Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Monday met with the President’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio in a “private social lunch” supposedly “to thank” politicians who supported her speakership.
“It was a just a thank-you lunch… [It was a] private social lunch,” Arroyo said at the sidelines of the meeting held in a hotel in Quezon City, and also attended by Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, and at least 150 lawmakers.
The meeting came barely a week after Arroyo was installed as new Speaker following the ouster of Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, hours before the State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Outgoing deputy speaker and Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. said it was Arroyo who hosted the meeting.
Duterte-Carpio’s chief of staff, lawyer Raul Nadela, was the one who sent the invitation to the Arroyo-Duterte-Carpio’s meeting.
The camp of Speaker Arroyo denied that it was the Pampanga congresswoman who hosted the meeting and that the latter was merely invited to attend the “private lunch” with Duterte-Carpio.
“Speaker Arroyo thanked those who supported her,” Negros Occidental Rep.
on Monday met with the President’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio in a “private social lunch” supposedly “to thank” politicians who supported her speakership.
“It was a just a thank-you lunch… [It was a] private social lunch,” Arroyo said at the sidelines of the meeting held in a hotel in Quezon City, and also attended by Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, and at least 150 lawmakers.
The meeting came barely a week after Arroyo was installed as new Speaker following the ouster of Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, hours before the State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Outgoing deputy speaker and Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. said it was Arroyo who hosted the meeting.
Duterte-Carpio’s chief of staff, lawyer Raul Nadela, was the one who sent the invitation to the Arroyo-Duterte-Carpio’s meeting.
The camp of Speaker Arroyo denied that it was the Pampanga congresswoman who hosted the meeting and that the latter was merely invited to attend the “private lunch” with Duterte-Carpio.
“Speaker Arroyo thanked those who supported her,” Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez said. “The meeting was as if a signal also from [the former president] to lawmakers, to everybody to all get back to work and work on the legislative agenda of the President,” Benitez added.
This developed as Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo, who used to be an ally of the Aquino-led Liberal Party, said the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan will recommend Arroyo to a higher position in the political party, like the position of secretary general.
“Considering [Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo] now is the Speaker, I think we should level up her position in the PDP,” Castelo, who is now a PDP-Laban member, said. “We would like to recommend her in a national position in the PDP,” Castelo added.
Castelo said that it would be “beneficial” for the party members should Arroyo will hold a “higher position” in the ruling party.
“For the national party, for the PDP party, we want to influence and impact in terms of the project, in terms of concerns of members,” Castelo said.
“It would have value if our Speaker, being a member of the PDP, to be more influential in running the affairs of our party. And we can only do this by elevating her position on a higher office,” he added.
It was Alvarez who holds the position of secretary general in the PDP-Laban.
Earlier, House acting majority leader and Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro said the membership of PDP-Laban will soon be reduced drastically amid confusion over leadership following the breakaway of a big number of party members from party leaders, Senator Koko Pimentel and Alvarez who they expelled from the party.
Castro’s statement came as regional and city officials of the PDP-Laban elected a new set of leaders in what they called a ‘national assembly,’ and expelled Pimentel and Alvarez, who were both ousted in their leadership positions in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
But these PDP-Laban officials retained President Rodrigo Duterte as the party chairman and Special Assistant to the President Bong Go as party auditor.
Castro said the current unrest in the ruling party may prompt the PDP-Laban members to rejoin their former parties or join the regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago of Duterte-Carpio.