President Duterte has no control over the Senate but hopes for a better working relationship with the lawmakers to ensure passage of vital legislative measures, Malacañang said yesterday.
A day after the sudden shakeup in the Senate committee chairmanships, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the President respects the independence of Senate and does not meddle with the affairs of a separate co-equal branch of government.
“Malacañang respects the independence of the Senate and does not interfere in its internal affairs. The Senate is composed of 24 senators. So each senator has a mind of his own so that’s equivalent of, as somebody said, 24 republics which no President can control,” Abella said during a Palace press briefing.
Abella also found nothing irregular with the removal of some Liberal Party senators from their committee chairmanships.
“The stripping off of the committee chairmanships happens every Congress. What happened yesterday (Monday) is majority rules and, as we all know, Senate decisions have always been a consensus,” he said.
Asked about the benefits of the President having some control over Senate, Abella said: “I think the operative word should not be control but influence.”
He later conceded that such influence will result to a “better working relationship” with the Senate.
(Genalyn D. Kabiling)