MANILA, Philippines?In a move seen to strain relations between President-elect Benigno Aquino III and Vice President-elect Jejomar Binay, Aquino has appointed Sen. Manuel ?Mar? Roxas II to lead a high-powered team that will oversee the turnover of power in Malacañang.

Aquino has designated Roxas, his defeated running mate, and four others in his inner circle to make up the ?presidential transition coordination team,? Aquino?s spokesperson Edwin Lacierda told reporters Wednesday.

Lawyer JV Bautista, a spokesperson for Vice President-elect Jejomar Binay during the canvassing, said President-elect Aquino was ?not that warm? toward Binay during the proclamation proceedings at the House of Representatives last week.

?The cameras don?t lie. President-elect Noynoy was not that warm toward Vice President-elect Binay during the proclamation,? Bautista told the Inquirer.

Bautista, however, said Binay understood Aquino?s reaction since the proclamation was the culmination of the canvassing process that resulted in Roxas losing to Binay in a closely contested race for the vice presidency.

He, however, said it was perfectly normal for one to be affected by the less than expected level of cordiality given Binay?s long-standing friendship with Aquino and his family.

Bautista said Binay was willing to take a bullet for Aquino?s mother, the late former President Corazon Aquino, and even for the President-elect himself.

?We will have to live with that,? Bautista said of Aquino?s decision to name Roxas the head of the transition team.

?We leave it to the sound judgment of President-elect Noynoy,? he added.

Lacierda, a lawyer, said Aquino sent a formal letter early Wednesday informing the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) of the transition team?s composition and functions.

?The presidential transition coordination team?s responsibilities include coordinating arrangements for the inaugural program, ensuring the smooth turnover of Cabinet portfolios, and assisting in the accounting, receipt and disposition of relevant records, information and other equipment,? Lacierda said, reading from the letter, in a press conference at the Aquino residence in Quezon City.

The four others named to the transition team were Executive Secretary-designate Paquito Ochoa, former Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, former Education Secretary Florencio ?Butch? Abad Jr. and his daughter Julia.

According to an insider, Maria Montelibano, the head of Aquino?s communications team, has been limited to overseeing the inaugural celebration aspect after presiding over the transition preparations with Ochoa for the last week.

Purisima is rumored to be a top candidate for the finance portfolio, and Julia Abad for the post of PMS chief. Aquino has said he was planning to give Butch Abad a post in his administration.

But Lacierda said the inclusion of Purisima, Abad and his daughter in the transition team did not in any way confirm talk that they would be named to the Aquino Cabinet.

Lacierda stressed that Roxas? inclusion in the transition team was not covered by the one-year ban on appointing losing candidates to government posts.

?Roxas will not perform any official function for the government. [The team?s] work will end on June 30,? he said, adding that he saw no problem even if Roxas pushed through with an electoral protest against Vice President-elect Binay.

Lacierda also said Aquino tapped Roxas for his expertise in ?executive functions,? having served as trade secretary in the Estrada and Arroyo administrations.

?This is more for the smooth transition, for ensuring that all the important matters will be properly ventilated,? Lacierda said, adding:

?It only shows that [Aquino] has confidence in the experience of Sen. Mar Roxas. He regards Mar Roxas as one of his advisers.?

Lacierda also said Aquino had been finalizing certain details of his inaugural, including sending a formal invitation to Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales to administer his oath as President on June 30.

At the press conference, Aquino said he had entrusted to his people much of the details concerning his inaugural.

He said that he wanted time to focus on his inaugural speech, and that he was still deciding whether to make it serious and solemn or light and accessible to the masses.

He is planning to take a three-day break before June 30 in order to ?internalize everything? and prepare himself for his work.

Aquino remains undecided on where to stay when he assumes the presidency.

He continued to wax sentimental over the family residence on Times Street, which he said could ?deteriorate? if he left it and stayed in Malacañang for six years.

He said he planned to use the Premier Guest House in the Palace compound as his working office with Ochoa, and to enjoy the family residence on Times Street as a private sanctuary.

He added that having no knack for housekeeping, he had entrusted the packing of his clothes and other personal stuff to household helper Yolly.

Aquino noted that he had very little time left, with just two weeks to go, before the turnover.

He said he would squeeze in a meeting with 2008 Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela, who is visiting the country as ?ambassador of transparency? of Smartmatic, the main supplier of the Commission on Elections? automated election system.

?I would want to meet everyone who wants to talk to me. Of course, I will have difficulty talking to close to 100 million Filipinos, but for the people who have something relevant or useful to say, why shouldn?t I or a surrogate meet with them and have an exchange of ideas?? Aquino said.