Drilon seeks the Palace’s legislative liaison plan for better coordination with Congress

MANILA – Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Tuesday directed the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) to present a “blueprint” on how the agency could improve coordination between the executive and legislative branches.

Several senators have complained about how the implementing rules and regulations (TIRs) for the laws are vastly different than why the measures were crafted, Drilon said during PLLO’s 2021 budget deliberation in the Senate.

Several bills, including a measure that will create a trust fund for coconut producers, were also vetoed due to lack of coordination between the executive and legislative branches, he said.

“The PLLO should provide (Senator Panfilo Lacson, PLLO’s budget sponsor) a written plan on how to improve the liaison system between the executive and the Senate so that we never see our time lost due to lack of coordination,” he said. . said.

“We have not benefited from any improvement in the relationship with us,” he said.

According to the law, the PLLO has the mandate to “act as liaison with the Congress in relation to all matters that affect the relations between the Executive and the Legislature.”

It also has “the task of officially orchestrating the formulation and follow-up of the President’s Legislative Agenda and all other concerns of the Executive Department that have to do with the legislature.”

But PLLO Secretary Adelino Sitoy said executive departments have not been inviting his agency during the making of the IRRs.

“Unfortunately, when they are resolved, we are not notified and we do not participate in the process, but this time we will insist on participating in the process,” Sitoy told the senators.

The PLLO chief also admitted that the office does not have direct access to President Rodrigo Duterte as they receive comments on bills “late.”

“The basis for the veto was not articulated in advance,” Sitoy responded when Drilon said the Coco Levy Trust Fund Law was vetoed last year due to a lack of executive-legislative coordination.

“While we received the comments late, we were informed that the comments were very confidential, so we cannot extend the comments to Congress again,” he said.

Drilon said the PLLO is in a “sad state” for being excluded from the meetings, which is part of its mandate.

“It is quite obvious that there is a huge gap in the ability of Sec. Sitoy to coordinate the efforts of the Senate, Congress and the executive branch,” said Drilon.

“Better coordination is needed between the chamber where the law came from and the Executive Power so that friction is reduced,” he said.