Noy names new PLLO chief

MANILA, Philippines - Senate majority leader Vicente Sotto III disclosed yesterday that President Aquino has appointed former Cagayan Rep. Manuel Mamba as Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) chief, replacing ex-congressman Antonio Roman, in a bid to foster better relations between the Palace and members of Congress.

Sotto welcomed Mamba’s appointment as he hoped that he would be a good liaison between the Palace and the Senate.

Sen. Francis Escudero is optimistic that Mamba would do well in mediating between the Palace and the Senate and the House of Representatives.

“He was a former member of Congress and a batchmate of mine in the House. He knows a lot of congressmen and senators, and is a close friend of P-Noy (President Aquino). I think he will do a good job, and I wish him well in his new post,” Escudero said.

Sen. Loren Legarda said she does not personally know Mamba but she hopes to meet him soon to help determine the Palace’s priority measures for next year.

Sen. Sergio Osmeña said he hardly knows Mamba, and he laments that Roman is leaving the PLLO because of health problems.

“I hardly know Cong. Mamba. Tony Roman has a health problem which prevented him from being more active,” Osmeña said.

Sources revealed that Roman had asked the President to relieve him from duties as PLLO chief because of health problems.

Sources said that Roman would be appointed to the Clark Development Corp.

Mamba served as congressman from July 1995 until 1998; and was again elected to the House on July 1, 2001. Before he became a congressman, he was mayor of Tuao, Cagayan from February 1988 to 1995.

He was a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Zoology from the University of Santo Tomas, where he also took his post-graduate as doctor of medicine. He is married to Mabel Villarica-Mamba, who is a lawyer.