President-elect Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III has included his defeated running mate, Senator Manuel "Mar" Roxas II, in his Transition Coordination Team that will coordinate with the outgoing administration for the turnover of power in Malacañang.

According to Aquino's spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, the incoming President wrote a lettr to Presidential Management Staff chief Ma. Elena Bautista-Horn on Wednesday, informing Malacañang about the composition of his Transition Team.

Aquino also wrote Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales on Wednesday to formally invite her to administer his oath on June 30.

Morales shared Aquino's opposition to the Supreme Court ruling that allowed outgoing President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to appoint the replacement to now retired Chief Justice Reynato Puno within the elections period.

Roxas will be working with Aquino's incoming Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa and Chief of Staff Julia Abad, former Education Secretay Florencio Abad, and former Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima.

Lacierda, however, clarified that there is no assigned leader in the transition team and that Roxas' designation in the Transition Team does not violate the one-year post-election ban on appointing defeated candidates.

"There won't be any conflict with the ban because Senator Roxas' designation is only temporary and he will not be part of the official family for one year," Lacierda told reporters in an interview outside Aquino's residence in Quezon City.

Lacierda also clarified that the designation of Purisima and Abad in the Transition Team is not tantamount to ensuring their posts in the Cabinet.

"It's not automatic," Lacierda said when asked if Purisima and Abad will be reassuming their former Cabinet posts.

Lacierda said Aquino's Transition Team is primarily tasked to formally coordinate the arrangements or the incoming inauguration on June 30.

The team will also work for the smooth turnover of Cabinet portfolio positions, including the assisting, accounting, receipt and disposition of relevant government records and equipment.

Meanwhile, public works officials and representatives from the Aquino camp conducted an inspection of the Quirino Grandstand in Manila in preparation for his inaugural.

"The structure is completely safe because the latest state of the art carbon fiber is seven times stronger than steel," said Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Victor Domingo during the inspection.

DPWH will extend the platform of the grandstand and its canopy by 30 meters with the anticipated influx of prominent personalities, newly elected officials, and other guests attending the event.

"If you talk of the grandstand I know you can sit at least 2,000 people and mapupuno yan (it can be filled). Many congressmen, senators, and the diplomatic corps have signified to witness the oath taking and his inagural address," said Maria Montelibano, co-chairperson of Aquino's inagural committee.

Meanwhile, Aquino faces the daunting task of filling up 50,000 rank and file personnel in the bureaucracy to keep the government running.

This is on top of the 4,301 positions executives and managers when their contracts expire on June 30, according to PMS chief Horn.

The government vacancies were contained in the two boxes submitted by the Presidential Transition Cooperation Team (PTCT) to the transition team of the Aquino administration last Tuesday. (With reports from Raymund F. Antonio and Genalyn Kabiling)