Arroyo: Duterte didn’t offer Cabinet post, but showed narco-list

Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo holds answers questions from reporters during a congressional forum on Dec. 5, 2016. With Arroyo are ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio (right) and Quezon 4th District Rep. Angelina Tan. (PHOTO BY VINCE NONATO / INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

MANILA — Former president and current House Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo denied on Mondaythat President Rodrigo Duterte had offered her the position of foreign affairs secretary. “There’s no offer of a Cabinet post to me,” Arroyo said in a briefing on Monday.

She kept mum on the details of her meeting with Duterte, although she let slip one detail: “He showed me the list of narco-politicians.” Pressed for more details, Arroyo, representative of the second district of Pampanga on her third and last term, laughed: “You’re so fond of intrigues.”

At the same time, Arroyo said that she had spoken with Duterte—who considers her a friend—regarding her continued opposition to the death penalty, which his administration has been seeking to revive soon.

As president in 2006, Arroyo signed into law the measure halting the implementation of the death penalty and downgrading the penalties for applicable offenses to reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment. “I spoke to Duterte about that, [and he said] it’s alright with him if I oppose the death penalty,” she said.

“I recognize he is the president and I am not. I am against it personally but I want the administration to succeed so he has to decide how the administration succeeds.” As has been the case in the months since she was freed from detention in July after the Supreme Court’s dismissal of her plunder case, Arroyo graced the briefing without a neck brace. But, she clarified during the briefing that she would usually wear her neck brace “in my car.”

“I still have pain,” Arroyo said, adding that she has been undergoing therapy for her spine condition twice a week while also resorting to acupuncture to relieve the pain.  SFM