No reconciliation for Duterte-Carpio, Alvarez

DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio will not reconcile with Davao del Norte First District representative Pantaleon Alvarez, saying the reconciliation offer was "deceiving and utterly lacked sincerity."

The mayor, in a statement Tuesday evening, May 21, expressed suspicion over Alvarez's offer for reconciliation.

"Unknown to him, he was surreptitiously videotaped when he threatened, after his win in the recent elections in Davao del Norte," Duterte-Carpio said, adding Alvarez can be heard saying: "Ipapahiya ko si Sara."

She said the former House speaker was and "remains to be a very dangerous, Machiavellian individual who does not deserve peace."

In an interview with GMA7's morning show "Unang Hirit" Tuesday morning, May 21, Alvarez is seeking the support of Duterte-Carpio in his bid for speakership in the 18th Congress.

He was the House Speaker in the first two regular sessions in 17th Congress but he was ousted on July 23, 2018, the same day President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his State of the Nation Address (Sona).

Incumbent House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was then elected as replacement of Alvarez.

Also vying for the speakership are newly-elected Taguig Representative Alan Peter Cayetano, Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco, and Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez.

Surigao del Sur First District Representative Prospero Pichay said Duterte-Carpio recommended Romualdez as Speaker of the House, but the mayor denied such claim.

"There is no truth to the claims made by Representative Prospero Pichay that I 'recommended' Representative Martin Romualdez as Speaker of the House. If I did raise his hand during the HNP (Hugpong ng Pagbabago) rally in Tacloban, I did so because he, just like Representative Lord Allan Velasco, is supportive of the reform agenda of President Duterte," she said.

Duterte-Carpio also disclosed that Cayetano warned her of endorsing Velasco as House Speaker.

"(He said) that if I endorse Representative Velasco for Speaker, I would break up the group. And this, he said, will affect the presidential elections of 2022," she said.

Meanwhile, on questions if her brother and First District Representative-elect Paolo Duterte on becoming House speaker, Duterte-Carpio said this is "best addressed" by their father "because he is the President and our patriarch."

Duterte-Carpio pointed out she has no authority to endorse anyone for the speakership.

"I am only the mayor of Davao City. I am not the correct person to endorse someone to be the next speaker," she said.

"It is best if the newly elected members of the House of Representatives individually decide who among those who are interested to become the next Speaker can truly bring good governance and positive change to congress, to the Filipino people, and to our country," she added.