Rodriguez Status Remains In Limbo

Weeks after President Marcos’ former campaign spokesman Victor Rodriguez resigned as executive secretary, there is still no administrative order creating the office of the presidential chief of staff, the post that he will supposedly occupy.

Rodriguez announced last Sept. 17 that he had “asked permission” to step down as executive secretary and that he would continue to serve as presidential chief of staff.

In a statement, he said his family needed him and that he wanted to witness firsthand his young family “grow and evolve into how every parent would wish them to become.”

On the same day, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles announced that the President had approved AO No. 1 creating the office of the presidential chief of staff, a post abolished by former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2008.

Rodriguez has been replaced by former chief justice Lucas Bersamin as executive secretary.

Malacañang has yet to release copies of AO 1, if any was issued at all. Reporters have repeatedly asked the Office of the Press Secretary for copies of the order but did not get any response.

The Malacañang Records Office has not received a copy of the document, The Philippine STAR learned on Monday, Oct. 3.

According to a previous statement of the Office of the Press Secretary, the Office of the Presidential Chief of Staff would be under direct supervision of the President.

It shall have the primary function of “supervising and ensuring the efficient and responsive day-to-day operational support to the presidency to enable the President to focus on strategic national concerns,” the OPS said.

The AO supposedly provided for the presidential chief of staff to have the rank and emoluments of a Cabinet secretary.

“The PCS (presidential chief of staff) will be assisted by a senior deputy chief of staff with the rank of secretary and two deputy chiefs of staff with rank of undersecretary, assistant secretaries and such number of directorial and other administrative staff as he deems necessary and upon the approval of the President,” an OPS statement quoted AO 1 as saying.

The OPS said the PCS’s office would serve as the “coordination mechanism” of the Office of the President and be in charge of the President’s security monitoring system.

The Presidential Chief of Staff is also expected to coordinate closely with presidential advisers and assistants, the agency added.

However, the proposal to revive the post was opposed by Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, who said it will “cause duplication and overlapping of functions, confusion and even inevitable rifts among the different offices under the President.”

According to Enrile, the powers to be granted to the presidential chief of staff are already being exercised by his office as well as the offices of the executive secretary and the special assistant to the President and the Presidential Management Staff.

He also opposed a draft special order that would have granted additional powers to the PCS.