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Palace: Transition work on hold 'til proclamation
Imminent delays in the canvassing of votes for president and vice president due to poll-fraud issues have forced Malacañang to put on hold transition processes from the outgoing to the incoming administration. Presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo said Wednesday no transition work could start until Congress proclaims a winner in the presidential race. “Siyempre tayo kailangang sumangguni sa proclamation ng Kongreso. Ang direct at opisyal na ugnayan hindi pa pwedeng magsimula (Of course we have to go by the proclamation of the winners by Congress. Until then, the transition process cannot start)," Saludo said in an interview on dzXL radio. He also said the Palace cannot tell Congress to speed up the canvassing of votes, saying the matter rests entirely on Congress and the Commission on Elections (Comelec). “Yan ay nasa kamay ng Kongreso at Comelec. Di natin bibigyan, wala tayong direktang kaalaman diyan," he said. He would only say Congress is aware of its duty to proclaim a winner in the presidential and vice presidential race before the June 30. While he indicated there are “informal" talks on the transfer of power, he did not give details. “Ngayon merong usapang informal pero sabi ko nga di pwede maging official… dahil kailangan hintayin ang proclamation ng Kongreso (There are informal talks, but this cannot be considered official because we are waiting for Congress’ proclamation)," he said. Last May 11, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo created a Malacañang team to coordinate the transition from the outgoing to the incoming administration.[See: Malacañang prepares for new president] At the time, deputy presidential spokesman Gary Olivar said the next move will now be up to the camp of president apparent Sen. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy" Aquino III. But Aquino had indicated he would wait for the official proclamation by Congress, although he has already started forming his Cabinet. In putting the transition processes on hold, Saludo said the Palace does not want to “preempt" Congress. “[Kung mag-uusap tayo] para bang pinangungunahan natin ang Kongreso (If we conduct talks now, it is as if we are preempting Congress)," he said. Transition cooperation team Meanwhile, in an interview with GMA's Unang Hirit anchor Arnold Clavio, Presidential Management Staff head Marilen Bautista said the Presidential Transition Cooperation Team is preparing all the necessary requirements and documents to ensure a smooth transition of government. "Gusto natin, wala ni isang minuto na titigil ang serbisyong pambayan. Gusto natin seamless ang transition, kaya bago June 30, makikipag-ugnayan na kami. Para maayos, para hindi halata na may palitan," she said. (We don't want to suspend public service, not even for a single minute. We want a seamless transition, that is why we would coordinate with the incoming administration before June 30 so that it won't be obvious that there was a transition.) Bautista, however, said the transition team is yet to get in touch with president-apparent Sen. Benigno Aquino III, pending the canvassing of votes for president and vice president.
