The plan to revive the position of Presidential Chief of Staff failed to take off during the Aquino administration because of the feud between the Balay and Samar factions.

The power struggle between the two groups was resurrected by Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile as he shot down the proposed revival of the position of Chief of Staff, purportedly for Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez.

In a five-page memorandum for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. dated September 15, 2022, Enrile said Mar Roxas was supposed to have been appointed as Chief of Staff of then-President Benigno Aquino III following his failed vice presidential bid.

“The plan never materialized because of potential conflict with the other agencies under the Office of the President, especially the Office of the Executive Secretary, and considering the controversy between the Balay Group (to which Roxas belonged) and the Samar Group (to which then- Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. belonged),” Enrile said.

Marcos’ 98-year-old chief legal counsel said the creating the post of Presidential Chief of Staff “will necessarily cause duplication and overlapping of functions, confusion and even inevitable rifts among the different offices under the President.”



The rift was real: Balay, Samar feud derailed Mar Roxas’ appointment as PNoy’s chief of staff
Source: Philippines Clips