Malacañang not treating House, Senate as its 'rubber stamps,' Palace exec says

Malacañang on Saturday reassured lawmakers that it is not treating both houses of Congress like rubber stamps and that it will not interfere in the workings of the Senate or House of Representatives. However, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said President Benigno Aquino III will do everything he can to convince lawmakers to approve his priority measures. “Hindi kami naghihimasok sa bagay na dapat sa kapangyarihan ng Senado at Mababang Kapulungan,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. She was responding to reports quoting Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile as saying the Senate is no rubber stamp of the Palace. Enrile had said in past interviews the Senate will debate on the Palace’s priority measures such as the sin tax bill and the budget for 2013, but will not blindly pass them. In the case of the P2.006-trillion budget for 2013, Valte said the approval by the Senate was a case of senators agreeing with the proposal of the executive department. “There’s a lot of effort that goes into crafting especially on the side of the executive, a lot of consultations. We go through a very rigorous process,” she said. She also said the concerned Cabinet secretaries listen to criticisms or questions from lawmakers on items in the measures, such as the proposed budget for the conditional cash transfer. “Nakikinig naman ang ating Cabinet secretaries at ahensya,” she said. - VVP, GMA News