"I could be a bridge between them," said Ruiz, offering a way to resolve the impending departure of Quisumbing's Norkis Group from Mandaue City while scoring out a Quisumbing-backed Ruiz quest for the mayoralty against the Ouanos.
Quisumbing earlier said he might change his plan of relocating his business from the city but only if Rep. Ruiz would run for the Mandaue mayor.
The congresswoman thanked Quisumbing for the trust but said she would rather run again for a seat in Congress because of an important quest of her committee for millennium development goals for enactment of poverty eradication, education, and health laws, among others.
Representative Ruiz said she would convince Quisumbing to retain the Norkis business in Mandaue, and hope that Mayor Ouano would also look into the factors behind the businessman's decision to leave the city.
The Quisumbing company should not pull out of Mandaue because a lot of micro-industries, including boarding houses, vendors, tricycle drivers, have benefited its presence, she said.
As close friend of the Quisumbings, Ruiz said she already learned a long time ago that Norkis Group already had plans to look for bigger areas for expansion.
Leaving the city was not part of the plan, and that the Quisumbings even wanted to establish a clinic for their employees inside the Norkis compound in barangay Bakilid of the city, she said.
While the report of the Regional Development Council in Central Visayas said that the city is the fastest growing economy in the region last year, Ruiz confirmed that Norkis is one of those giving income to the city being the pioneering company.
"I hope everything will end well," Ruiz said hoping she would succeed in reversing the worsening situation between the Quisumbings and the Ouanos.
Quisumbing earlier said the business environment of Mandaue City has changed due to the attitude of Mayor Ouano and high rental and taxes. He later urged other businesses to follow his example and find other places to do business. - Gregg M. Rubio