Atienza describes senators insinuating Arroyo as Prime Minister: ‘Advanced mag-isip’

“Masyado silang advanced mag-isip.”

This was the reaction of Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza on Wednesday after some senators insinuated that newly-installed House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo could become prime minister if the proposed shift to parliamentary form of government succeeds.

Among the senators who floated this possibility were Senators Grace Poe and Panfilo Lacson.

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“Lahat ng sinasabi ng mga senador, masyado silang advanced mag-isip,” Atienza told reporters in a briefing.

The lawmaker, who voted to elect Macapagal-Arroyo, also alleged that those senators are the ones who want to become president.

“Sila ang may ambisyon mag-presidente. All senators are aspiring to become president,” he said. “They’ve all been grandstanding.”

“The senators are the ones salivating towards the next elections for the president
and I hope they bang their heads together,” Atienza said.

AKO BICOL Rep. Alfredo Garbin, Jr., meanwhile, reminded the public that Congress is bicameral in nature, which means the House cannot just decide on its own, without Senate’s concurrence.

“We have a bicameral congress. So malayung-malayo (ito) sa katotohanan,” he said.

Macapagal-Arroyo sealed her return to power after 184 House members voted her as the new Speaker on Monday night, ending Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez’s two-year grip on the post.   /vvp

READ: While Alvarez was making enemies, Arroyo was consolidating her forces