PNoy keeping PLLO chief

MANILA, Philippines - Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) chief Manuel Mamba still enjoys the confidence of President Aquino even if Mamba is being blamed for the supposed lack of coordination between Congress and the executive.

“I’ve not heard anything to the contrary,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said when asked if Mamba still has the trust and confidence of the president.

Mamba is under fire for his supposed failure to work closely with Congress that resulted in the vetoing of several bills submitted to the president.

Acting Senate President Jinggoy Estrada even went as far as saying that Mamba should be removed from his post.

Mamba’s failure to coordinate with the Senate has been attributed to his tiff with former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile which supposedly stemmed from a local rivalry.

“It’s understandable since the head of the PLLO is not in good terms with the Office of the Senate President so there was lack of coordination,” Estrada told reporters in an interview  Thursday.

The president has vetoed 71 bills since 2010. Among the bills vetoed by Aquino are the Centenarian Act, which provides benefits to Filipinos who are at least 100 years old, the Magna Carta of the Poor and the Rights of Internally Displaced Persons Act of 2013.

Malacañang, nevertheless, acknowledged the need to coordinate with lawmakers who are discussing key legislation.

“The President has directed the members of his Cabinet to participate more thoroughly in the hearings, where their presence may be required by our legislators,” Valte said.

“Just like what the president said, the coordination needs to be worked out,” she added.

Valte noted that the executive is not present during bicameral conferences, when the House of Representatives and the Senate reconcile conflicting versions of their bills.

“That can also account for some of the vetoes that you’ve seen,” she said.