Ochoa said he has yet to get used to addressing Aquino as “Mr. President,” and related that during a meeting Thursday morning, Aquino unconsciously called him “pare.”

Long-time buddies President Benigno Aquino III and "Little President" Executive Secretary Paquito "Jojo" Ochoa are still adjusting to their new roles after more than a week at the Palace that they sometimes still call each other “pare” while performing official functions.

Ochoa made the revelation during a dinner Thursday night at the Ilustrado restaurant in Intramuros, where he warmed up to members of media covering Malacañang.

Ochoa, who claims to “abhor being in the limelight,” even related how he became friends with Aquino and how he is adjusting to work as executive secretary.

“I might be talking too much tonight but this is so you could get to know me more,” he said.

Ochoa said he has yet to get used to addressing Aquino as “Mr. President,” and related that during a meeting Thursday morning, Aquino unconsciously called him “pare.”

“The President said ‘the executive secretary will attend to whatever we are talking here, he will take charge of this things for you.’ So bigla siyang, ‘pare paki-ano naman to, pare paki’... Sabi ko naman, sige pare (Suddenly he said, 'pare' can you please..Then I also replied, okay 'pare'),” he said, chuckling.

“Tapos bigla kaming nagkatinginan... nasa meeting pala kami. (Then our eyes met... we're in a meeting),” Ochoa said.

The executive secretary said that he actually practices saying: “Yes, Mr. President. Yes, Sir, I will do that sir, Mr. President.”

“Minsan ginawa ko, muntik na niya akong batukan noong minsan kumakain kami (I did it once while we were eating and he almost cuffed my nape)."

The two may be having difficulty addressing each other formally because they go a long way back as their fathers, Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. and Paquito Ochoa Sr. were also close friends.

Paquito Sr. was the mayor of Pulilan, Bulacan before martial law and Ninoy. who was bent on running for president then inaugurated the Pulilan Municipal Hall.

Ochoa, who like Aquino is an only son, had known the future President during their visits at their house in Pulilan but only became close friends when he took up law at the Ateneo de Manila University.