TAKES OATH AS 7TH PRESIDENT Her Excellency, Cory!
* Appoints VP Laurel as Prime Minister and Enrile as Defense Minister.
• Promotes 3-star Gen. Fidel Ramos by one star to Full General and appoints him AFP Chief of Staff.
• Creates task forces on foreign affairs, justice, finance, education, social services, the Central Bank, local government, and labor.
• Announces gov’t revamp and asks for courtesy resignations.
CORAZON Cojuangco Aquino was formally installed as the seventh President of the Philippines shortly before 11 a.m. today and promptly appointed two members of her cabinet.
She named Gen. Fidel V. Ramos — whom she promoted to full general —as chief of the Armed Forces, and created eight task forces to perform key functions of her government.
Her left hand resting on a Bible, the widow of martyred leader Benigno Aquino, Jr. took her oath of office before Senior Supreme Court Justice Claudio Teehankee.
Four minutes earlier, Vice President Salvador Laurel was sworn in by another Senior Justice, Vicente Abad Santos.
They swore solemnly to “faithfully and conscientiously fulfill my duty to preserve and defend (the country’s) fundamental law,execute its just laws,do justice to everyman and consecrate myself to the service of the nation,” invoking God’s help.
Immediately after taking her oath President Aquino issued her first Executive Order which designated Vice President Laurel as Prime Minister and Juan Ponce Enrile, defense minister of the Marcos administration and co-leader of a military leader against Marcos, to the same post in her government.
To long and loud applause, she announced the promotion of Lt. (two-star) General Fidel Ramos, Enrile’s partner in their military revolt, to full general (four stars) and named him Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Also under the same Executive Order No.1,she created task force committee on foreign affairs, justice, finance, education, social services, the Central Bank, local government, and labor to assume the functions in these areas under her government.
Shortly before she and the Vice President were administered their oaths, President Aquino declared that on the basis of the sovereign people’s mandate given them in the last elections, they were “taking power in the name of the Filipino people.”
She pledged that her government would be dedicated to justice,morality and decency in government, and freedom and democracy.
She announced a reorganization of the government to restore confidence in it, and ordered all officials concerned to submit their Courtesy resignations.
She instructed them to stay in place but to make sure that the records of their custody are kept safe. “Those who have not done anything against the people have nothing to fear,” she assured them.
She paid tribute to the populace who by the People’s Power” they demonstrated enabled her to assume the office she was elected to. “I cannot thank them enough,” she said.
She cautioned them against letting down their guard, saying “more vigilance is needed in this moment of trial.”
“More will be required of each of us to redeem our confidence and create a truly just society,” she said.
The installation of the new President and Vice President was held at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, packed to the rafters with thousands more spilling outside.
She was proclaimed the duly-elected President in a resolution signed by at least 44 members of Parliament which declared the Batasan proclamation of Mr. Marcos and his vice presidential runningmate Arturo Tolentino last February 15 as null and void. The resolution was read to the cheering throng by MP Neptali Gonzales.
The President-elect arrived at the Club Filipino at 10:15 a.m. where the enthusiastic crowd of supporters had been massing since as early as 6 a.m.
Enrile and Ramos had arrived 15 minutes earlier to big appaluse from the crowd which lined up on Ortigas Avenue leading to the clubhouse.
At the presidential table in the main hall were, aside from Justice Teehankee and Abad Santos, the President’s mother-in-law Dona Aurora Aquino, Preciosa the widow of martyred ex-Antique Gov. Evelio Javier, the Vice president’s lady Mrs. Celia Diaz Laurel, retired Supreme Court Justice Cecilia Munoz Palma, and other leaders.
Ms. Aquino took her oath dressed in a simple yellow dress while Laurel was in barong.
After she delivered her brief inaugural address, which was in Pilipino, she led the throng in a singing of Ama Namin (“Our Father”). It was followed by a mass singing of the nationalist song “Bayan Ko,” led by Laurel’s son Cocoy.
The air at the installation was described as “electric,” with every announcement and speech she made greeted, interrupted and ended by long and loud applause.
Vice President Laurel was also wildly cheered as well as his acceptance speech acknowledging the divine source of the power given to them through the people as leaders.
