Change in speakership not a coup — House official

Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (left) with Deputy Speaker Fredenil Castro. RICHARD A. REYES/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The sudden change in the leadership of the House of Representatives was not a coup d’état, a ranking member of the chamber said Tuesday.

House Deputy Speaker Fredenil Castro said the majority vote of congressmen in favor of former-president-now-Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo replacing Pantaleon Alvarez would “override” any supposed irregularity in the process.

Castro was reacting to Alvarez reportedly raising questions about the validity of the takeover, since the audio and the mace symbolizing the Speaker’s authority were absent during Arroyo’s oath taking.

“It’s not a coup. Why do I say? Simply because the proceeding was approved by the majority of the Congress in plenary,” he told ABS-CBN News Channel on Tuesday.

Arroyo took her oath as Speaker on Monday minutes before the State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Rodrigo Duterte.

She got the seat with 184 votes from the lower chamber.

READ: With House sound system dead, Arroyo takes oath as new Speaker

While Arroyo was taking her oath inside the House session hall, Alvarez was welcoming Duterte as the latter arrived for his Sona. It was also Alvarez who acted as Speaker during the President’s speech. /cbb