Former president and now House speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo met with presidential daughter and Davao City mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio for a ‘thank you’ lunch on Monday, July 30.
The lunch happened a week after Macapagal-Arroyo sworn in as the new House speaker replacing Pantaleon Alvarez.
“It was a just a thank-you lunch… [It was a] private social lunch,” Arroyo told reporters after the meeting.
It is still unclear, however, who initiated the meeting which was also attended by 150 other lawmakers who supported Macapagal-Arroyo’s campaign for House speakership.
House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez alleged that it was Duterte-Carpio who initiated the meeting “as a thank you for supporting her in her appeal to support GMA.”
Meanwhile, Capiz Rep. Fred Castro said that Duterte-Carpio was only invited and it was Macapagal-Arroyo who initiated the lunch meeting to express her gratitude to those who supported her.
“Ito ay luncheon na ibinigay ni Speaker Arroyo bilang pagtitipon at pagpapasalamat sa lahat ng sumuporta sa kanya. Naimbita lang si Mayor Sara,” the lawmaker said.
Earlier, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio said it was Duterte-Carpio who managed to convince majority of the House of Representatives to replace Alvarez with Macapagal-Arroyo.
The plan to oust Alvarez allegedly started when a rift between the former House speaker and Duterte-Carpio sparked.
Alvarez allegedly said Duterte-Carpio is a member of the opposition for forming a regional party which did not include him and his allies.
In response, Duterte-Carpio publicly dared Alvarez on Twitter to step down from his post as House speaker.
“I thought you had backed down? But when I woke up today, why are you still the House Speaker? Step down!,” Mayor Duterte said.
“The Philippines will be a better country if he is not Speaker. PRD will be a stronger President without Alvarez,” she said.
