elect Benigno ``Noynoy'' Aquino III remains insistent about not staying in Malaca?ang and making his family home on Time Street his residence as the country's chief executive, despite his neighbors' and his close-in security's fears of added security risks, traffic and noise in this quiet Quezon City subdivision. But Aquino promised to take a second look at his campaign promise of not staying in Malaca?ang Palace like his mother, the late President Corazon Aquino. ``I will hopefully talk to the officers of our neighborhood association. We'll be examining the situation also. Times Street lacks certain facilities, we want to make life easier for everybody, including the media,'' said Aquino who has been monitored paparazzi style by local and foreign media at his home. In an interview with reporters, Aquino said that aside from the ``negative vibes'' of living in Malaca?ang, he was concerned about becoming an``isolated leader'' by staying in the Palace by the river and its heavily guarded gates. ` ``You are the servant and the servant has to be in touch with the masters. Malaca?ang affords more and more isolation, which might not help in becoming a good governor and will promote the good governance we want. There has to be some way of maintaining or touching base with the people,'' said Aquino. Aquino said no member of his family would live in Malaca?ang, including his nephews, Joshua and Baby James, whom he has been extremely fond of. On reports that renovation work has begun at the Arlegui mansion inside the Malaca?ang compound, Aquino said nobody from his camp had authorized such remodeling, which he believed was made soley at the initiative of the current administration. Aquino wants to have as little contact with the departing administration and is cool to offers of a transition program. ``We are forming the Cabinet. The Cabinet will be the ones who will comprise the transition team, who will need to know all the data with regards to the current situation, potential problems, bright spots if any, so we are guided accordingly,'' said Aquino. Amid wild speculation on who would comprise his Cabinet, Aquino said that most of his choices were still ``undergoing soul-searching, consulting their respective families and institutions they belong to, as they are not yet ready to fully embrace the assignment.''
