Aquino’s plan to ‘snub’ Corona will embarrass RP — poll lawyer

Should leading presidential bet Sen. Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III be finally proclaimed winner, a poll lawyer advised the Liberal Party standard bearer to drop a plan not to take oath before the newly appointed Supreme Court chief justice. A dzBB report quoted former administration poll lawyer Romulo Macalintal as saying that Aquino’s plan not to take oath before incoming Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona would be an embarrassment for the country. Corona was appointed as the next SC chief justice by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Wednesday. Macalintal said that by tradition, newly-elected presidents take oath before the chief justice, adding that breaking such tradition might be taken as wrong signal that would mar the image of the country in the community of nations. On the other hand, Malacañang admitted Friday that Aquino is free to choose who among high-ranking government official he would like to swear him to office in the event of his final proclamation as new president of the Republic. Presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo said taking the presidential oath before the High court’s chief justice is not a requirement. [See: Palace downplays Noynoy plan to take oath without Corona] Noynoy in Tarlac

On Friday, radio dzBB reported that Aquino was in his home province of Tarlac, where he was expected to shed light on some issues such as whether his camp intentionally dropped his running mate Sen. Mar Roxas II during the May 10 polls. While in Tarlac, an Army commander who requested anonymity expressed confusion why a unit of the Army’s Light Armor Division had to be deployed to Hacienda Luisita, owned by the family of Aquino. The unnamed Army official was quoted as saying that their mission was not made clear to them. – LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV