2004, February 23. U.S. President George W. Bush State Visit
Litho Offset.
APO Production Unit, Inc., Perf. 13 x 13.5
Singles, Sheets of 50
6p
President George W. Bush
- Singles
(50,000)
22p
Pres. Bush and Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo -
Singles (50,000)
Designer: Albert C. Malonzo
First Day Covers: Manila
State Visit of U.S. President George W.
Bush, October 18, 2003
The state visit of U.S. President George W. Bush
on October 18, 2003 further cemented Philippine-U.S. relations. It
came at a time when the world was on the throes of terrorism which
up to now remains unyielding. But firm as the terrorists are, the
U.S. and its allies (including the Philippines) are just as
determined to seek out and destroy their enemies in a kind of
warfare that is not conventional and which could not have an end in
sight.
There are no easy solutions when the enemy is
faceless and working in ways that are unpredictable and always with
an element of surprise. The terrorists seem able to find some chink
in the armor of even the most technologically advanced (both
economically and militarily) nation on earth.
On a smaller scale, but just as worrying, is the
task facing the Philippines in battling its own terrorists on home
ground. The wherewithal with which to have a good fighting chance
can come only from the U.S. which can supply us with the necessary
hardware and technological savvy.
Thus, the visit of President Bush, while
symbolically a reaffirmation of the bonds that have tied the two
countries for so long, marks a period when all men desirous to
preserve democracy must act decisively or face ruin.