I cannot apologize for being a protector of my people.

Sacrificing Angelo de la Cruz would have been a pointless provocation. It would have put the lives of 1.5 million Filipinos in the Mideast at risk by making them a part of the war.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo*
on her SONA

The real state of the nation is one of extreme poverty, escalating political repression, more taxes, more economic burden and no immediate relief for the people.

spokesman Renato Reyes*
leftist group Bayan told The Associated Press

We appeal for sobriety... Let's have a peaceful SONA. We're here to protect everybody. We guarantee freedom of assembly. But as law enforcers, we can't allow abuses.

Director Ricardo de Leon*
National Capital Region Police Office

The elaboration of [Ms Arroyo's] 10-point program during her SONA would only be a rehash of her old and tired promises of the last three years.

secretary general Leody de Guzman*
Buklurang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas

Isn't this a bit sneaky? Why? Because the President never mentioned her plan to impose a new round of taxes during her campaign. On the contrary, she deliberately avoided them. We are hearing them for the first time.

The President cannot claim that her election is an endorsement of her tax proposals.

Now she sings a different tune: times are bad so we have to bite the bullet.

Senator Joker Arroyo*

We are a bit wary about the new taxes that she may announce in her Sona. Congress needs to pass at least three of eight priority tax bills in the next six months to help raise about P60 billion in additional revenues.

Jovis Vistan*
AB Capital Securities

I'm feeling like my body is light. It's the best I've probably felt as far as energy in 10 years.

It was like a whitish-blue, but it was so bright.

I actually heard the snap, but I was paralyzed. It was like my whole body was just vibrating. It was like, a hell of a sensation. It was like chest pain, with someone's hand on my chest.

My knees buckled. I was able to straighten out.

Then I was dumbfounded. Just dumbfounded.

by John Corson (56) *
Ordinary Citizen

A little neglect may breed mischief: for want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the rider was lost.

by Benjamin Franklin
American Statesman, Author (1706-1790)

Nobody goes to that restaurant anymore, it's too crowded.

by Yogi Berra
Baseball Player, Coach

Our foreign policy has not changed... We share the same goal but may not always walk on the same path.

It won't take more than three lines to summarize my case, and let me say these three lines: One, I take sole responsibility. Two, I make no apologies. Three, I stuck to my oath.

This is not a tale about politics. It is about human survival and diaspora, about poverty and families being torn apart, and our will and resolve to bring food to every table.

And as Angelo comes home, I am not about to bare a bleeding heart to defend my position.

I trust that our allies will come to understand that the Philippines is in a special circumstance.

Ms Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo*
in a speech at the 106th founding anniversary
of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)

It would be sheer hypocrisy if the administration will pretend that it's 'business as usual' in our dealings with the United States and we have nothing to worry about.

The advice of Congress becomes all the more necessary in the light of the plan of the United Nations to invite its member-states to help in forming an international peacekeeping force in Iraq that will supplant the troops belonging to the US-led coalition of the willing.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel*

It is heartening to know that the government has adopted a foreign policy that will give importance to our OFWs, who have made valuable contributions to our country's progress.

Sen. Manuel Villar*

This is our duty... We are doing this to uphold the true voice of the people. We are not fighting for ourselves but for the truth.

Sen. Loren Legarda*
opposition Vice-Presidential candidate

We are glad that Mr. Poe and Ms Legarda chose only the legal and proper forum to contest the elections. We welcome their protest in the spirit and in the interest of fair play.

President's spokesperson Ignacio Bunye*

I think it's important to reassess the relationship because a commitment was broken.

Whatever the reasons, however good these reasons were, it is not just the United States but, frankly, the entire international community, even the ones who agreed with what the Philippines did, would be worried now that they'd never know when the Philippine government may back down on its word if a Filipino is endangered.

US Embassy Charge d'Affaires Joseph Mussomeli*
in an interview on GMA Network radio station dzBB

In effect, kidnappers were rewarded for kidnapping.

They were paid off. They made a demand, a political demand against the Philippine government, which the Philippine government, a sovereign government, decided that it had to meet.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell*
in Washington