President Rodrigo Duterte may have looked calm during his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) but this was far from how he reacted behind the scene of the standoff in the house of representatives, two high-ranking government officials revealed.
Senate President Tito Sotto said that Duterte was unhappy upon learning about what unfolded inside the House and threatened to walk out due to the incident.
“Magwo-walkout na lang ako pag di nila inayos yan!,” Sotto quoted Duterte as saying.
Minutes before Duterte’s arrival at the House, former president and current Pampanga representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sworn in as new House speaker, ousting Pantaleon Alvarez in the process.
During Macapagal-Arroyo’s oathtaking as new House speaker, Alvarez was at the lounge to welcome Duterte as per SONA protocol.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte was surprised with the news since the chief executive was only informed about the unfolding upon his arrival at the House of Representatives.
Roque said “tempers were flaring all over the place” as confusion as to who would seat beside Duterte at the rostrum of the House were being settled.
“Tempers were really flaring all over the place. They all had to behave because the President was around, of course,” he said.
Duterte talked separately to Alvarez and Macapagal-Arroyo for an hour to settle the matter, delaying Duterte’s SONA.
“They were like saying, ‘Why is he inside? He is no longer speaker,’” Roque quoted one of Arroyo’s supporters as saying.
