Chinese envoy finds nothing wrong with visit to Noynoy

MANILA, Philippines - Chinese Ambassador Liu Jianchao said that his visit to president-apparent Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III last Thursday was a personal visit to a “very good friend” and an incumbent senator.

“Mr. Aquino is a senator and a good friend of mine so I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t be calling on a senator,” Liu, speaking with reporters at the end of a roundtable media forum he hosted at the Chinese embassy in Dasmariñas Village in Makati City yesterday morning, said.

The US embassy, on the other hand, assured the public that it respects the proclamation process for the next president and the country’s political processes.

“The US respects RP’s political process. We await formal proclamation of election results by Congress. (The) US looks forward to working with a new administration to deepen our bilateral friendship and advance common goals for the United States and the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and the world,” US embassy spokesperson Rebecca Thompson said in a statement sent through text.

The comments from the two embassies came on the heels of former assemblyman Homobono Adaza’s threat to file charges against Liu and US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. for allegedly conspiring to “proclaim” leading presidential candidate Aquino as the duly elected president of the Philippines.

Unmindful of Adaza’s move, the Japanese embassy announced yesterday that Ambassador Makoto Katsura also paid a courtesy call on Aquino last Thursday.

“The Ambassador also congratulated the people of the Philippines on the success of the country’s first automated national elections,” the embassy said in a statement issued yesterday.

Katsura updated Aquino on the recent relations between the two countries during the meeting, which was attended also by Liberal Party vice presidential candidate Sen. Manuel Roxas II and some embassy officials.

The Japanese ambassador also expressed his strong wish to continue to work closely with the next administration in order to “further enhance the strategic partnership for the future between Japan and the Philippines, which share fundamental values such as freedom, democracy and respect for human rights.”

An official of one of the embassies could not stop laughing when asked for comment on the threatened filing of charges.

Tight security for Noynoy

Meanwhile, Aquino’s movements have been limited by his security detail as he waits for his proclamation and inauguration.

Aquino was advised by his security officers to stay in his Times Street home in Quezon City and not to move around too much.

He originally planned to move to their house in Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac but decided to stay at Times where he said he was more comfortable.

Aquino did not leave yesterday until he was to attend the premier of the movie “Noy” at the Rockwell mall in Makati City.

Sen. Francis Escudero and Quezon City administrator Pacquito “Jojo” Ochoa Jr. met with him yesterday. On Thursday, it was Ochoa, Roxas and Aquino’s staff who assisted him in receiving the Chinese and Japanese ambassadors.

Retired Gen. Jose Angel Honrado, a former member of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) during the time of former President Corazon Aquino, helped in supervising the security arrangements of the senator as president-in-waiting.

Honrado said they are considering putting up tents and finding an appropriate parking area for media people staking out the residence for a chance to interview him.

Aquino, on the other hand, said he would make fewer pronouncements until his proclamation so as not to be seen as being presumptuous.

Honrado said the PSG would just have to make the necessary arrangements if Aquino would decide to live in Times street even after proclamation.

Aquino has always expressed his preference to stay in his residence rather than in Malacañang.

“This is for my spiritual, psychological well-being. I’m here in a very comfortable position, this is where I grew up, this is where I find myself very productive in terms of studying. The pacing here is really okay. So far, callers are limited so as not to interrupt me while I am studying, there are so many things to study,” Aquino said. – With Aurea Calica