Palace won’t meddle in squabbles of House allies

Malacañang will not meddle in the disputes among President Rodrigo Duterte’s congressional allies but expects these to eventually be resolved.

“Just like (in) any family, things have to be settled. They just need to talk,” Undersecretary Ernesto Abella, presidential spokesperson, said.

Abella was referring to the separate spats between Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr. and between House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas and the Marcos family.

“We are not interfering in their challenges, relational challenges. Let it be. These will all be settled,” Abella said.

“These are things that they have to settle and I’m sure that they will in time,” he added.

Formerly the best of friends, Alvarez accused Floirendo of graft over his family’s banana business deal with the Bureau of Corrections.

Floirendo repeatedly said politics was behind the charges and declined to confirm or deny whether a dispute between their respective girlfriends also had a part in the falling out.

In the case of Fariñas and the Marcos family, provincial politics and perceived personal slights are also believed to be behind the dispute of former allies.