ALTHOUGH President-elect Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III has not made any official announcement on his Cabinet appointments, he scheduled his first Cabinet meeting right after his inauguration on June 30.
Though the incoming President remained mum on his choice, the speculative and initial line-ups of his incoming administration are as follows:
1. Executive Secretary - Paquito "Jojo" Ochoa
Jojo's father, former mayor of Pulilan, Bulacan Paquito Ochoa Sr., was an associate of President-elect Noynoy's father, the late Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. The young Ochoa is also the long-time legal counsel of Noynoy.
2. Press Secretary - Ricky Carandang
Carandang is an award-winning broadcast journalist of ABS-CBN. As an anchor of the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC), Carandang recently bagged the Broadcaster of the Year trophy from the 2010 Rotary Club of Manila (RCM) Journalism Awards.
3. Presidential Management Staff - Julia Abad
Julia is the daughter of Florencio "Butch" Abad, campaign manager of Noynoy. Julia is also Aquino's Chief of Staff and member of the transition team.
4. Agrarian Reform Secretary - Philip "Popoy" Juico
Juico was appointed to serve the same position during the time of the late President Corazon Aquino.
5. Agriculture Secretary - Jaime Aristotle Alip
Alip is the co-founder of the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI).
6. Budget and Management Secretary - Butch Abad
Abad served as the campaign manager of the Liberal Party. He was the former representative of the lone district of Batanes and was also appointed as Agrarian Reform Secretary. On July of 2004, Abad was appointed secretary of the Department of Education by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
7. Defense Secretary - Voltaire Gazmin
Gazmin was the chief of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) of former President Corazon Aquino. He also served as the chief of the Philippine Army.
8. Education Secretary - Bro. Armin Luistro
Luistro is the president of De La Salle University (DLSU). In a statement released by DLSU, Luistro accepted the position "after due consultation with various stakeholders in the Lasallian community". The Lasallian brothers are very close to the Aquino family.
9. Energy Secretary - Jose Rene D. Almendras
Almendras, an Ayala executive, is the president of the Manila Water Co. Before joining the Ayala Group of companies, he was the treasurer of Aboitiz & Co. and Aboitiz Equity Ventures.
10. Finance Secretary - Cesar Purisima
Purisima formerly occupied the Department of Trade position. Prior to this, he was chairman and managing partner of SGV & Co. He was also a member of the Global Executive Board and Global Practice Council of Ernst & Young.
11. Foreign Affairs Secretary - Alberto G. Romulo
Romulo, a former senator, first served the government during the time of former President Aquino as part of her economic team. He also served as Chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in 2007. Romulo is an appointee of the outgoing president.
12. Health Secretary - Esperanza I. Cabral
Cabral was appointed by outgoing President Arroyo and will be retained to serve the Department of Health.
13. Interior and Local Government Secretary - Jesse Robredo
Robredo is the incumbent mayor of Naga City. He was given the 2000 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for public service. Vice president-elect Jejomar Binay earlier said he is eyeing the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) post after serving the city of Makati for almost 20 years. Aquino however declined to give the position to Binay.
14. Justice Secretary - Leila de Lima
De Lima immediately accepted the post after getting the news from the Aquino camp, prompting her to quit her post as the chairwoman of the Commission of Human Rights (CHR). Former chief justice Reynato Puno recommended De Lima after he turned down the post.
15. Public Works and Highways Secretary - Ping De Jesus
De Jesus is the president and chief operating officer of Meralco Corp. He has previously served in the same post in the Cabinet of Noynoy’s mother, Cory, and during the time of ex-president Fidel Ramos.
16. Social Welfare and Development Secretary - Dinky Soliman
Soliman was a member of the “Hyatt 10” who resigned from the Cabinet of outgoing president in July 2005. She has previously occupied the same post.
17. Tourism Secretary - Alberto "Bertie" Lim
Lim is the president of the Makati Business Club, a group known to support Aquino even before the latter's campaign started. Early speculations also pointed to showbiz talk host Boy Abunda as the new head of the Department of Tourism (DOT) but Abunda declined the post. Expectedly, Noynoy's sister Kris made the suggestion to the president-elect.
18. Presidential Peace Adviser - Teresita Deles
Deles was also among the 10 Cabinet and senior government officials who withdrew their support from Arroyo during the height of the "Hello, Garci" scandal.
19. Presidential Spokesman - Edwin Lacierda
Horacio Ramos and Greg Domingo are meanwhile expected to be one-year appointees in the environment and trade departments. Aquino's runningmate, Mar Roxas is expected to assume the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) post after the one-year appointment ban on losing candidates lapses. Roxas has already served as DTI secretary before being elected as senator.
Ramos meanwhile will be replaced by defeated senatorial candidate Neric Acosta.
The search committee for Cabinet positions was headed by Noynoy's sister Elena "Ballsy" Cruz who also served her mother as a personal secretary.
On Wednesday, Binay declined several Cabinet positions that were offered to him when he met with Aquino in his Times St. residence.(Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)