Arroyo denies seeking Speaker post

Rep. and former Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON

Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a former President and now Pampanga congresswoman, denied rumors on Wednesday that she is eyeing to replace Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

In a statement on Wednesday, Arroyo said she has no plans of taking over the top post at the House of Representatives.

“It has come to my attention that rumors have been circulating that I will soon be replacing Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez,” Arroyo said.

“I categorically deny that. I don’t have any plans of taking his place,” she added.

Alvarez earlier told reporters that he had no intention of leaving his post as congressman supposedly to take on a Transportation Secretary post which he previously held during the Arroyo administration.

Alvarez said he considers it a demotion to be a Cabinet secretary from being Speaker of the House.

Arroyo was recently released from four years of hospital detention after her plunder case over the alleged misuse of P366 million in state lottery funds was dismissed by the Supreme Court for weak evidence.

Her graft and ethics cases for the allegedly overpriced National Broadband Network deal with ZTE firm were also thrown out by the Sandiganbayan. JE

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