Pampanga 2nd district Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (Facebook)

Actions speak louder than words, or so they say.

Pampanga 2nd district Congresswoman and former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo rubbed elbows with members of the House leadership Monday afternoon, Nov. 25 right after Speaker Martin Romualdez delivered a scathing speech against Vice President Sara Duterte.

At around the same time, Vice President Duterte was just a few meters away at the House of Representatives' People’s Center, the site of the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability's hearing on the alleged misuse of P612.5 million worth of confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) under the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education (DepEd).

"Wala po talaga kami kakampi dito (We really don't have any allies here)," Duterte helplessly declared at one point in the hearing.

A temporary recess was called during the hearing to allow the members to go to the plenary and listen to Speaker Romualdez's speech.

Romualdez went on to assail Vice President’s unauthorized two-day stay at Batasan complex, as well as her death threat against him, President Marcos, and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.

After the speech, Arroyo joined a photo opportunity with the House leaders and her fellow members of the majority, also in plenary.

The ex-president wasn't seen during entirety of the 15-hour hearing of the good government committee chaired by Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua.

Arroyo stands in the middle of this plenary photo after Romualdez's speech (Facebook)

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Vice President left the hearing at past 6 p.m. to accompany an OVP Special Disbursing Officer (SDO) Gina Acosta to the hospital after the latter suddenly went ill during lawmakers' questioning on CIF disbursement.

During the panel's very first hearing on the OVP-DepEd confidential funds controversy on Sept. 18, Arroyo was there to question to rationale behind the inquiry. Duterte was also there, although she refused to take an oath and left early.

That, and Monday's hearing was Duterte's only two appearances in the probe. The Chua panel has held seven hearings so far.