MALACAÑANG on Tuesday, July 24, expressed readiness to work with the newly-elected House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said that while the executive department does not meddle in the internal affairs of the House of Representatives, it would be willing to cooperate with the "chosen" House leader.
"It has always been the Palace's position that we do not interfere in purely internal matters of the House. We are ready to work with the chosen leader of the House of Representatives," the Palace official said in a press conference with Palace reporters.
"And because Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is now the House Speaker, we are of course able and ready to work with Speaker Arroyo. We have had good relationship with Speaker Arroyo," he added.
The dramatic shake-up in the House leadership was a scene-stealer during Duterte's third State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 23.
READ: House ousts Alvarez; Arroyo takes over
July 23 was supposed to be Duterte's day to highlight his administration's accomplishments, but the unprecedented, successful coup against ousted House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez gained more of the public attention.
Both Alvarez and Arroyo are allies of Duterte.
Roque admitted that Duterte was "visibly concerned" about Alvarez's earlier call to postpone the 2019 mid-term elections to pave the way for the government's plan to establish a federal state.
"He (Duterte) did not express concern about the Speaker. He did express concern about the no-el, which was being pushed by Speaker Alvarez," he said.
"The President had problems with the call of the [former] House Speaker on no-el -- no elections. And I noticed that the the President was visibly concerned about the pronouncements of the Speaker on the no elections," he added.
Alvarez, in a previous interview, said that it would be "practical" to suspend the 2019 polls to allow an "easier" transition to a federal type of government.
Now that Arroyo has secured the speakership, Roque was confident that the Palace would have a smooth working relationship with the House of Representatives.
"She is one of the staunchest supporters of the President during the elections. They share the same political agenda so we foresee absolutely no problems in working with Speaker Arroyo," Roque said.
Once dubbed as "Iron Lady of Asia," Arroyo served as president from 2001 to 2011. She currently seats as respresentative of the 2nd District of Pampanga province.
Arroyo, whose name was tainted with allegations of corruption and cheating in the 2004 presidential race, redeemed her reputation after 184 congressmen voted Monday to install her as the new House speaker.
Arroyo was arrested in 2011 for alleged electoral sabotage, in connection with 2007 polls. 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, nearly four years under hospital detention, after the Supreme Court saw lack of evidence to hold her accountable for the PCSO mess.
In 2017, the high tribunal dismissed with finality the plunder case against Arroyo. (SunStar Philippines)