PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is set to break decades of inaugural traditions when he takes his oath of office as the country’s 16th president at noon today.
For the first time in years, the new president will not be joined by the incoming vice president, after Duterte expressed his inauguration to be separate from that of Vice President-elect Leni Robredo.
Citing limited slots in the inaugural celebration to be held at the presidential Palace, incoming Special Assistant to the President Secretary Christopher Go said the setup would be “unfair” to Robredo who might want to invite more guests.
“We believe that Leni Robredo’s family and supporters who worked hard for her deserve also to be present to celebrate her victory. And this can only be possible through a separate inauguration,” Go said in a statement sent to The Standard.
This will mark the first time in decades that the country’s two highest elected officials will be inaugurated separately.
In another break from tradition, Duterte also has not offered a Cabinet position to the incoming vice president, saying he did not want to strain his friendship with Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who narrowly lost the vice presidency to Robredo.
Go said Duterte’s June 30 inaugural would be “simple yet meaningful, consistent with his principles on austerity.”
“This is also intended to cause the least disruption to the public,” Go added.
The ceremony since 1992 traditionally begins with the president-elect fetching the incumbent in Malacañang on the morning of June 30. At the Palace’s state entrance, the president-elect will wait for the incumbent to descend the grand staircase. Upon meeting at the foot of the staircase, the president-elect would greet the incumbent.
Both travel to the Quirino Grandstand aboard any of the presidential cars. Following protocol, the outgoing president takes the back right-hand seat of the vehicle, while the president-elect is seated behind the chauffeur. At the grandstand’s parade grounds, the outgoing president will be welcomed with arrival honors, and then shake hands with the president-elect.
In the program sent to the press, however, President Benigno Aquino III will arrive at the Palace from the nearby Bahay Pangarap at about 10:25 a.m. Duterte will arrive at the Palace at about 10:30 a.m.
At 11 a.m., Aquino will conduct a final troop review before departing for his Times Street home in his own private vehicle.
Outgoing Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said President Aquino will meet with Duterte in the Palace before the official transfer of power.
“Aquino will also be accorded departure honors by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the Palace,” Coloma said. “Then he will go to his car to leave his office of six years.”
Aquino’s return to the Times Street residence would mark his return to private life, exactly six years after he became president.
Duterte’s aide de camp Christopher Go had earlier confirmed that Duterte, who served as mayor of Davao City, will be flying to Manila on Wednesday afternoon.
Duterte’s former wife Elizabeth Zimmerman and their children Paolo and Sara are already in Manila.
The inauguration of Duterte as the Philippines’ 16th president will be attended by a total of 627 guests, including the mayor’s longtime neighbor Pomilda Lu Daniels and various Davao City officials.
The inaugural program is also expected to last for only two hours. There will be live streaming on social networking site Facebook.
“From noon where he takes his oath, he gives his speech and after that he swears in all of those he appointed as officials in his Cabinet and the other sub-Cabinet levels, and after that the program is finished, around 1:30 p.m.,” Ambassador Marciano Paynor, head of the Palace Inaugural Committee, said.
After the inauguration, Duterte will meet with diplomats during the diplomatic reception.
For Duterte’s inaugural rites, Davao-based fashion house Chardin has created a barong Tagalog made from piña jusi fabric to be paired with black pure cotton pants.
“His wardrobe is the least of the President’s concern, but he went to fit his barong. He is raring to start with work right after the inauguration,” said incoming Communications Secretary Martin Andanar.
Palace-accredited concessionaire Via Mare will prepare a reception that reflects the simplicity of the incoming administration yet still boasts of the rich Filipino culinary heritage.
The menu, consisting only of five types of food, include: lumpiang ubod (coconut pith spring roll), pandesal with kesong puti (white cheese made from unskimmed carabao’s milk) and Vigan longganisa (sausage from Northern Ilocandia) grilled on the spot, monggo soup mixed with smoked fish and alugbati (malabar spinach) in demitasse cups, fried saba (Carbava banana) slices, and Durian tartlet. Guests will have a choice between pine-mango cooler and dalandan juice.
Robredo’s inauguration will be “as simple and as modest as possible,” down to the food that will be served, said Boyet Dy, head of Robredo’s transition committee.
Administering the oath will be Rolando Coner, captain of Barangay Punta Tarawal, the smallest, farthest and poorest town of Camarines Sur’s Third District, and Capt. Regina Celeste San Miguel, captain of Barangay Mariana, Quezon City.
“On June 30, while the oath-taking of our Vice President will be simple, it will be a good opportunity to unite in celebrating the triumph of our democracy and the start of a colorful chapter in our country’s history,” Dy added.
Because the QC Reception House has limited space, Robredo’s team decided to limit their guests to 300.
And as a symbol of equality, Dy said there will be no seat plan for the guests as the seating would be on a first come, first served basis.
Asked if Robredo’s running mate, losing presidential candidate Mar Roxas, will attend the ceremony, he said the guest list is still being finalized. The Payatas Children’s Choir will sing the national anthem after the flag ceremony.
After her oath-taking from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., Robredo will join her supporters in a gathering at the Quezon City Memorial Circle at 5:30 p.m. With F. Pearl A. Gajunera, PNA