LEDAC meet postponed; Marcos met with senators, congressmen separately — Imee

The scheduled Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting on Thursday with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and lawmakers did not push through, according to Senator Imee Marcos. 

The President instead had a separate executive session with the leaders of both houses amid the apparent disagreement between the two chambers on the people's initiative, said Senator Marcos.

"Wala ng LEDAC kanina dahil nagmeeting muna [PBBM] sa mga senador, tapos hiwalay naman yung [HOR]," Senator Marcos said in a text message to reporters.

This was confirmed by Senator Joel Villanueva.

"LEDAC was postponed instead we had an executive session with the President," Villanueva said.

In a LEDAC meeting, the President, who serves as the chairman, meets with the vice president, the Senate president, the House Speaker, members of the Cabinet, among others, to hold consultations and advice on certain programs and policies essential to the realization of the goals of the national economy.

A LEDAC meeting is also essential in determining which pieces of legislation will be prioritized by the Senate and House of Representatives.

First time

This is the first time in the Marcos administration that the President met with the leaders of the House and the Senate separately. It comes days after the Senate issued a manifesto against the ongoing people's initiative.

"Hindi kailanman magiging hadlang ang Senado sa pagpasa ng mga batas, pati amendment sa constitution, tungo sa ikabubuti at pagpapa-unlad ng bayan. Itong [people's initiative] ang s'yang nagiging sagabal sa [tuloy-tuloy] naming trabaho," Senator Marcos said.

Earlier, Senator Koko Pimentel urged the President to "step in" to avoid a "legislative crisis."

Pimentel and Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa believe that it is Speaker Martin Romualdez who has been pushing for the people’s initiative. 

Pimentel believes that the "hidden agenda" in the ongoing people's initiative was to empower the House of Representatives to decide on the amendments to be introduced to the Charter.

Romualdez, however, denied having a hand in the people's initiative. —VAL/RSJ, GMA Integrated News