It came out in the 11th hour – former president and Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (2nd district, Pampanga) is now the new Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Lawmakers booted out Pantaleon Alvarez (1st district, Davao del Norte), as the leader of the House of Representatives just before the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Duterte on July 23, the same day the 17th Congress opened its 3rd regular session.
Prior to Alvarez’s ouster, various House blocs reportedly met on Monday morning.
Reports also said an all-members caucus was held in the morning, but only 76 out of 291 representatives attended. Deputy Speaker Gwen Garcia confirmed they discussed reports that other House members were plotting to oust Alvarez.
By noon time, it is reported that lawmakers allied with Alvarez succeeded in adjourning the session to preempt the ouster moves, in the process failing to ratify the proposed Bangsamoro Organic Law in time for President Rodrigo Duterte’s signing before his State of the Nation Address late afternoon.
However, House members returned to the session hall again by early afternoon and passed around and signed a manifesto calling for Alvarez’s removal as Speaker.
“We the elected members of the House of Representatives.. . in the interest of providing a more dynamic legislature attuned with the times and the needs of the people have formed a COALITION to endorse and support the election of our colleague Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as Speaker of the House of Representatives.”
Some 161 solons reportedly signed the manifesto.
Arroyo was then seen on television at 3:50 pm on Monday already at the podium reserved for the Speaker in the House of Representatives. A few minutes later, a confirmation was made by major television networks of the change of leadership in the House.
