SUPPORTERS of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo gathered at Lubao Central School in Lubao town, Pampanga for her oath-taking ceremony as Pampanga second district congresswoman effectively taking hes post in the House of Representatives.
Macapagal-Arroyo was sworn in on Thursday, May 26, 2022, at the Lubao Central School in Barangay San Nicolas replacing her son Juan Miguel Mikey Arroyo who is set to finish his third term this June.
Macapagal-Arroyo, who was unopposed in her comeback bid after three years of political hiatus, was sworn in by Barangay San Nicolas 1st Chairman Rodel Borgueta and joined on the occasion by her family, friends including Vice Governor Lilia Pineda, and other congressional representatives and mayors throughout the province.
Apart from being the voting place of Macapagal-Arroyo, Lubao Central School was chosen as venue for her oath taking as it was where her father, former president Diosdado Macapagal, took his elementary education.
In her return to the House of Representatives, Macapagal-Arroyo said she will join her fellow congressmen in passing the legislative agenda of the administration of incoming President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.
“Basta kung ano ang legislative agenda nila (Marcos), sa kanila dapat manggaling. Hindi dapat sa amin manggaling. So kung ano ang gusto nila na ipasa namin, iyon ang ipapasa namin,” she said.
Macapagal-Arroyo likewise said that she will continue to push for projects that are aligned with the Pampanga Megalopolis program.
“Mahirap magsalita ng sigurado para sa bagong leadership pero alam naman nila na meron tayong Megalopolis plan at gagawin natin ang lahat para maituloy itong project natin sa Pampanga,” she said.
The oath-taking ceremony was personally witnessed by Vice President-elect Sara Duterte.
In her speech, Duterte said she was delighted to visit Pampanga again to witness Macapagal-Arroyo’s oath-taking and personally expressed her gratitude to the Kapampangans.
“Nagpapasalamat po ako na nabigyan ako ng pagkakataon ni former president now Congresswoman-elect Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo dahil sa pamamagitan po nito, nabigyan ako ng pagkakataon na personal na makapagpasalamat sa tulong ninyo sa akin noong kampanya at sa araw ng eleksyon. Ang panalo ko po ay panalo ninyo,” she said.
Macapagal-Arroyo won in the recent May polls running unopposed for the 2nd district congressional seat. (With Chris Navarro)