RP demands apology from U.S.

RP demands apology from U.S.

PHILIPPINES: Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Monday demanded an apology for a U.S. Republican congressional survey that described the country and Thailand as among nations aiding and harboring terrorists.

Arroyo said the question - "Should American broaden the war on terrorism into other countries that harbor and aid terrorists such as Thailand, Syria, Somalia, the Philippines, etc.?" - was "fallacious" and "reflects irresponsibility".

The question was included in the National Republican Congressional Committee's "Ask America 2004" policy survey, one of the party's fund-raising initiatives.

"We don't deserve this kind of treatment," Arroyo said. "The Philippines has been a staunch supporter of the global war against terrorism and has proven its worth in reducing the operational capability of terrorists domestically and transnationally."

"I would like the department of foreign affairs to demand an apology for the unfair and baseless accusation that we belong to a list of countries harboring terrorists," she added. --DPA