Palace shopping for cars for Aquino, visiting VIPs

BAGUIO CITY—Malacañang is now scouting around for brand new vehicles for President Benigno Aquino III and foreign dignitaries who are expected to arrive in the country this month.

President Aquino told Palace reporters on Sunday night that the government needed to provide state visitors with topnotch vehicles, even as he expected to meet with a number of VIPs, including the Emir of Kuwait.

“There are a number of visitors bringing substantial investments and if we cannot transport them from point A to point B safely, I think it reflects on our capacity to ensure that investments are worthwhile here,” Mr. Aquino said.

He said that while the presidential car, a black Mercedes Benz he inherited from his predecessor, had been repaired after being damaged by Tropical Storm “Ondoy” in 2009, there were no guarantees it would remain in good working condition.

The President said any new bullet-proof cars assigned to him would also be used by visiting foreign dignitaries who visit the country and bring business.

“I dread a situation wherein a vehicle transporting a state visitor from Naia to Malacañang suddenly suffers a mechanical breakdown on Roxas Boulevard and we have to concoct a story about watching the sunset to transfer him to another car,” he said, adding that the country’s dignity was also at stake.