MANILA, Philippines?President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's political adviser believes that Manila Bulletin's boo-boo in identifying the late former President Corazon Aquino's coffin as that of Arroyo?s is an ?honest mistake.''

Secretary Gabriel Claudio said he doubted that there was malice behind the photo caption that appeared on the back page of the paper's main section last Thursday.

?Obviously a typo error. I can't imagine any publication making a deliberate mistake like that,'' he said in a phone interview. ?I'm sure there's no malice here.''

On Page 20 of the paper's Thursday issue read the photo caption: ?WITH UTMOST CARE. Military honor guard carefully moves the coffin of President Arroyo out of the Manila Cathedral.? The photo was part of a collage of photos on Aquino's funeral last Wednesday.

On Friday, the paper published the photo again on Page 5 with the corrected caption: ?FINAL RESPECTS (CORRECTED CAPTION). Military honor guards give the late President Corazon Aquino their final respects as her casket was brought out of the Manila Cathedral for her final resting place at the Manila Memorial Park.''

Claudio, who admitted that Arroyo never called his attention to it and only learned of it Friday, said there was no need to ask the paper's editors to rectify or to issue an apology.

?It's obviously a typo clerical error. I don't see any need to make a story out of it,'' he said.

Claudio said such mistakes were commonplace not only in newsrooms, but also inside Malacañang.

He recalled that then Executive Secretary Teofisto Guingona Jr. introduced then President Fidel V. Ramos as ?His Excellency President Ferdinand Marcos? in a function in Malacañang.