THE Palace said Thursday it will not interfere with the ongoing purge by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez at the House of Representatives over the officials who voted against President Rodrigo Duterte’s pet bill reinstating capital punishment.
“Let’s let him do the process himself, okay? Let’s let him do follow up whatever he chooses to do so,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella told reporters.
He made the statement even as Alvarez stood pat on his decision to replace his key allies in the super majority holding juicy posts for not supporting the passage of the death penalty bill.
“Definitely, there will be changes,” said Alvarez, secretary general of the ruling Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan.
He said his “toe-the-line” policy will be implemented following the passage of House Bill 4727 on Tuesday.
But opposition Rep. Edcel Lagman dismissed Alvarez’s threat.
He said he was not convinced that Alvarez would be true to his threat to oust those who would vote against the death penalty bill from their key leadership positions.
Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, an ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, is one of those who voted against the bill.
The other House leaders who voted against the bill that was principally authored by Alvarez were Reps. Vilma Santos-Recto of Batangas (chairwoman of the House committee on civil service), Carlos Isagani Zarate of Bayan Muna (chairman of the House committee on environment and natural resources), Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers (chairman of the House committee on public information), Arlene Bag-ao of Dinagat Island (chairwoman of the House committee on people participation), Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman of Anak Mindanao (head of the House committee on Muslim Affairs), Josephine Ramirez-Sato of Occidental Mindoro, a member of the Commission on Appointments, Mariano Michael Velarde Jr. of Buhay (chairman of the House committee on overseas workers’ affairs), and Henedina Abad of Batanes (chairwoman of the House committee on government reorganization.