Malacañang respects Arroyo anti-death stance, but …

Malacañang is keeping its hands off the decision of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez (left) to oust anti-death penalty lawmakers, including ally Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (right), from key positions in the House of Representatives. INQUIRER FILES

Malacañang respects the decision of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to strip anti-death penalty lawmakers, including Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, of their key positions.

“We start from the premise that the legislative is treated as an independent branch from the executive. So the ongoing movement in committee chairmanships is left to the discretion of the House leadership,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a news briefing.

Arroyo, a known ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, was ousted as deputy speaker following her opposition to the pet administration bill that seeks to restore the death penalty.

READ: Arroyo, anti-death penalty solons ousted from key posts

On Wednesday, Alvarez declared as vacant the committee and leadership posts of anti-death penalty lawmakers.

“The majority block wants to place colleagues who are supportive of the priority bills of the government,” Abella said.

He said Malacañang also respected Arroyo for being steadfast in “her position on issues that are close to her heart.”

“We appreciate and respect that Representative Arroyo remains steadfast in her position on issues that are close to her heart, such as her opposition to the death penalty but at the same time is able to throw her support to the President’s drive against drug, criminality and corruption,” he said. CBB/rga