Benigno Aquino III will take his oath as the Philippines' 15th president Wednesday, promising change in a Southeast Asian nation long shackled by poverty, corruption and armed conflicts.
More than 1,000 police officers have been deployed to secure his inauguration at Manila's seaside Rizal Park, which was designated a no-fly zone. Although forecasters predict rain, up to a million people may show up for the historic event, metropolitan Manila police chief Roberto Rosales said.
More than 80 countries will send diplomats to the oath-taking ceremony.
The rise of Aquino, a low-key legislator and son of democracy icons, reflects the Filipinos' longing for moral and political renewal. Outgoing leader President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's stormy nine-year rule saw four failed power grabs and opposition impeachment bids against her over allegations of vote-rigging, corruption and rights abuses.
Aquino on Tuesday unveiled his Cabinet, mostly allies and defectors from Arroyo's government. After taking power, Aquino said he will immediately form an independent commission to investigate corruption allegations against Arroyo and other scandals under her term.
"They will as necessary prepare and prosecute the cases to make sure those who committed crimes against the people will be made to pay," Aquino said, adding the commission will be headed by a respected retired chief justice, Hilarion Davide.
Arroyo has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing. Aquino's campaign promise to investigate Arroyo has been seen as a potential political flashpoint early in his six-year term.
The president-elect and his mother, the late former President Corazon Aquino, had called on Arroyo to resign. Arroyo, Aquino's former economics professor, will move on to the House of Representatives where she won a seat in the May 10 election and still enjoys considerable support.
Aquino has anchored his campaign on fighting corruption and restring the credibility of the judiciary and Congress, which he says have been seriously eroded under Arroyo's rule.
The Philippines has been grappling with poverty, corruption, armed conflicts and deep divisions for decades. On the eve of his rise to the presidency, Aquino said he felt anxious but confident he millions who voted him will back him to confront those problems.
A third of the population lives on a dollar a day, and about 3,000 Filipinos leave daily for jobs abroad. Aquino has also expressed alarm at the ballooning national budget deficit, which he said could surpass $8.7 billion (400 billion pesos) this year.
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