Arroyo leaves for Hanoi ASEAN summit, names Noli caretaker

President Arroyo has designated Vice President Manuel "Noli" de Castro Jr. as the country's chief caretaker during her two-day trip to Vietnam this week, Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza said Wednesday. Mendoza said De Castro would head the caretaker committee, and his office would assist in the handling of administrative matters during Mrs. Arroyo’s absence. According to a Radio dzBB report, Mrs. Arroyo also designated Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales Jr. to represent her at the Araw ng Kagitingan (Heroes’ Day) rites in Bataan on Friday. Mrs. Arroyo is scheduled to leave for Vietnam on Thursday morning to attend the 16th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Meetings to be held in the capital city Hanoi from April 8 to 9. Until last Monday, Mrs. Arroyo had canceled her public engagements to keep watch over First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, who was confined at the St. Luke's Medical Center in Taguig City since March 25 for a condition related to his heart operation in 2007. He was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday. During the 16th ASEAN Summit, which will be Mrs. Arroyo’s first foreign trip for 2010, she is expected to pursue the issue of preserving the environment and natural wealth of each country, Executive Secretary Mendoza said. Joining her on the trip are Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, Trade and Industry Secretary Jesli Lapus and Press Secretary Crispulo Icban Jr. After the Hanoi summit, the President will visit Washington DC on April 12-13 to attend the 40-nation Nuclear Security Summit hosted by US President Barack Obama. This would be followed by her April 15-16 visit to Madrid to receive the Premio Internacional Don Quijote de la Mancha award for promoting Spanish language and culture in the Philippines.—JV, GMANews.TV