House installs Arroyo as new Speaker

File Photo
File Photo

(UPDATED) - The House of Representatives voted on Monday evening, July 23, to install former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the new Speaker, replacing Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez.

Arroyo garnered a total of 184 affirmative votes with 12 abstentions.

She was declared the new Speaker of the House at 8:49 p.m. Monday, more than a year after she was ousted in March 2017 as deputy speaker following her anti-death penalty vote.

She is the first woman and first former President to hold the position.

Five hours earlier, or shortly before President Rodrigo Duterte arrived to deliver his third State of the Nation Address (Sona), the House moved for the ouster of Alvarez and declared Arroyo as its new leader.

Read: House ousts Alvarez; Arroyo takes over

The validity of the proceedings was, however, questioned.

Critics said the decision was invalid as the mace, the symbol of the chamber's legislative authority, was not inside the session hall.

According to Rules of the House of Representatives, it should be displayed while the House is in session as this should serve as a warrant for the House Sergeant-at-Arms in enforcing order in the House.

The mace was still not inside the session hall when the special session for the leadership change began just a few minutes after President Duterte finished delivering his Sona.

The mace was found, brought into the session hall and placed at the stage just before the voting for the motion to declare Arroyo as the new House Speaker ended.

Arroyo took her oath for the second time Monday before Kabuhayan Party-list Rep. Dennis Laogan, the youngest member of the House.

The shake-up delayed the start of the Joint Session of Congress and the President's Sona by an hour and 15 minutes.

When the session finally started, it was Alvarez who joined the President and Senate President Vicente Sotto III at the rostrum.

Sotto and Alvarez then declared the joint session open.

Section 13 Rule III of the Rules of the House of Representatives provides that the position of Speaker may only be declared vacant through nominal voting by a majority vote of all the members.

Section 11 states that the Speaker shall be elected by a majority vote of all the members and the Secretary General shall record the vote of each member which shall be cast without explanation.

How they voted

Makabayan bloc congressmen Carlos Zarate, Arlene Brosas and Ariel Casilao voted against the nomination of Arroyo as the new House leader.

Those who abstained in the voting were congressmen Edcel Lagman, Edgar Erice, among others.

The House has yet to release the names of all 12 who abstained.

Some lawmakers expressed their reasons as to why they want to change their leader.

Interviewed by the media, Surigao del Sur 1st District Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. said probably, a lot are not satisfied with the way the House of Repesentatives is being run.

"In the previous leadership we were given freedom to be able to ask questions during budget deliberations, committee hearings, and we were not threatened that if were not going to vote, we will be removed," he said.

With the new leadership, Pichay believes the lawmakers will now be able to express themselves.

"We congressmen, when we bring our concern it's not our personal concern. If we are not allowed to be able to express the concerns of our constituents, then we will be in trouble," he pointed out.

Pichay also bared that Alvarez was allowed to occupy the seat for the House leader during the Sona upon the request of President Duterte.

Rep. Lito Atienza believes that Alvarez alienated himself from members of the House because of his pronouncements that were not supported by the majority.

"Marami naman kasi sa mga sinasabi ni Speaker Alvarez hindi naman talaga damdamin ng mga myembro e tulad ng same sex marriage, no election. Siya lang yun e," said Atienza.

(A lot of what Speaker Alvarez said do not reflect the sentiments of the members. On the issues of same-sex marriage and no-election, that was his personal opinion.)

"He alienated himself from the membership. Meanwhile, kami naman naghahanap kami ng leader na magbibigay respeto sa damdamin at tunay na pagkatao ng aming mga myembro," he added.

(We were looking for a leader who would respect our feelings.)

Atienza hit Alvarez for being the cause of delay.

"Hinostage niya ang buong Kongreso. Tama ba yun? President pinaghintay niya ng isang oras tama ba yun?" he said.

(He took the entire Congress hostage. Is that right? He made the President wait for one hour. Is that right?)

Capiz 2nd District Rep. Fredenil Castro said that what happened today is part of their democratic exercise.

"Kahit saang political institution palaging nagkakaroon ng ganyan especially if not everybody is happy or satisfied with the way it is being run," he said.

Castro believes that the President was affected by what happened.

"I think it has affected unang-una ang president. Nagkaroon ng agam-agam. Ano mangyayari sa liderato especially marami siyang legislative agenda na dapat maaktuhan before his term ends," he said.

(I think it has affected the President. What will happen to his legislative agenda? A lot of bills need to be acted upon before his term ends.) ( With MVI/SunStar Philippines)

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