The Palace is keeping its lips sealed on whether President Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III has invited his girlfriend, Valenzuela City Councilor Shalani Soledad, to his new official residence at Malacañang Park.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Aquino will likely invite family members to his new home Bahay Pangarap (House of Dreams), but declined to say if Soledad had been invited there.
“I have no information on that. Pagdating sa pribadong matters (When it comes to private matters), I don’t ask the president on those matters," he said on government-run dzRB radio.
But Lacierda said Aquino is likely to invite his sisters and other family members to Bahay Pangarap in the coming days.
He noted that Aquino already invited his staff members to dinner there earlier this week.
“I’m sure dadalaw ang pamangkin at kapatid. E mahal niya ang kanyang pamangkin, I’m sure magkakaroon ng bisita at staff members niya. Noong unang gabi inimbita ang staff members niya kumain ng dinner," he said.
(I’m sure his nephews and sisters will visit him. He loves his nephews so I’m sure there will be visitors and his own staff members. On his first night at Bahay Pangarap, he invited his staff members to have dinner with him.)
Sound system
Aquino had joked on Friday that the Bahay Pangarap was like a “prison," after he moved in there this week. Aquino had been staying at his family residence in Quezon City.
Lacierda said Aquino is still adjusting to the new home, which he said is considerably larger than his family residence along Times Street in Quezon City.
For now, he said Aquino plans to personally install his sound system on his days off.
“Over the weekend, kung may panahon siya pahinga yan ang gagawin niya (Over the weekend if he has time to relax he will do that)," he said.
Still, Lacierda said Aquino is expected to work even during weekends.
The President had complained that since he was inaugurated, his power bills at his Times Street house had gone up due to his weekend work, his spokesman noted.
“Naku, tumaas ang kuryente sa bahay ko dahil trabaho on weekends (My electricity bills went up in my house because of work on weekends)," he quoted Aquino as saying.—JV
