QC execs tangle over Leni’s choice of Boracay Mansion

QUEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista will hold a press conference today to air his side on a report that he is reportedly unhappy over Vice President-elect Leni Robredo’s decision to lease the so-called “Boracay Mansion” and make it her office.

The announcement was made by Regina Samson, head of the Communications Coordination Center who said that Bautista would hold a press conference at the mansion in New Manila, now known as the Quezon City Reception House.

In an earlier interview with the INQUIRER, City Administrator Aldrin Cuña claimed that Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte’s offer for Robredo to hold office at the property was made without the knowledge of Bautista.

Belmonte, however, accused Cuña of “misleading the public.” “It is he who is unhappy with the mayor’s offer for the VP to use the Executive House as he has verbally manifested many times, because (Robredo) was not his preferred VP,” she said in a public Facebook post.

Sought for confirmation, Belmonte said: “I cannot see any reason why he (Cuña) would not be cooperative with the good gesture of the mayor.”

Cuña, for his part, told the INQUIRER that his “personal choice has nothing to do [with my statement] and it has not af- fected my work as city administrator. I never allow my personal opinion to cloud my judgment.”

During a city council committee hearing on the resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract with the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for the use of the Executive House, Cuña pointed out that the construction project was not yet complete and it might inconvenience the vice president to stay in an unfinished structure. The mansion is currently undergoing renovation.

Cuña also noted that he had no document indicating that the mayor “graciously offered” to the OVP the 7,145-square meter property located at 100 11th St., Barangay Mariana, New Manila, Quezon City. The clause was eventually deleted during amendments.

Asked to confirm if he invited vice presidential candidate Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to a flag-raising ceremony at city hall, Cuña said it was Marcos’ cousin, senatorial candidate Martin Romualdez, who initiated the visit to thank Quezon City for the assistance given to Tacloban after Supertyphoon “Yolanda.”

Romualdez came with Marcos and Cuña said it would have been disrespectful not to welcome the senator.

Robredo lost to Marcos in Quezon City—a bailiwick of the Liberal Party—getting 33.33 percent of the votes (297,899) against Marcos’ 46.17 percent (412,681).