Arroyo has 6-word response to her removal as senior deputy speaker
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (Rep. Arroyo's office)
“It’s the prerogative of the House.” This was Pampanga 2nd district Representative and former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's terse reaction to her removal as House senior deputy speaker during plenary session Wednesday night, May 17. Arroyo ended up being relegated--or some might say, "demoted"-- to the role of deputy speaker. House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City 2nd district Rep. Mannix Dalipe, in a statement issued almost immediately after the events in plenary, said the change was meant to "unburden" Arroyo "of the heavy load required from the position [of senior deputy speaker]." A person close to Arroyo told the Manila Bulletin that the 76-year-old politican was "doing OK", health-wise. Replacing Arroyo as senior deputy speaker was her province-mate, erstwhile deputy speaker Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr. Arroyo is chairperson emeritus of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD). Gonzales is a senior stalwart of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban). Arroyo was among the first 19th Congress solons to endorse her party-mate, Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez as House Speaker. Romualdez handily won the speakership in July 2022.