DAY 90
April 19

The government urged communist guerillas to set October 2002 as a deadline for the completion of peace talks which are due to go underway on April 27 in Oslo, Norway.

The talks will be the first between the two sides since Arroyo's predecessor Joseph Estrada broke off negotiations in 1999.

Meanwhile, Malacañang, through Interior Secretary Joey Lina, called the detention of 11 suspects, including four police officers, a "major breakthrough" in the kidnap and murder of publicists Salvador Dacer and his driver Manuel Corbito.

Day 91
April 20

Day 92
April 21

Malacañang is not upset over President Abdurrahman Wahid's offer of asylum to a senior Muslim leader, a government official said Friday.

The government also has no immediate comment on Wahid's proposal for Indonesia to host the peace talks between the Arroyo administration and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said Presidential Adviser to the Peace Process Eduardo Ermita. He stood as the government adviser during the talks with the Moro National Liberation Front (MILF).

"We believe President Wahid only made the offer to show his solidarity with a fellow Asean country," Ermita said, referring to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

Also today, Malacañang granted 16 death convicts executive clemency by commuting their sentences to life imprisonment.

The President signed the memorandum recommending the commutation of the death sentence of the 16 death convicts on Thursday upon the recommendation of the Department of Justice (DOJ), according to Palace Chief of Staff Renato Corona.

Day 93
April 22

Day 94
April 23

Officials of the Arroyo administration defended Sunday President Arroyo's now-controversial dinner meeting with Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF) panel chairman Luis Jalandoni as but part of the government's conveying of its sincerity to talk peace with the rebel groups.

National Security Adviser Roilo Golez in an interview, said the Friday night meeting between the President and Jalandoni was just part and parcel of the two parties' preparation for the formal resumption of the talks on April 27.

"Moves that would be made by the President, all to ensure that there would be a positive result of the negotiations between her government and the communist and Muslim groups, must not be criticized due to the importance of the matter to the setting up of a lasting peace and order in the country, Golez stressed.

Malacañang will also investigate all forms of irregularities that led to the bankruptcy of the government, regardless if the anomaly was done during the Estrada, Ramos or Aquino administration.

Thus, said Press Undersecretary Roberto Capco as he again denied any political color on the eventual arrest of deposed president Joseph Estrada.

Day 95
April 24

Government officials rejected on Monday the demand of communist guerillas to free two comrades serving life terms for the murder of a US military adviser, as government negotiators prepared to fly to Norway for peace talks.

President Arroyo's security advisers decided to reject the National Democratic Front's (NDF) demand for the release of the convicted killers of US army colonel James Rowe, national security adviser Roilo Golez told reporters.

The talks with the NDF, according to chief government negotiator Silvestre Bello III, may be held on a shifting venue, to include the Philippines this time.

Bello said both panels had previously agreed to discuss the possibility of looking for other venues acceptable to both parties once the first round of the peace negotiations reached its conclusion.

Malacañang has also rejected the NDF's call to withdraw its membership from the World Trade Organization (WTO) and end a military training pact with the United States, he added.

DAY 96
April 25

This time directly alluding to the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force, President Arroyo declared Tuesday the elimination of the practice within the police organization of "bantay-salakay, hulidap and huli-hold-up," now that the controversial agency has already been abolished.

Arroyo's commitment to cleanse the ranks of the police organization came a day after she met with business leaders of the Filipino-Chinese community during which the group expressed their deep concern over the President's appointment of Berroya.

Arroyo also said her government was working hard to "fix structural imbalances" amid a negative outlook by New York-based credit rating agency Moody's Investor Services.

"We just have to keep trying harder," Arroyo told a news conference.

Arroyo acknowledged that the country's exports have weakened, but stressed this was linked to "what is happening in the international picture" referring to the weakening of demand from the U.S. market, its main trading partner.

DAY 97
April 26

President Arroyo affirmed her commitment of bringing justice to the Filipino people as she appealed to the supporters of deposed leader Joseph Estrada to respect the rule of law without any "rancor and inflammatory rhetorics."

In her statement read to the media by Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao, the Chief Executive dismissed claims that Estrada's arrest has political color and was tainted by "class war."

Estrada's arrest, the President maintained, was but part of the justice system in the country that stemmed from allegations the ousted leader feasted on the government coffers in his almost three years in office.

Estrada's arrest, Arroyo added, only speaks of "justice" for the Filipino people.

Day 98
April 27

The 113,000-strong Armed Forces of the Philippines is 100 percent behind the government of President Arroyo, said Defense Secretary Angelo T. Reyes, a key player of the historic Edsa 'Dos' People Power that toppled the Estrada administration three months ago.

This, as Malacañang said the police will exercise maximum tolerance on the on-going demonstration by supporters of jailed former President Estrada at Edsa, and will move only if violence breaks out.

"There is no doubt as to the loyalty of the entire AFP. There is no need for loyalty check. We are certain and confident that the loyalty of the AFP in this administration is 100 percent," Reyes told a press conference at the opening of the RP-U.S. Balikatan exercise in Camp Aguinaldo.

He shrugged off the threat by pro-Estrada demonstrators conducting a rally at Edsa Shrine, where the sympathizers of the former President hope to replicate the two previous people power the past 11 years.

Day 99
April 28

Gov't, NDF talks kick off in Norway

Representatives of the Philippines government and communist rebels were to kick off negotiations outside Oslo Friday with an ambitious goal of putting more than 32 years of conflict to rest by October of next year despite stark disagreement on a range of issues.

In an interview with AFP on the eve of the ceremonial opening of the negotiations, Luis Jalandoni, the chief negotiator for the rebel National Democratic Front (NDF), said he was optimistic that a peace agreement can be reached with Manila.

"We're willing to give it a good try. Both sides are looking at good probabilities," Jalandoni said.

Four days of substantive, closed-door talks between Jalandoni and the chief negotiator for the government, Silvestre Bello, were scheduled to begin later yesterday at a location just outside the Norwegian capital, officials said.

The NDF enters the negotiations with demands ranging from implementation of land reform policies to the release of more prisoners - the Arroyo has already freed several dozen - the rebels say have been incarcerated for political reasons.

Day 100
April 29

President Arroyo believes "the root cause of the insurgency is not communism, but social injustice and economic deprivation", as the European Unions (EU) welcomed the start of peace talks between the government and the communist rebels.

The EU and other European countries said the talks, which started Friday in Norway, will bolster social and economic development in the Asian country.

Meanwhile, Arroyo will lead the celebration of Labor Day on Tuesday, May l, in simple rites to be held in Malacañang to honor the 31 million strong Filipino work force.

Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) said that for the first time, the nation will celebrate Labor Day with the participation of the left-leaning Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and workers in the informal sector (IS).