President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Monday defiantly rejected criticism of her decision to withdraw Philippine troops from Iraq to save the life of a captive Filipino truck driver. “The Philippines has no policy that demands sacrifice of human lives,” Arroyo said in her fourth annual state of the nation address to the opening session of the new Congress. The focus of the 40-minute speech was to flesh out plans for economic reforms aimed at easing the Philippines’ wrenching poverty that has led nearly 10 percent of the population to seek work overseas.Full Story