As nation swears in Aquino, mystery surrounds girlfriend

The daughter of a Filipino overseas worker is the most-anticipated guest at today's inauguration of Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino as the 15th Philippine president.

Public speculation has mounted whether Aquino would break state protocol and have his girlfriend Shalani Soledad near him today when he takes his oath of office.

The 50-year-old bachelor is under increasing public pressure to marry the re-elected councillor of Valenzuela City, who is 20 years his junior.

One commentator wrote on a blog that perhaps the Aquino family did not anticipate the widespread clamour for a wedding, that the public would become 'so enamoured of Shalani'.

'Unfortunately, I think it is too late. The Philippines has already fallen in love with Shalani,' the commentator wrote. One advertising executive summed up her appeal: 'She's very inscrutable, very mum about her relationship and very beautiful.'

Aquino has tried to brush aside questions about marriage by saying he might wait until after his six-year presidency to tie the knot. He even joked he would ask Madame Auring, a seer, whether she could foresee when he would be married. The last time she was seen publicly was during Aquino's congressional proclamation early this month, where she was seated four seats behind his four sisters, triggering innuendos that his siblings were against the two-year relationship.

However, Aquino's eldest sister Elena spoke up last week and said Soledad was to her an '8.5' on a scale of 10 and was 'just right' for her younger brother.