Sotto hits PLLO over vetoed bills: We don’t consult a ‘crystal ball’

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III blamed the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) on Monday for legislation vetoed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

The President recently vetoed the coco levy fund bill and another measure that would further strengthen the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) board.

READ: Duterte vetoes coco levy fund bill

Duterte also vetoed a provision in the recently signed Republic Act (RA) No. 11213, or the Tax Amnesty Act of 2019. The said provision would have granted amnesty to people who failed to pay correct taxes in 2017 and before.

READ: Duterte nixes amnesty for tax cheats

“This is again another testament that we need to revitalize or even upgrade the PLLO. This is the Nth time that we do not know what the Executive department wants from us,” Sotto said in a Viber message when sought for comment.

“Like all the other bills vetoed, we could have addressed the provisions that that Exec department does not want to execute. The legislative department does not consult a crystal ball to know,” he added.

Asked if PLLO Secretary Adelino Sitoy should be replaced, the Senate leader said, “Huh! Meron palang PLLO (Huh! So there’s a PLLO)?”

Sotto then said he would leave it to the President to decide on Sitoy’s fate.

“If we want to keep on wasting time, not to mention money, on vetoed bills then let’s just sit and relax,” he further said.

It was not the first time the PLLO was blamed over the President’s decision to veto some measures.

As early as October last year, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri already blamed the PLLO after learning that the President was planning to veto the coco levy bill.

READ: Zubiri blames PLLO for delay in coco levy bill

This prompted Congress to recall the measure and amended its original version.

But even the amended version of the bill was vetoed by the President. /ee