Aquino swears in new Cabinet, local officials

President Noynoy Aquino poses for the camera with the new members of his Cabinet, after oath-taking ceremonies in Malacañang. Candice Montenegro

Hours after being sworn in to office, President Benigno Aquino III himself administered oath-taking ceremonies for around 180 newly elected local officials, lawmakers, and members of his Cabinet. The ceremony took place at the Rizal Hall in Malacañang past 3 p.m., or barely three hours after Aquino took his oath at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila. First to be sworn in were the new members of Aquino's Cabinet including re-appointed Foreign Affairs Sec. Alberto Romulo and Social Welfare Sec. Corazon "Dinky" Soliman, who both served under the term of Aquino's predecessor, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, now a congresswoman representing the second district of Pampanga. Other Cabinet secretaries sworn in Wednesday were:

• Leila de Lima (Justice),
• Armin Luistro (Education),
• Proceso Alcala (Agriculture),
• Alberto Lim (Tourism),
• Jose Rene Almendras (Energy),
• Teresita Deles (Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process),
• Patricia Licuanan (Higher Education)
• Julia Abad (Presidential Management Staff (PMS), among others.

A radio dzBB report said Aquino was set to swear in a total of 181 people including Cabinet officials, 62 congressmen, five governors, six vice governors, 30 mayors, and 20 board members. Among the lawmakers who were sworn in were Quezon City Rep. Feliciano Belmonte Jr. (4th District) and Pangasinan Rep. Gina de Venecia (4th District), wife of former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. Re-elected Manila mayor Alfredo Lim, General Santos Mayor Darlene Custodio, and Marikina Mayor Del de Guzman were among the mayors who took their oaths. The new Cabinet officials are expected to attend their first Cabinet meeting with the new President at the Palace's Aguinaldo Dining Room after the oath-taking. - RJAB Jr/KBK, GMANews.TV