Day 1

On June 30, 2010, then newly installed President Benigno “Noy” Aquino III who assumed office at noon on that day was already talking about stepping down at the end of his six years of term. That early, President Aquino and his sisters told the media how they were already looking forward to the completion of his presidency six years after.

So from day one of his administration, President Aquino started his countdown from office, succeeding at Malacanang Palace his immediate predecessor, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. She served for nine and a half years and became the country’s second longest-serving President.

The late President Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled for almost two decades, was the first one. Marcos imposed martial law in the Philippines before his second term of office lapsed in 1972.

Mrs. Arroyo first became President when she succeeded former President Joseph Estrada, who was unceremoniously ousted from office during the so-called EDSA-2. She served the unexpired term of Estrada of three and a half years. Arroyo allies in Congress started pushing for Charter change (Cha-cha) that sought, among other amendments, the lifting of term limits for all elective officials.

If only to distract her critics and detractors, Mrs. Arroyo made the controversial declaration in December 2002 that she would not run for the presidency. It wasn’t so. Mrs. Arroyo ran for the presidential elections in May 2004. She won but it later became controversial following the “Hello, Garci” scandal.

Amid renewed Cha-cha moves in Congress towards the end of her second term as President, Mrs. Arroyo ended all talks of rumored bid to extend her stay at Malacañang. She announced her bid to run again for public office, this time for the lone seat at her hometown congressional district in Lubao, Pampanga. Currently still fighting the plunder and electoral sabotage cases in courts, Mrs. Arroyo is now on her third and last term at the incoming 17th Congress and still under “hospital” detention.

With many legal battles still unresolved and a lot more unfinished business, P-Noy left office at Malacanang yesterday with a wide grin of obvious relief. He ceremonially stepped down from Malacañang to give way to his successor at the presidency, former Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

The outgoing and incoming Presidents had almost one hour of meeting before the oath-taking rites. No details were released about their meeting. Both went through one after the other the traditional military honors at the Palace grounds for the symbolic transfer of power.

In his brief inaugural address, President Duterte made true to his vow to keep it short. It took about 15 to 16 minutes to read his speech from the teleprompter. Although it was his centerpiece program during the presidential campaign, President Duterte made no mention of anything about his planned shift to a “federalism” system of government.

Duterte’s newly elected allies in the 17th Congress, however, have announced their intentions to initiate the moves towards a shift to federalism, which would require amending the 1987 Constitution. With P-Noy who vehemently stood against it during his watch, Cha-cha now takes new players. But President Duterte himself was quiet about it yesterday.

But obviously President Duterte could not stop himself from his spontaneity. He added this to end his speech with a rhetorical question-and-answer: “Why am I here?...I am here, why? Because I am ready to start my work for the nation.”

Much earlier, Duterte was reluctant at first to run for the presidency. In fact, he was the fifth and last candidate to file his certificate of candidacy in November last year by the substitution process that is allowed under our election laws.

The much-vaunted strong façade of his persona showed its soft spot. When it became clear he was the runaway winner of the May 9 presidential elections, the tough-talking Davao City Mayor broke down into sobs while he paid his respects to the tomb of his late parents. A few days before he assumed office and while still allowing media interviews with him, then President-elect Duterte confessed he also turns yellow – as in succumbing to cowardice.

“Perhaps, you can call me a coward, in the sense of my fear of failure, given the enormity of the problems of our country,” Duterte said days before he was sworn into the presidency.

For someone who earlier hemmed and hawed whether or not he would run for the highest office of the land, President Duterte started his first day in office and literally hit the ground running. In his inaugural address, he already issued his principal marching orders to all Cabinet secretaries and heads of all government agencies to cut red tape, practice transparency, and refrain from changing the rules in all public transactions.

Immediately after he was sworn into office, President Duterte administered the en masse oath-taking of his new Cabinet members and other presidential appointees. After the inaugural reception, the Chief Executive convened his first official Cabinet meeting at the Palace and issued some more specific directives on day one of the new administration.

Earlier yesterday, former Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, also had her oath-taking as the country’s new Vice President at separate rites held in Quezon City. The Aquino-backed Vice President echoed her own call for unity of the Filipino people. She promised to keep open the Office of the Vice President to all and assured the public she will receive every one or any one who wish to see her to seek help or for whatever reasons.

The Vice President recalled how she, too, was reluctant to seek higher office but was prevailed upon to reconsider her decision in the service of the country.

Despite obvious differences of views and work styles, both President Duterte and Vice President Robredo shared though the common bond to serve their countrymen to the best they can.

On day one of his office, President Duterte tells us to brace for the “rough ride” of the country under his helm for the next six years ahead of us.