THE leadership of the House of Representatives last night removed Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo as deputy speaker for not signing a resolution defending the chamber amid allegations by her staunch ally, former president Rodrigo Duterte, against the institution over its decision to strip his daughter Vice President Sara Duterte of confidential funds under the P5.768-trillion proposed national budget for 2024.
Isabela Rep. Antonio Albano was elected deputy speaker to replace Arroyo, also a former president, on the motion of deputy majority leader Rep. Ramon Nolasco Jr. of Cagayan.
Nolasco also moved to elect Lanao del Sur Rep. Yasser Alonto Balindong as deputy speaker, replacing Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, another known Duterte ally at the House.
After no House member objected, Deputy Speaker Roberto Puno (Antipolo), acting presiding officer of the session, approved the motions.
Arroyo did not immediately comment on her ouster as deputy speaker. A statement released by Arroyo’s office Monday night said the former president “is currently out of the country.” “However, as she always said, she continues to support the leadership of Speaker Romualdez,” the statement said as rumors of her impending removal as deputy speaker started to circulate.
Ungab said he was accepting the decision of the House leadership “without any rancor nor bitterness.”
“I have been in Congress long enough to understand the dynamics and interpersonal relations among its members,” he said. “Despite my removal, I remain supportive of this administration, believing in its program of government, as I have also helped in the campaign last year, in the belief that it can bring a better hope and future for the Filipino people.”
House majority leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, in a statement, said the House leadership, “in its collective capacity and after careful deliberation, has made the decision to relieve Deputy Speakers Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Isidro Ungab of their leadership positions.”
“This decision stems from the fact that out of the nine deputy speakers, only Deputy Speakers Macapagal-Arroyo and Ungab chose not to sign a pivotal House resolution sponsored by the entire leadership. This particular resolution was of paramount importance, as it manifested the collective intention of the House leadership to rise in unison in defense of the institution,” he said.
The House, acting as a Committee of the Whole, on Monday adopted Resolution No. 1414 “upholding the integrity of the House of Representatives and expressing appreciation, solidarity and support to the leadership of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.”
The lawmakers said in the resolution that they are taking “exception to statements made that undermine the independence, integrity and reputation of the institution, more so when these statements are couched with threats or intimidation of physical harm to a sitting member of Congress.”
Dalipe said the resolution “was a response to certain quarters that have recently levied criticisms and scurrilous attacks against the House and its leadership.”
“The unity and strength of the House are crucial in these challenging times, and the leadership believes in the importance of standing together as one cohesive body. The House leadership respects the right of each member to their individual opinions and decisions. However, leadership positions come with certain responsibilities and expectations. One of these expectations is to be aligned with the collective decisions of the leadership, especially on matters of significant importance to the institution,” he said.
By choosing not to sign the resolution, Dalipe also said, Arroyo and Ungab “have demonstrated that their perspectives differ from the collective stance of the leadership.”
“While their contributions to the House are appreciated and respected, the leadership believes that it is in the best interest of the House to have leaders who fully support and uphold the collective decisions and directions set forth by the leadership,” said the Majority Leader.
The row between the Vice President and the Speaker, who was her campaign manager last year, first came to light after the younger Duterte resigned from the ruling Lakas-CMD, denouncing the “political toxicity” and “political power play” in the House when her close ally, Arroyo, was ousted as senior deputy speaker last May for allegedly plotting a coup against Romualdez, Lakas president.
Since then, the Vice President who is concurrent Education secretary began making derogatory remarks believed aimed at Romualdez, who had decided to keep mum.
The two, however, were perceived to have already patched things up after they were seen walking arm in arm during the President’s sendoff to Malaysia last July, until the House stripped the Office of the Vice President of confidential funds under the proposed budget for 2024.
In defending his daughter’s request for confidential funds last month, the elder Duterte was quoted as saying in an interview that the confidential funds for the Department of Education (DepEd) requested by his daughter would be used for the reestablishment of the Reserve Officers Training Corps. (ROTC) and to fight off communist recruiters in the educational system.
The House of Representatives has realigned some P1.23 billion in confidential funds from several government agencies to efforts to boost security in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), which prompted the elder Duterte to retaliate by saying the chamber has hidden “pork barrel” and is “the most rotten institution” in the country.
Among the agencies that were stripped of confidential funds under the House-approved version of the P5.268 trillion proposed national budget are the Office of the Vice President (P500 million) and the Department of Education (P150 million).
The former president was quoted as saying that he told his daughter that she should have been candid and told the militant Makabayan bloc that they are really the target of the confidential funds and that he wants to kill ACT Rep. France Castro and all groups he branded as communists.
He likewise accused Romualdez of attacking the Vice President for being perceived as a “good” presidential candidate in 2028 since the Speaker allegedly wants to run for president.