President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is already considering someone to be designated as the secretary of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO), Malacañang said.
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said on Tuesday, Aug. 2, that the President has actually been considering someone to lead the PLLO, an attached agency of the Office of the President.
"Mayroon naman pong kinukonsidera para doon, hindi lang po natin ilalabas pa. So, hihintayin po natin; hindi naman naipagkakaila iyan (Someone is being considered for the position, we just haven't issued it yet. So, let's just wait; we will not deny it)," Angeles said.
This followed the call of Senator Chiz Escudero on Marcos to urgently appoint a "high caliber Cabinet member" as head of the PLLO in order to avoid another incident of what he called a "bill vetoing-spree."
The senator made the appeal after the President vetoed five measures approved by the previous Congress, including the tax exemption of the honoraria for teachers doing poll duties.
Other measures vetoed by Marcos were the proposed bill creating the Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and Freeport, proposed bill seeking to strengthen the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC), bill creating the Philippine Transportation Safety Board (PTSB), and the measure that seeks to expand the franchise area of Davao Light and Power Company.
Escudero said the appointment of the PLLO chief "is crucial and will make sure that 'months, man hours and millions spent' in crafting a bill will not go to waste if these will be vetoed because contentious provisions have not been ironed out in part due to an ineffective and inefficient PLLO."
The PLLO Secretary is tasked to officially orchestrate the formulation and the shepherding of the President's Legislative Agenda and all other concerns of the Executive Department having to do with the legislature.