Sara Duterte refuses to reconcile with ‘dangerous’ Alvarez

Updated @ 10:27 p.m., May 21, 2019

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio refused to reconcile with re-elected Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, whom she had a bitter feud before the latter was ousted as House Speaker in July 2018.

“I have no intention of accepting Rep. Bebot Alvarez’s offer of reconciliation because the offer was deceiving and utterly lacked sincerity,” Duterte-Carpio said in a statement Tuesday.

Alvarez reportedly offered to reconcile with his political enemies, including Duterte-Carpio, days after his PDP-Laban ticket dominated the local elections in his province.

The re-elected Davao City mayor claimed that Alvarez was “videotaped” when he threatened to “embarrass her.”

“Unknown to him, he was surreptitiously videotaped when he threatened, after his win in the recent elections in Davao del Norte, ‘Ipapahiya ko si Sara’ [I will embarrass Sara],” Duterte-Caprio said.

“Alvarez was, and he remains to be, a very dangerous, Machiavellian individual who does not deserve peace,” she added.

Alvarez, a known ally and long-time friend of President Duterte, was booted out of the House Speakership before the Chief Executive delivered his third State of the Nation Address (Sona) in July last year. Former President and now outgoing Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo replaced him as Speaker.

In several speeches, the President has repeatedly acknowledged that it was his daughter who “maneuvered” the ouster of Alvarez.

READ: Duterte: Be careful with Sara, she can even oust the Speaker

READ: Solons say Sara Duterte played key role in Alvarez ouster

Duterte-Carpio also denied Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay’s claim that she “recommended” Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez as the next Speaker of the House.

“If I did raise his [Romualdez] hand during the HNP (Hugpong ng Pagbabago) rally in Tacloban, I did so because he, just like (Marinduque) Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, is supportive of the reform agenda of President Duterte,” she said.

The Presidential daughter then confirmed that newly proclaimed Taguig City Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, who was also reportedly eyeing the House leadership post, did not seek her endorsement for the speakership.

She noted, however, that Cayetano “came with a veiled threat” that if she endorsed Velasco for Speaker, she “would break up the ‘group.’”

“And this, he said, will affect the presidential elections of 2022,” she added.

Meanwhile, Duterte-Carpio said the question on the interest of her brother, incoming Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, to join the Speakership squabble “should best be addressed by our father because he is the President and our patriarch.”

She further claimed that she is “not the correct person to endorse someone to be the next Speaker.”

“I only have a personal bet but [I] do not intend to influence Congress,” Duterte-Carpio said.

“It is best if the newly elected members of the House of Representatives individually decide who among those who are interested in becoming the next Speaker can truly bring good governance and positive change to Congress, to the Filipino people, and our country,” she added.

(Editors: Eden Estopace and Alexander T. Magno)