Arroyo meets Alvarez after House ‘coup’
NEWLY-installed Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has met with her predecessor, Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez of Davao del Norte, on Wednesday morning based on photos released at the House of Representatives.
The meeting happened, two days after Alvarez was ousted from his post on Monday after 184 House members voted for Arroyo to assume the Speakership, catching Alvarez off guard.
Aside from the two House leaders, Rep. Aurelio Gonzales of Pampanga, a staunch ally of Arroyo, was also in the room.
The squabble over the Speakership happened hours before President Rodrigo Duterte
was to deliver his State of the Nation Address (SONA), leading to a near walkout by the Chief Executive if the lawmakers did not return to the session hall.
The House drama unfolded when Rep. Rolando Andaya of Camarines Sur announced that at least 161 members from the majority coalition met to make an urgent decision even if the House was not in session. Andaya’s microphone, however, was abruptly turned off.
While his mic was off, Andaya kept on speaking. Rep. Karlo Nograles of Davao City, chairman of the House committee on appropriations, then proceeded to calling the roll while holding a booklet with a list of House members.
Rep. Doy Leachon of Oriental Mindoro was wrote down the votes.
While all of these were happening, lawmakers huddled around Arroyo who, accompanied by Deputy Speaker Fredenil Castro of Capiz, climbed the rostrum and took her oath as the new Speaker. before Rep. Dennis Laogan of Ang Kabuhayan party-list, the youngest member of the House at 27 years old.
Arroyo tried to address her colleagues by shouting at the session hall, which she later revealed was a thank you message and call for unity.
The session was reconvened at 7 p.m. after the President’s SONA to pave the way for Arroyo’s official assumption as Speaker with 184 out of 292 House members voting for her, which was more than the required majority of 147. LLANESCA T. PANTI
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