Arroyo hits 'intriguers' for swaying Romualdez: 'There is nothing I can do'
At A Glance
- Pampanga 2nd district congresswoman and former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo says there's nothing she can do if certain "intriguers" were able to sway House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Former House Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (rightmost)
Pampanga 2nd district congresswoman and former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo says there's nothing she can do if certain "intriguers" were able to sway House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
"There is always intrigue in politics, often petty. If some intriguers were able to convince Speaker Romualdez of the falsehood that I do not support his leadership in the House, then there is nothing I can do," Arroyo said in a statement Wednesday morning, Nov. 8.
During the previous evening's plenary session, Arroyo was removed from her post as deputy speaker, supposedly for not supporting a resolution that expressed the House's continued backing of Romualdez's leadership.
Arroyo gave a practical reason for failing to sign the pro-Romualdez resolution.
"Some people told me that I was stripped of the 'deputy speaker' title because I did not sign House Resolution No. 1414 that expresses support for the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez.
"I was abroad when the resolution was signed, so I was unable to sign it. In any case, that resolution does not contain anything new for me, because I have always supported his leadership as Speaker," she said.
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The measure was pursued during plenary session Monday, Nov. 6 in light of former president Rodrigo Duterte's recent tirades against the House and Romualdez.
Arroyo and Romualdez both belong to the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party. She is the party's chairperson emeritus, while he is the party president.