CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama is interested in taking the Malacañang sa Sugbu if the Aquino administration won’t use the building anymore.
Rama plans to request President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III to turn over the facility to the City Government.
But this doesn’t mean Rama doesn’t want Malacañang sa Sugbu to remain the Office of the President in Cebu.
“It should be (the Office of the President in Cebu). I was fighting for that. I even delivered a privilege speech when I was the vice mayor,” Rama said.
In the privilege speech, Rama said he wanted Congress to pass a law making the building the President’s official residence in Cebu.
The bill should emphasize that all things inside Malacañang sa Sugbu should be kept after the term of the President ends.
Rama proposed to then congressman Raul del Mar to sponsor the bill in Congress.
The mayor said he also suggested the same thing to former President Arroyo. But like his proposal to del Mar, nothing happened.
Rama said he has no idea if President Aquino will use Malacañang sa Sugbu during his term.
He said if Aquino is not interested in the building, he will request the President to give it to the city.
Liberal Party (LP) provincial chairman Hilario “Junjun” Davide III said he will also suggest to Aquino to use Malacañang sa Sugbu, “so the President has a place to stay if he visits Cebu.
He can hold meetings there or even a Cabinet meeting, or any official function for that matter,” Davide said.
Davide said having a Malacañang building in Cebu is advantageous not only to Cebuanos but also to government agencies and local government units in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Davide plans to approach the President once things settle down in Malacañang.
Aquino has yet to appoint a presidential assistant for Central Visayas who will hold office in Malacañang sa Sugbu.
It was reported, though, that the division manager of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority Public Affairs Office, Ahmed Cuizon, is applying for the position.
Cuizon is said to have the support of some political leaders in Cebu, aside from his being aligned with the current administration.