Photos by Malacañang photographers
Making life worth living.
Month: June 2010
At the same time, he said he is grateful to former Chief Justice Hilario Davide who was Arroyo’s ambassador to the United Nations, to agree to head the Truth Commission that will investigate anomalies under the Arroyo administration.
Following is his inaugural speech:
His Excellency Jose Ramos Horta, Former President Fidel V. Ramos, Former President Joseph Estrada, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and members of the Senate, House Speaker Prospero Nograles and members of the House, justices of the Supreme Court, members of the foreign delegations,Your Excellencies of the diplomatic corps, fellow colleagues in government, aking mga kababayan.
Ang pagtayo ko dito ngayon ay patunay na kayo ang aking tunay na lakas. Hindi ko inakala na darating tayo sa puntong ito, na ako’y manunumpa sa harap ninyo bilang inyong Pangulo. Hindi ko pinangarap maging tagapagtaguyod ng pag-asa at tagapagmana ng mga suliranin ng ating bayan.
Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III took his oath of office as 15th president of the Philippines at noon today, taking over the reins of government…
(Note: This live blog was launched on June 29, 10:50 p.m.) The Aquino Inaugural
* Paquito Ochoa Jr., executive secretary, who is Aquino’s long time confidante and former administrator of Quezon City.
* Alberto Romulo, Foreign Affairs
* Cesar Purisima, Finance
* Leila de Lima, Justice, chair of the Commission on Human Rights under the Arroyo administration
* Voltaire Gazmin, Defense, who was chief of the Presidential Security Group under the Corazon Aquino administration
* Armin Luistro, Education, president and chancellor of De La Salle University who is very close to the Aquino family
* Florencio “Butch” Abad, Budget, who was former Batanes congressman and Education secretary of the Arroyo government. Abad also served as campaign manager for Aquino in the May elections.
* Cayetano Paderanga Jr., director general of the National Economic Development Authority, who had served as Monetary Board member and socioeconomic planning chief under the Corazon Aquino administration.
* Proceso Alcala, Agriculture. Alcala was a former congressman of Quezon province.
* Ramon Paje, Environment. Paje served as DENR secretary.
* Jose “Ping” de Jesus, Transportation and Communication, who is president and chief operating officer of Meralco.
* Rosalinda Baldoz, Labor, administrator of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration under the Arroyo government
* Enrique Ona, Health, director of the National Kidney Institute.
* Alberto Lim, Tourism, executive director of the Makati Buisness Club.
* Gregory Domingo, Trade. He served as DTI undersecretary and managing head of the Board of Investments between 2002 and 2004. He was also executive director of SM Investments Corp. and vice chairman of Belle Corp. before his DTI appointment.
* Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, Social Welfare secretary, the post she once held under the Arroyo administration.
* Mario Montejo, Department of Science and Technology, who was with Water Fun, an amusement park. Aquino said the Filipino technology used in the park like slides and waves was an invention of Montejo and his team.
* Jose Rene Almendras, Energy, who is working for Manila Water.
* Rogelio Singson, Public Works, former chair of the Bases Conversion Authority.
* Virgilio de los Reyes, Agrarian Reform, vice dean of the College of Law and a teacher of Business Law in the MBA program of DLSU.
* Teresita “Ging” Deles, presidential peace adviser
* Julia Abad, chief of the Presidential Management staff, who served as Aquino’s Senate chief of staff and is a daughter of Butch Abad.
* Edwin Lacierda, presidential spokesman.
* Eduardo de Mesa, presidential legal counsel, who has been one of Aquino’s lawyers since 1998.
* Patricia Licuanan, Commission on Higher Education, who is president of Miriam College. Licuanan is also very active in women issues serving as the Philippines’ representative, then vice chairwoman and eventually chair of the Conference on the Status of Women during the 1995 World Conference on Women held in Beijing. She also served as the trustee of the Center for Asia-Pacific Women in Politics.
* Kim Jacinto-Henares as head of the Bureau of Internal Revenue. Henares was a former BIR executive.
Transcipt of the press conference:
Nagpapasalamat ako kay Atty. Melvin Matibag,general manager ng Manila International Airport Authority, sa kanyang aksyon agad sa tangkang panloloko na ginawa ng driver ng Yellow taxi sa akin noong Biyernes.
Noong Linggo, tinawagan niya ako at sinabi niyang dinala na ng taxi operator ang taxi driver sa kanyang opisina at pinatawan ng kaukulang parusa: hindi na siya makapagbiyahe sa airport. Banned na siya.
Sabi ni GM Matibag, galit talaga siya sa mga mandurugas na taxi drivers sa airport dahil nag laking kasiraan ang kanilang binibigay sa bansa.
She immediately took it back as a joke, but was it a deliberate leak?
In her farewell interview in the showbiz talk-show, the Buzz, Kris Aquino said she may yet stage a comeback after her brother’s presidency. Or, she said,”“Who knows, with the help of science, I may still look good. But then again, six years from now, maybe I’m the one who’ll be sworn in.”
Realizing she had unleashed a mouthful, she quickly backtracked: “Joke lang. Baka may magalit na naman (Someone might get mad again).”
Here’s the report of Inquirer’s Bayani San Diego Jr.:
Kris Aquino admits end of marriage to James Yap
It’s game over for the Kris Aquino-James Yap marriage.
On ABS-CBN’s “The Buzz” on Sunday, host Aquino declared: “This marriage is over on my part.”
News about the separation had been swirling the past week – after co-host Boy Abunda revealed Tuesday that Aquino failed to attend an event in Cebu due to marital problems.
I got this paper titled, “Unmasking the Hawaii Five-O” from a source in the Philippine National Police. I am sure PNP Chief Jesus Versoza who is assured of staying on under the Aquino administration knows about the existence of this group in the police organization.
I was given names composing the group. The one that got my attention was that of Chief Superintendent Leocadio Santiago, Jr. commander of the Special Action Force. I remember him because he was the one who ordered that media be handcuffed during the Nov. 29, 2007 Manila Peninsula incident.
The cry for genuine reforms of the people behind this paper is clear enough:
Members of the Union of Foreign Service Officers said they would have to work three times harder with the reported retention of Alberto Romulo as foreign secretary.
In a text message, UNIFORS said, “First faux pas of P Noy. We need to work triple time to make up for such an incompetent secretary of foreign affairs.”
Highlights of Inquirer’s report on retention of Romulo:
-Romulo said Aquino did not give a time limit to his tenure in the DFA. The statement of Ed Malaya, FDA spokesman, talked of six years.
– Liberal Party faction in the Aquino camp recommended former Trade Secretary Johnny Santos, who was also former president and CEO of Nestle Philippines. (I understand after Santos had said “Yes”, it was taken back and he was offered the position of ambassador to the U.S. Santos has not said “yes” to the second offer.)
– The Aquino sisters, specifically Maria Elena “Ballsy” Cruz, who has been helping out the search committee, stood up for Romulo.
Romulo is the first of Gloria Arroyo’s cabinet member that Aquino has retained. It’s not known whether there would be more.
Unifors has earlier issued statements asking President-elect Benigno Aquino Jr. not to retain Romulo citing his incompetence.
Walang pruweba na ang “Noni juice” ay nakakagaling ng cancer. Wala ring pwuweba na ang mba bakuna ay ang dahilan ng autism at alzheimers disease.
Kung magkodakan, hindi cheese ang sasabihin para smiling ang labas sa litrato. “A” o “eight”, mas maganda.
Ito ang isa lang sa aking natutunan ko sa 10th midyear convention ng Philippine Society of Oncologists noong Sabado na ginanap sa Lung Center. Nakasama ako sa isang sesyun tungkol sa mga tinatawag natin ngayon na alternative medicine para sa cancer.