NEW House of Representatives Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday, July 24, created a transition committee to ensure a smooth transition of the leadership at the lower chamber.
Arroyo met with her allies at her house in Quezon City before going to the Batasang Pambansa complex Tuesday, a day afer a chaotic leadership row ousted Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez and installed her as Speaker.
According to Davao 1st District Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles and Ako-Bicol Rep. Alfredo Garbin, the transition panel is composed of Bohol 3rd District Rep. Arthur Yap, Capiz 2nd District Rep. Fredenil Castro, Iloilo 3rd District Rep. Arthur Defensor Jr., Marikina 2nd District Rep. Miro Quimbo, Batangas 2nd District Rep. Raneo Abu, Camarines Sur 1st District Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. and minority leader and Quezon 3rd District Rep. Danilo Suarez.
"We need a smooth transition for us to be able (ratify the Bangsamoro Organic Law) . Let's do our job," Nograles said minutes before the House ratified the Bangsamoro bill.
Arroyo, once dubbed as "Iron Lady of Asia," survived two arrests and nearly four years of hospital detention for plunder to bounce back to power with her election as the new Speaker.
In a chance interview with the media on Tuesday, Arroyo thanked members of the House.
"I will say what I said yesterday but couldn't be heard because there was no microphone — I'm very grateful to my colleagues for their trust and confidence in electing me speaker, and I view my role as speaker, with having a primary specific objective, that is, to carry out the legislative agenda of President Rodrigo Duterte and that means for today, we must get the BOL ratified," Arroyo told the media in a chance interview shortly before the House ratified the Bangsamoro bill on Tuesday, July 24.
Arroyo, 71, is the daughter of 9th President of the Philippines Diosdado Macapagal.
She served as the country's 14th president from 2001 to 2011 and currently sits as representative of the 2nd District of Pampanga province.
She came to power after the bloodless People Power Revolution 2 ousted former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada on January 20, 2001 and installed her, as then vice president, as head of state.
She was reelected as president in 2004 despite allegations of corruption and electoral fraud.
She was arrested in 2011 for alleged electoral sabotage, in connection with the 2007 elections. However, she was released on bail in July 2012.
But in October 2012, the Sandiganbayan ordered her arrest on charges of plunder over the alleged misuse of P366 million intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCOO) from 2008 to 2010, her final two years as president.
Arroyo walked free in July 2016 after nearly four years under hospital detention following the Supreme Court ruling that cleared her of plunder for lack of evidence.
In 2017, the high tribunal dismissed with finality the plunder case against Arroyo.
On Monday, Arroyo redeemed her reputation after 184 congressmen voted in favor of a motion to declare her as Speaker during a special session held right after President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his third State of the Nation Address.
The session was held to finalize her takeover, which critics had questioned, before the President arrived at the Batasan complex to deliver his Sona.
The leadership row caused a delay in the President's Sona, which proceeded after Duterte requested that Alvarez be allowed to co-preside the joint session of Congress.
On Tuesday, Arroyo said that aside from carrying out the legislative agenda of the President, she believes that it is also her job to enable the congressmen to assist their constituents.
Specifically, Arroyo vowed to assist the congressmen from districts that have been badly hit by the recent typhoon.
"I'm very glad that soon we will have an end to politicking. Hopefully this afternoon so we can attend to the calamities of the various districts that compose our congress who have been hit," she said.
She continued: "Just today we identified nine districts which have been badly hit by the typhoon, and we would like to help our congressmen, at least for today or the coming week the immediate needs of their constituents." (With Ruth Abbey Gita/SunStar Philippines)