory messages are expected to pour in from other foreign governments once Mrs. Arroyo is proclaimed the winner by Congress.

"This formal message of congratulations reflects the same confidence in the President and the best hopes for our country that were conveyed to me by leaders of countries with whom I conferred with recently," Albert said.

There are around 12,500 overseas Filipino workers in Nigeria, DFA records showed.

Annan conveyed his message to the President through Albert during their meeting at the UN General Headquarters in New York, shortly after Congress completed its canvass.

"I would like to extend my congratulations to the President of the Philippines on her election," Annan told Albert and other members of the Philippine delegation that included Ambassador Lauro Baja Jr., permanent representative of the Philippines to the UN and current president of the Security Council.

Albert said many foreign government officials have conveyed to her their congratulations during her official trips abroad, adding that there was "general recognition" that the results of the elections were credible.

"We were transparent with our elections, including inviting foreign observers. Foreign governments believe that our elections were credible and, thus, I was not surprised by the large number of congratulations that I received."

Mrs. Arroyo has also received congratulatory messages from the Grand Duke of Luxembourg; the president of Georgetown University in the United States, where Mrs. Arroyo and former US president Bill Clinton were classmates, Wilfried Martens, chairman of the Brussels-based European People’s Party; Jung-dai Kwon, president of the Korea Freedom League; and Kim Jung Haeng, president of Yong In University in South Korea.

Mrs. Arroyo is Washington’s staunchest Asian ally in the US-led global campaign on terror as well as the invasion of Iraq. Bush visited Manila in September last year mainly as an expression of thanks for Mrs. Arroyo’s support.

The Philippines has a 51-man humanitarian contingent composed of policemen and soldiers serving with US-led forces in Iraq but officials have said they may be pulled out after the handover on June 30. — with Marvin Sy

Well, i hope that they could provide security for the inaguration rites.

wow. i wonder how the terrorist feel about the philippines, if the philippines is the closest ally on the war on terror.... what about great britian, i thought they are closer to the U.S?

I do not know?

I am not one of them.................