was on Wednesday sworn in as president of the Philippines amid joyous celebrations and desperate hopes he will usher in a new era of clean government for the corruption-wracked nation.
Police said up to 500,000 people, many of them wearing the Aquino family's signature yellow, turned up for the festival-style inauguration ceremony at a seaside park in Manila.
NOYNOY AQUINO INAUGURAL SPEECH
The crowd roared and waved yellow flags as the 50-year-old bachelor Aquino, wearing a traditional Filpino "barong" shirt, took his oath in front of a Supreme Court judge.
In a 22-minute inaugural speech, Aquino vowed to honor his parents' legacy of democracy, and promised a better Philipppines as his own legacy.
"My parents sought nothing less and died for nothing less than democracy, peace and prosperity. I am blessed by this legacy. I shall carry the torch forward," he said. "Ang layunin ko sa buhay ay simple lang: maging tapat sa aking mga magulang at sa bayan bilang isang marangal na anak, mabait na kuya, at mabuting mamamayan."
"Layunin ko na sa pagbaba ko sa katungkulan, masasabi ng lahat na malayo na ang narating natin sa pagtahak ng tuwid na landas at mas maganda na ang kinabukasang ipapamana natin sa susunod na henerasyon. Samahan ninyo ako sa pagtatapos ng laban na ito. Tayo na sa tuwid na landas."
Aquino reiterated his campaign promise to curb corruption and practice good governance.
"Ang mandatong ito ay isa kung saan kayo at ang inyong pangulo ay nagkasundo para sa pagbabago - isang paninindigan na ipinangako ko noong kampanya at tinanggap ninyo noong araw ng halalan. Sigaw natin noong kampanya: 'Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.' Hindi lamang ito pang slogan o pang poster - ito ang mga prinsipyong tinatayuan at nagsisilbing batayan ng ating administrasyon," he said.
"Sa tulong ng wastong pamamahala sa mga darating na taon, maiibsan din ang marami nating problema. Ang tadhana ng Pilipino ay babalik sa tamang kalagayan, na sa bawat taon pabawas ng pabawas ang problema ng Pinoy na nagsusumikap at may kasiguruhan sila na magiging tuloy-tuloy na ang pagbuti ng kanilang sitwasyon."
Aquino said clean and honest governanace will start with him and his Cabinet.
"Ang unang hakbang ay ang pagkakaroon ng tuwid at tapat na hanay ng mga pinuno. Magsisimula ito sa akin. Sisikapin kong maging isang mabuting ehemplo. Hinding hindi ko sasayangin ang tiwalang ipinagkaloob ninyo sa akin. Sisiguraduhin ko na ganito rin ang adhikain ng aking Gabinete at ng mga magiging kasama sa ating pamahalaan," he said.
"Naniniwala akong hindi lahat ng nagsisilbi sa gobyerno ay corrupt. Sa katunayan, mas marami sa kanila ay tapat. Pinili nilang maglingkod sa gobyerno upang gumawa ng kabutihan. Ngayon, magkakaroon na sila ng pagkakataong magpakitang-gilas. Inaasahan natin sila sa pagsupil ng korapsyon sa loob mismo ng burukrasya."
Aquino also said he would revive his mother's emergency employment program, which succeeded in generating economic growth during her term.
"Bubuhayin natin ang programang "emergency employment" ng dating pangulong Corazon Aquino sa pagtatayo ng mga bagong imprastraktura na ito. Ito ay magbibigay ng trabaho sa mga local na komunidad at makakatulong sa pagpapalago ng kanila at ng ating ekonomiya," he said.
He also promised to clean up the two key revenue generating agencies of government: the Bureau of Customs and Bureau of Internal Revenue.
"Hindi kami magiging sanhi ng inyong pasakit at perwisyo. Palalakasin natin ang koleksyon at pupuksain natin ang korapsyon sa Kawanihan ng Rentas Internas at Bureau of Customs para mapondohan natin ang ating mga hinahangad para sa lahat," he said.
Higher proceeds from tax collections will go to quality education, health care, and housing.
In response to persistent problems of red tape, Aquino vowed to set up a predictable place for investors.
"We will be a predictable and consistent place for investment, a nation where everyone will say, 'it all works.'," he said. "Walang lamangan, walang padrino at walang pagnanakaw. Walang wang-wang, walang counterflow, walang tong. Panahon na upang tayo ay muling magkawang-gawa."
"Gagawin nating kaaya-aya sa negosyante ang ating bansa. We will cut red tape dramatically and implement stable economic policies. We will level the playing field for investors and make government an enabler, not a hindrance, to business. Sa ganitong paraan lamang natin mapupunan ang kakulangan ng trabaho para sa ating mga mamamayan."
Aquino also announced that he would scrutinize the "midnight appointments" issued by Mrs. Arroyo.
"Sa mga itinalaga sa paraang labag sa batas, ito ang aking babala: sisimulan natin ang pagbabalik ng tiwala sa pamamagitan ng pag-usisa sa mga 'midnight appointments.' Sana ay magsilbi itong babala sa mga nag-iisip na ipagpatuloy ang baluktot na kalakarang nakasanayan na ng marami," he said.
He also promised to prioritize poverty alleviation and improve services for farmers.
"Ang ating pangunahing tungkulin ay ang magsikap na maiangat ang bansa mula sa kahirapan, sa pamamagitan ng pagpapairal ng katapatan at mabuting pamamalakad sa pamahalaan," he said.
"Kung dati ay may fertilizer scam, ngayon ay may kalinga na para sa mga magsasaka. Tutulungan natin sila sa irigasyon, extension services, at sa pagbenta ng kanilang produkto sa pinakamataas na presyong maaari," he said.
"Inaatasan natin si Secretary Alcala na magtayo ng mga trading centers kung saan diretso na ang magsasaka sa mamimili - lalaktawan natin ang gitna, kasama na ang kotong cop. Sa ganitong paraan, ang dating napupunta sa gitna ay maari nang paghatian ng magsasaka at mamimili."
He also said he would continue the policy of peaceful settlement of conflicts in Mindanao.
"My government will be sincere in dealing with all the peoples of Mindanao. We are committed to a peaceful and just settlement of conflicts, inclusive of the interests of all - may they be Lumads, Bangsamoro or Christian.
"I think he can reduce corruption and improve governance," high school teacher Terlito Malaya, 52, said as he waited for Aquino to be sworn in.
"Poverty is also a very big problem and needs a permanent solution... but no-one should think right now that he will fail."
Aquino rode to the country's biggest election victory on May 10 on a pledge to fight woeful graft and poverty that he said thrived during the nearly 10-year reign of outgoing president Gloria Arroyo.
Another crucial factor was his status as the son of Philippine democracy heroes Benigno and Corazon Aquino, who remain revered for their efforts to overthrow dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
His mother, Corazon, earned a reputation as an incorruptible leader during her six-year term as president following the "people power" revolution that toppled Marcos in 1986.
Her death from cancer last year reignited national support for the family, which in turn lifted her son from political lightweight after 11 years as a low-profile member of parliament to presidential frontrunner.
Aquino admitted to feeling some anxiety on Tuesday as he named his cabinet and put the finishing touches to his first speech as president, in which he will outline how he intends to get the job done over his six-year term.
"It will be what sets the goalposts," he said of the speech, which will air live on national television.
His speech was due to take place shortly after the swearing in ceremony.
After promising to eradicate poverty during the campaign, Aquino has been careful to play down expectations, insisting that he is not Superman and that he is hoping to merely lay a solid foundation for his successor in 2016.
However he has also announced some headline-grabbing initiatives, including on Tuesday naming a retired Supreme Court chief justice to lead a Truth Commission that will probe and possibly prosecute Arroyo for alleged graft.
Aquino also pledged to scrutinise every project listed in the national budget to make sure taxpayers money is not being lost to corruption, adding he suspected Arroyo had painted a falsely optimistic picture of the economy.
"The first order of business will be for everybody (in the cabinet) to review their particular areas of concern," Aquino said Tuesday.
"We will have to study the lay of the land, study what the conditions are bereft of political spin."
Amid this backdrop, a fascinating part of Wednesday's events saw Aquino escort Arroyo in a limousine from the presidential palace to the Rizal Park venue for the oathtaking ceremony and transfer of power.
They shook hands and smiled for the press cameras at the presidential palace, but Aquino avoided making eye contact in their awkward encounter.
Aquino also said Tuesday he wanted peace talks to end decades-long communist and Muslim separatist insurgencies.
Another priority was to improve a judicial system where just 18 percent of criminal cases lead to convictions and a court verdict takes six years.
"Justice is really an aspiration rather than a reality," he said.
credit: CES
