MANILA, Philippines - Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile has reportedly asked Senate Secretary Emma Lirio-Reyes to retire after she reached the mandatory retirement age of 65 for public officials last Jan. 31.
However, Reyes refused to budge from her post and decided to go on leave. Reyes, a former judge, said she was elected Senate secretary by senators in a plenary session.
Since the Senate is on extended recess for the May elections, she said she can stay in her post until the senators elect a new secretary when session resumes in June.
“That’s the rule,†she was quoted as saying.
In a letter addressed to the Senate President, Reyes requested that she be allowed to stay on until June 6.
Enrile on Monday issued a Special Order, a copy of which was obtained by The STAR, designating lawyer Edwin Bellen as officer-in-charge of the Senate Secretariat until the issue on whether or not Reyes should stay in office is resolved.
Sen. Franklin Drilon designated Reyes as secretary when he was still Senate president. She stayed on during the term of Sen. Manuel Villar and then Enrile.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said the Senate secretary serves at the pleasure of the Senate president.
Enrile’s resigned chief of staff Gigi Reyes had earlier disclosed that she had “serious disagreement†with the Senate secretary after the latter refused to put on record that it was Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano who called for a private audit of the Senate funds.
‘JPE sets Gigi free’
Meanwhile, Enrile has given up efforts to woo back his former chief of staff.
He said he will promote one of the members of his staff to replace Reyes.
“She resigned irrevocably and I respected her decision,†he said.
Enrile said he had not seen Reyes since she resigned. – Christina Mendez, Jose Rodel Clapano