CEBU CITY — President Aquino spent the night in Cebu on Wednesday, a day ahead of his scheduled visit where he was expected to inspect various infrastructure projects and grace the Liberal Party rally in Mandaue City.
Mr. Aquino flew to Cebu from Bohol and dined at a Japanese restaurant in Cebu City before heading to Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort in Lapu-Lapu where he was billeted.
Sources told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that Mr. Aquino arrived at the Mactan Benito Ebuen Airbase in Lapu-Lapu City on board a helicopter from Bohol province at 5:45 p.m. after attending the rally of the Liberal Party at the Bohol Cultural Center in Tagbilaran City with standard bearer Mar Roxas and running mate, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo.
Other members of his party, including Roxas, boarded a separate helicopter that landed at the Aboitiz Football field in Cebu City.
The source, who was with Roxas’ group said, the former interior secretary then advised the driver to proceed to Kanyeon Yakiniku Restaurant located on the ground floor of the Castle Peak Hotel in Cebu City.
He said Roxas told them that Mr. Aquino wanted Japanese food for dinner.
Roxas’ group arrived at the restaurant about 6 p.m. President Aquino arrived about 20 minutes later.
The President and his party stayed at a long table at the restaurant’s right side.
With Mr. Aquino were Roxas, Robredo, Secretaries Rogelio Singson of the Department of Public Works and Highway and Joseph Emilio Abaya of the Department of Transportation and Communications, Julia Abad of Presidential Management Staff, and Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III.
Their other companions occupied a separate table located on left corner of the restaurant.
“There we also other diners in the restaurant while we ate,” the source said.
He said that President had slices of beef, which the group grilled on the table.
Dinner and conversation went on for about an hour before Mr. Aquino left for Shangri-La.
The others also started to leave. Roxas proceeded to the Radisson Blu where he was booked for the night. SFM