FILE PHOTO: Former President and incumbent Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo maintained that she supports the leadership of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez even after being stripped of the deputy speakership position.
Arroyo asserted that she did not sign House Resolution No. 1414 – which eventually caused her removal from the post – because it “does not contain anything new” as she has “always supported” Romualdez as the top leader of the House of Representatives.
The former president also reasoned that she could not sign the resolution to uphold the House’s integrity and dignity because she was not in the Philippines.
“Some people told me that I was stripped of the ‘deputy speaker’ title because I did not sign House Resolution No. 1414 [which] expresses support for the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez. I was abroad when the Resolution was signed, so I was unable to sign it,” Arroyo explained in a statement Wednesday.
“In any case, that Resolution does not contain anything new for me because I have always supported his leadership as Speaker,” she added.
Arroyo said she could not do anything if “intriguers” in the lower chamber could sway Romualdez into believing the “falsehood that I do not support his leadership.”
Still, the former chief executive assured President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that she would continue to support the administration’s choice for the Speaker – Romualdez.
“There is always intrigue in politics, often petty. If some intriguers were able to convince Speaker Romualdez that I do not support his leadership in the House, then there is nothing that I can do,” she said.
“But even as an ordinary Congressman, I will remain true to my word to President Marcos Jr. – I will continue to support his preferred man for House Speaker, and that is Speaker Martin Romualdez. Having made myself clear, I think we should now move on to more pressing national concerns,” she added.
During Tuesday’s House session, Arroyo was removed as deputy speaker following the approval of Deputy Majority Leader and Cagayan 1st District Rep. Ramon Nolasco Jr.’s motion to elect Isabela 1st District Rep. Antonio Albano to the post.
READ: Isabela Rep. Albano is new House deputy speaker replacing Arroyo
Lanao del Sur 2nd District Rep. Yasser Alonto Balindong was also elected as a deputy speaker, replacing Davao City 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab.
In a separate statement after the House leadership shakeup, Majority Leader and Zamboanga City 2nd District Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe said that the decision to remove Arroyo and Ungab came about after the two signed an “important” House resolution.
Dalipe did not mention any particular resolution, but the House adopted HR No. 1414, which sought to uphold the dignity and integrity of the legislative chamber, on Monday, November 6.
READ: Political parties reiterate support for Speaker Romualdez’s leadership
HR No. 1414 came after former president Rodrigo Duterte fired tirades on the House, calling it the “most rotten government organization.” Duterte’s outburst followed the lower chamber’s decision to reject the 2024 confidential fund requests of the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education – two civilian government agencies helmed by his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte.
READ: House reps find Duterte’s tirades offensive, a serious attack – secretary general
Both Ungab and Arroyo have been deemed allies of the Dutertes
Ungab, in a statement on Tuesday night, said he accepts and understands the House’s decision to remove him from the list of deputy speakers.
READ: House party chiefs tell Duterte: Stop the threats