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June 5, 2002, The Philippine Star, 'It's not the way Malacañang treats its allies', by Paolo Romero,

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June 5, 2002, The Philippine Star, 'It's not the way Malacañang treats its allies', by Paolo Romero, 

MANILA, PS, 06/05/2002 - A Malacañang official admitted yesterday that the passage of bills certified as urgent by President Arroyo could be derailed by last Monday’s unexpected shakeup at the Senate.

However, Presidential Legislative Liaison Office chief Secretary Gabriel Claudio maintained that Mrs. Arroyo remained confident that the leadership crisis would be resolved in favor of her administration allies. 
At the same time, Claudio said the President would not interfere in the situation because she considers it an internal matter of the Senate.

Before the Senate coup, Malacañang thought its priority bills were in good hands, Claudio said, referring to the measures on the special purpose asset vehicles (SPAVs), and on the franchise of the National Transmission Corp. (Transco). 

“What happened [Monday] admittedly has some effect on the legislative agenda, at least in the first session of the 12th Congress. It does not help the situation nor the interest of the nation to spin and dignify stories, scenarios and innuendoes that have no basis or shred of truth to begin with,” Claudio told reporters. 
He was referring to reports that the revamp was triggered by an alleged plot by Malacañang to stage its own version of the Senate reorganization to allow for the speedy passage of its priority bills. 

“There will be a slight [delay], of course, of several of the measures that we were hoping that might have been passed in time for the adjournment of Congress. But I guess we would just have to wait until the resumption of Congress for its second regular session on July 22,” he said.

Claudio strongly denied that Malacañang tried to engineer its own Senate revamp to ensure the immediate passage of the SPAV and the Transco bills, which Mrs. Arroyo had repeatedly stressed as vital to her economic program. 

The Transco bill, which seeks to give a 50-year transferable franchise, involves the socially sensitive cost of electricity while the SPAV would allow banks to unload bad loans to free more funds for lending to businesses. 

“There was never such a plot, not even such thought. Malacañang did not have the motive, design nor prerogative to do so,” Claudio said. “It is also certainly not the way the administration treats its allies.”

One administration senator, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that Malacañang plotted the revamp but only in the committee on economic affairs, chaired by Sen. Ralph Recto, and the committee on franchises and public services, chaired by Sen. Joker Arroyo. 

Malacañang wanted to replace Recto and Arroyo because they were not moving fast enough on the SPAV and Transco bills.

When the coup was sprung, Drilon refused to call the session to order and the administration senators retaliated by boycotting the remaining sessions so a quorum could not be constituted. 

Claudio expressed confidence that the administration bloc still controls the chamber and could muster enough support for pending Malacañang-certified bills. 

“I don’t think you’ll see anybody in Malacañang panicking because of this occurrence,” he said. “The President took it very calmly and matter-of-factly. There was no sign whatsoever of any agitation or any anxiety.” 
Malacañang is monitoring the situation “as closely as we can,” Claudio said. Mrs. Arroyo spoke with some administration senators including Senate President Franklin Drilon but only “by way of ascertaining the situation (and) not in any way to give suggestions” or interfere. 

He said the first regular session of the 12th Congress did well with five important measures enacted into law, including the anti-money laundering law, and four bills that are ready for the President’s signature. 

He said Malacañang believes the administration bloc still controls the Senate, especially with the House of Representatives also adjourning sine die yesterday. The move, Claudio said, means that the House recognizes the status quo. 

“Because one chamber of Congress cannot continue to be in session while the other has already adjourned for recess or sine die,” he said. 

“They (the administration senators) simply do not recognize the reorganization done by the Senate opposition to be valid and legal, and so this is the position that continues to be held by the Senate majority or I mean the administration senators.” 

Malacañang and the administration senators were forewarned, Claudio said, about a possible defection by Sen. John Osmeña but had not immediately realized the implications of his move. 

He said Osmeña even attended the caucus of administration senators last week on a bill but gave no indication that he would join the opposition. 

“I think the members of the majority, some of them at least, tried to get in touch with Senator Osmeña over the weekend. I think, for one reason or another he could not make himself available to any of his colleagues or former colleagues in the majority,” Claudio said.

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