On Tuesday, Malacañang  defended President Benigno Aquino III’s order for his legal team to create a list  of potential replacement to Chief Justice Renato Corona, who will face an impeachment trial in January.

“There’s no legal issue because we’re just preparing for a contingency,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said at a press briefing. “This is merely an eventuality but he has asked his legal advisers to look into names for possible Chief Justice.”

Even then, Aquino has never welcomed  the legality of Corona’s appointment as chief justice in the last days of the Arroyo administration. In recent   speeches, Aquino has bluntly criticized Corona and even questioned his impartiality.

Under the Constitution, the mandatory retirement age for members of the judiciary is 70, which means Corona, who was born in 1948, will not retire until the year 2018. Aquino’s presidency ends in June 2016.

During his visit to Baguio to enhance  domestic tourism there, President Benigno Aquino III revealed that  he has chosen a new Tourism Secretary to replace Alberto Lim who recently tendered his resignation August 12.

Aquino did not give  the name of his choice  just yet, however, he did give a clue about  his identity. PNoy  said the next Tourism chief already has 48 “new” old friends in a social networking site.

Aquino added that  the next member of his Cabinet is from the private sector and will receive  a huge  pay cut upon joining government service.

Immediately  after Lim declared  his resignation late last week, the name of advertising executive Ramon Jimenez surfaced  as a potential  appointee to the DOT.

Jimenez is founder of the ad agency Publicis JimenezBasic.

The Lawmakers were obviously pleased  on Tuesday with President Benigno Aquino III as they lauded the inclusion of the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill on his  list of priority measures in the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC). They believe that it reveals President’s political will.

Among  the RH bill’s main authors, Senior Deputy Majority Leader Janet Garin, lauded Aquino for his “courage” in prioritizing the controversial measure regardless of opposition from various groups, mainly the Roman Catholic Church.

Even the Gabriela Women’s party-list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan, another RH proponent, said the inclusion of the bill in the LEDAC shows  that the Aquino administration’s main concern is to be of  service to the poor.

Newly declared senator, Mr.  Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Friday morning took his oath of office in front o his followers in Mati, Davao Oriental. In the said province, it is where  he received a high number of votes.

While taking  his oath, lead  by Davao Oriental Gov. Corazon Malanyaon, Pimentel shared what would be his top priorities in the two years that he will be in office.

“Mindanao first. I know this [ceremony] is shown on national media but I request for the understanding of my brothers in Visayas and Luzon. I hope they understand if I prioritize Mindanao,” said the Cagayan de Oro City native.

Addressing the people of Davao Oriental, Pimentel said he took his oath of office in their province to fulfill a vow he made after the 2007 elections.

“We are all here because a promise is a promise. That’s what I teach my children. Made four years ago… I made a promise to our people here that if I win, I will take my oath in Davao Oriental,” said Pimentel.

“I won but I was not proclaimed so we fought. Because we are from Mindanao, we know how to fight for our rights,” he added.

Obviously borrowing from World War II’s American General Douglas McArthur, Pimentel said: “Sinabi ko sa inyo na kapag nakaupo na ako, I shall definitely return.”

President Benigno S. Aquino III, or more commonly known as PNOY, delivered his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) at Session Hall of the House of Representatives, Batasan Pambansa Complex in Quezon City outlining the things that his administration have accomplished during his first year in the office.

In his speech tagged as ”Wang Wang”, he compared Wang Wang to the abuse of authority of a lot of public officials. He mentioned some notable improvements that his administration have brought in the country that includes the stock market reaching all time highs breaking the 4,000 level seven times, the Certificate of Entitlement to Lot Allocation for all serving in the military, among others.

He also thanked the Congress for various laws passed GOCC Governance, ARMM Synchronization, Lifeline Electricity Rates Extension, Joint Congressional Power Commission Extension, Children and Infants’ Mandatory Immunization, and Women Night Workers.

For the full English transcript of PNOY’s SONA speech, you can go here.

For the full Tagalog transcript of PNOY’s SONA speech, you can go here.

This is the second for President Benigno Aquino III. Wether he will tackle about the positive and negative reports from the time he was placed in highest post is yet to be determined.

For our fellow Filipinos who are currently working abroad or living outside country who want to hear president’s speech, you may watch the livestream of PNoy’s second State of the Nation Address.

For ABS CBN’s coverage click here.

For GMA News’ coverage click here.

On Monday, Malacañang confessed  that the previous administration will not be spared from President Benigno Aquino III’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) in the afternoon, however promised  that the speech will not focus  on it but instead more on the future plans.

During  an interview on GMA News’ “News to Go,” Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Secretary Ricky Carandang said, “Hindi maiiwasan na mabanggit ang nakaraan. Kaya siya nahalal at mga sitwasyon na inaayos niya ay may kinalaman sa nakaraan so kailangan banggitin yan.”

He added that  the president’s speech will be more of a “vision thing.” Carandang said Aquino will be giving report  to the people about the country’s current situation. “Ano ba ang sitwasyon, ano ba ang ginawa namin noong nakaraang taon at ano ba ang balak nating gawin moving forward,” Carandang said.

President Benigno Aquino III will open on Monday Nokia Siemens Network (NSN)’s research and development facility at the University of the Philippines-Ayala Technohub in Quezon City.

The innovative facility is the first of in Southeast Asia to be globally  acknowledged in the telecommunications industry, together with  it services and supports all R&D teams around the world.

On Sunday Malacañang stated that Aquino will view NSN’s photo gallery that includes a Philippine jeepney “symbolizing the strengthening of Philippine-Finland partnership towards communications technology development.”

Additionally, the president  will then tour the company’s facilities and may have an informal interaction with software engineers.

President Benigno S. Aquino III has always been an  admirer of beauty and can become vocal about his admiration.

Just recently, PNoy came to  the inauguration of the Korea Electric Power Corporation in Cebu as a special guest, TV host Grace Lee,  happens to be a co-host of the event, apparently caught his attention.

After giving his praises the lady governor of the place, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, PNoy’s extended his compliments for Lee.

“Pati ‘yung bisita nating si Ms. Grace Lee ‘kala ko tuloy Pinay, eh. Di nga pala, Korean. Pero pati Korean na dumadating talagang guwapa lahat,” the president, as quoted in the report by “Chicka Minute” segment of  “24 Oras,” June 27.

“Kailangan yatang buhayin ‘yung Malacanang Sugbu. Baka dito na rin ho tayo magkatuluyan,” he said in jest.

On the other hand, Grace Lee made no big deal about it but admitted that she was flattered coming from the president himself.

“I mean, I was very flattered so I thanked Mr. President for, you know, for saying that about me.”

Grace Lee is a Filipina-Korean tv host and radio dj  in the Philippines.  She can very well speak Tagalog and English aside from her native Korean.[

President Noynoy Aquino was criticized when a photo surfaced revealing  the president and his near-empty desk with an ashtray full of cigarette butts. The issue ignnited negative comments on social networking sites.

However, Malacañang on Wednesday brushed off the issue.

Edwin Lacierda, Palace spokesperson said the comments  was unfair because Aquino is a hardworking president, claiming  that his desk is as clean as that of US President Barack Obama.

Lacierda said the President’s detractors should not be using this kind  of attack, especially when the issue does not concern corruption accusations.

According to Abigail  Valte, Deputy spokesperson of the Palace,  Aquino’s table is usually clean because after his working day, the President brings his paperwork to Bahay Pangarap, Aquino’s home at the Malacañang compound.

“It’s not a sign that the President is not working or something like that,” she said.

Valte said critics “could be reading too much into that one singular photo.”

“It’s a snapshot again of how long the President has been in office,” she said.

On the other hand, Valte also  respponded on the issue about  the  ashtray filled with cigarette butts. “It’s no secret that the President smokes. So, kung nandoon po ‘yun sa lamesa niya [So if it's still on his table], that is it. In the same way that smokers keep their cigarettes in their bags or on their table.”

The Palace cleared that the photo was taken before the Metro Manila Development Authority’s decree banning smoking in public places.