17 countries sending high-level reps to inaugural

MANILA, Philippines - Seventeen countries are sending high-level delegations to the inauguration of president-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and vice president-elect Jejomar Binay tomorrow, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

More than 100 foreign dignitaries will arrive in the country for the ceremonies, including resident and non-resident ambassadors who have been designated as special envoys by their respective governments for this special event.

Timor Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta will grace the occasion.

US President Barack Obama announced on Saturday the designation of a presidential delegation to Manila to attend the inauguration.

Ambassador Ron Kirk, United States Trade Representative and a member of Obama’s Cabinet, will lead the delegation.

Yan Junqi, vice chair of the standing committee of China’s National People’s Congress, will head a Chinese delegation to attend as the special envoy of President Hu Jintao.

The Japanese embassy announced that Japan will be sending State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Osamu Fujimura as special envoy to the inauguration ceremony.

Fujimura is also a member of the House of Representatives elected six times consecutively.

“Japan has been the second largest partner in trade and the top donor of ODA (official development assistance) to the Philippines, and strongly hopes that the strategic partnership will be further enhanced with the new administration of the Philippines between the two countries which share values such as freedom, democracy and respect for human rights,” the embassy said.

Malaysian Minister of Women, Family and Community Development and Sen. Dato Sri Shahrzat Abdul Jalil will also attend the inauguration.

The delegation of the Holy See will be headed by Archbishop Osvaldo Padilla, Titular Archbishop of Pia and Apostolic Nuncio to Korea.

Indonesia will be represented by Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare Dr. H.R. Agung Laksono, while Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith will represent his country.

South Korea’s Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Kim will lead the delegation, while Laos will be led by Chief of Cabinet to the President Minister Souban Srithirath.

Foreign Affairs and Trade Select Committee Chairman John Hayes will represent New Zealand.

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State of the Foreign Affairs Nizar bin Abaid Madami, Peruvian Ambassador to Indonesia Jorge Castaneda Mendez, Singapore Foreign Minister George Yong-Boon Yeo and Spanish Ombudsman Enrique Mugica will also attend the inauguration.

Thai Minister Ongart Kiampaiboon and Vietnam’s Industry and Trade Minister Vu Huy Hoang will arrive in the country for the event.

Preparations for inauguration

In Malacañang, Presidential Management Staff (PMS) head Elena Bautista-Horn reported yesterday that the cost of preparations for the inauguration would exceed the initial P10 million allocation and could even go as high as P15 million.

Horn said the expenses for the lights, sounds, stage extension, and the allowances for the people and the volunteers who are helping have already taken up the P10-million budget.

She said the cost of preparations for the reception for the diplomatic corps after the oath-taking ceremony at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila as well as the celebration at the Quezon Memorial Circle was not yet included in the expenditures.

The Aquino camp expects around 750 guests for the reception at Malacañang and, depending on how much and what type of food would be served, expenses could even reach P15 million, according to Horn.

She said the additional funds could be taken from the July budget of the Office of the President.

Aquino’s camp has emphasized that its administration would cut down on costs and undertake austerity measures to save money for the government.

Even for the inauguration itself, Horn previously aired her impression that the Aquino family wanted it to be simple.

For the past few weeks, the Aquino and Arroyo camps have been busy preparing for the turnover of the government on June 30.

Representatives of the Aquino camp have been seen regularly at Malacañang to inspect the various offices there and for meetings with their counterparts from the Arroyo administration.

Horn said the Aquino camp has been in charge of all the preparations for the inauguration and the Arroyo side is just serving as caretaker of the funds.

What the Arroyo administration has been busy with is the preparation for the last Cabinet meeting today.

President Arroyo’s last meeting with her official family would still have its regular agenda, including the updates on the global economy by the National Economic and Development Authority and the work of the transition team.

Unlike previous Cabinet meetings, which are usually held over lunch, today’s meeting would be held around 4 p.m., continuing into dinner.

Horn said there would be surprises in store for the President and some of the former Cabinet members would be present.

A total of 16 former Cabinet members were invited to attend the meeting, not including the members of the Hyatt 10, which resigned en masse in 2005.

Most of the members of the Hyatt 10 are now part of the Aquino camp and would be back as Cabinet members after June 30.

Elaborate security

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has committed troops and other logistical support to the Presidential Security Group (PSG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to ensure that tomorrow’s transfer of political power will be peaceful and orderly.

Aside from the Honor Guard Battalion, the AFP is deploying two additional composite military battalions as well as bomb-sniffing dogs to secure the Quirino Grandstand and its surroundings.

AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Arnulfo Burgos said that two military battalions from the National Capital Region Command (NCRCOM) will provide security support to the PSG and the PNP, the overall-in-charge in securing the historic event.

Military explosive experts will also be on hand as part of the overall security operations in Luneta.

The deployment of policemen, on the other hand, will start as early as Tuesday night and will stay there after the inauguration. -With Evelyn Macairan, Jaime Laude, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Marvin Sy