Noynoy meets with new team

MANILA, Philippines - Six prospective Cabinet members of the government of president-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III yesterday visited the Aquino family home on Times Street in West Triangle, Quezon City.

These are lawyer Paquito Ochoa Jr., who would be executive secretary; chief of staff Julia Abad who would be head of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS); Cesar Purisima, expected to be reappointed as finance secretary; Makati Business Club executive director Alberto Lim, tourism secretary; lawyer Kim Jacinto-Henares, would-be internal revenue commissioner; and Lt. Gen. Voltaire Gazmin, to assume the post of secretary of defense.

Joining the meeting were Aquino’s two sisters Maria Elena “Ballsy” Aquino-Cruz and Aurora Corazon “Pinky” Aquino-Abellada.

Defeated vice-presidential candidate and Aquino’s running mate Sen. Manuel Roxas II arrived after the meeting. Roxas is expected to serve as one of Aquino’s advisers until the one-year ban on appointment for defeated candidates lapses. There are speculations that Roxas will be appointed as trade secretary, a position he held before, but he refused to confirm this. There are also speculations that Aquino has appointed former Education secretary Florencio Abad as his budget secretary; Horacio Ramos as environment secretary for a year until defeated senatorial candidate Neric Acosta takes over; Alberto Romulo as foreign affairs chief; Jose Rene Almendras as energy secretary; Jaime Aristotle Alip as agriculture secretary; Guillermo Parayno as customs commissioner; and outgoing Mayor Jesse Robredo as interior and local government chief. Aquino will announce his Cabinet before his inauguration on June 30.