Alvarez thwarted plot to oust him, briefly

Ousted Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez had been given advanced warning of the plot to oust him, which allowed him to thwart the plot but only briefly, according to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday.

Roque, however, said the warning didn’t come from Malacañang. He said he needed clearance to identify the person who had warned Alvarez.

The camp of now Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had tried to introduce a motion to declare the Speaker’s position vacant when the House opened its session for the July 23 State of the Nation Address, but Alvarez quickly declared the session suspended and microphones in the session hall were turned off. —Christine Avendaño