Roxas to be PNoy's chief of staff by 1st week of June

The presidential wannabe who gave way to Noynoy Aquino will finally assume office in Malacañang in June, but as the President's chief of staff. President Aquino will be signing the order appointing his defeated running mate, former Senator Mar Roxas, in two weeks, according to Palace spokeswoman Abigail Valte. “Nabanggit na ni Pangulong Aquino noong kami nasa Davao, he expects to sign the administrative order and release it in two weeks," she said on government-run dzRB radio. Asked if Roxas will assume his post in the Palace by June, she said, “Opo mga ganoon, first week of June." Valte also declined to say anything on the meeting between Aquino and Roxas last Friday. “Silang dalawa lang ang nagpulong at walang ibang naisama. Wala kaming idea ano napagusapan ni pangulo at former Senator Roxas," she said. Aquino had said he will make Roxas his chief of staff, once the one-year ban on the appointment of candidates who ran in the 2010 elections lapses. The ban lapsed last May 10. However, several lawmakers had speculated Roxas would divide Aquino’s official family because he is affiliated with the Balay group, one of at least two political factions in the Palace. The other faction is the Samar group, which had supported the tandem of Aquino and now Vice President Jejomar Binay. There have also been questions about how Roxas will work with Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, who unlike other Aquino-Roxas allies is not a stalwart of the Liberal Party. Electoral protest Valte hinted President Aquino is not likely to ask Roxas to drop his electoral protest against Binay, once Roxas assumes his post as chief of staff. She said even Binay had indicated he was willing to work with Roxas and that they are all on the same team under Aquino. “Wala naman problema sa dalawang officials concerned. Kahit si Vice President Binay sinabi niya we’re all on the same team and willing to work on reform agenda of the president. Siguro dapat tumigil na doon," she said. Also, Valte said it is unfair to expect that factionalism will get stronger with Roxas in the Palace, and that Roxas may suffer the fate of earlier presidential chiefs of staff who eventually left their posts. She said the Palace is already trying to avoid any overlapping functions between the chief of staff and the Executive Secretary and the Presidential Management Staff head. “These fears should be laid to rest... we all play for the same team, we work for the same president, and because of that we push the same agenda," she said. — LBG/HS, GMA News