DESPITE questions raised against its recent executive orders, Malacañang is not keen on beefing up its legal teams and is sticking to its present set-up instead.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Saturday that the questions raised so far against its executive orders came from parties affected by the directives.
“We see no need to beef up the legal teams. We have competent legal teams at the Offices of the Executive Secretary and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel,” he said on government-run dzRB radio.
Aside from the legal teams’ competence, he said the drafts of the executive orders go through a review by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.
Besides, Lacierda said the questions being raised against the EOs so far came from supporters of the Arroyo administration, who he said the EOs had directly affected.
“It’s being questioned not because of craftsmanship of the EO but because of the contents. The EOs affected officials of the past administration.”
EO 1 had created a Truth Commission that sought to look into irregularities in the last nine years of the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
EO 2, on the other hand, sought to remove midnight appointees of the Arroyo government.
Lastly, EO 3 negated the Arroyo administration’s granting of automatic civil service eligibility to government lawyers.
“Those EOs were directed towards the past administration’s decisions. So they are being questioned not because of their form but because of their substance ... It is normal for them to question these EOs,” Lacierda said. (JMR/Sunnex)