A few minutes before President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his third State of the Nation Address to a joint session of Congress, he threatened to stage a walkout if the row over the House leadership were not settled.
The bickering started after the camp of Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wrested the speakership from Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez.
With 184 House members backing her based on a signed resolution, the former President took her oath as the new Speaker, becoming the 21st leader of the House of Representatives and the first woman to hold the post.
In an interview with reporters before the start of yesterday’s session, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the President threatened to walk out if they did not fix their problems.
Asked if the President were aware of the impending change in the House leadership, Sotto said: “Perhaps, he didn’t know.”
“Because we told him that if he staged a walkout, there will be no more Sona,” said Sotto, who said the Senate contingent would also leave if he did.
Sotto also said he sensed the President’s displeasure at what was happening.
As soon as the President arrived at the Batasan Complex for his speech, “he already uttered words that I don't want to divulge,” Sotto said.
The Palace on Tuesday disavowed any involvement in the change of leadership at the House but acknowledged it had problems with Alvarez’s insistence that the 2019 elections be postponed.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said the President was “visibly concerned” by Alvarez’s proposal to postpone the 2019 local elections to allow Congress to facilitate Charter change.
However, the Palace spokesman said the President observes the principle of separation of powers and has accorded the House full respect particularly in its choice for its leaders.
Roque, who was with the President at the Sona, recounted some of the bickerings among the lawmakers.
“Tempers were really flaring all over the place. But they all had to behave because the President was around, of course,” said Roque, who said someone from Arroyo’s camp reacted violently as Alvarez entered the scene.
“Why is he inside? He is no longer Speaker,” Roque said, quoting the Arroyo supporter.
The President held separate meetings with Alvarez and Arroyo, but Roque could not confirm what transpired because by then, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea had taken over.
“I could say that to an extent Executive Secretary Medialdea somehow mediated between the contending parties because of course the concern was it is a constitutional duty of the President to deliver the Sona on the fourth Monday of July and the message was sent to everyone that the President intended to discharge this function,” Roque said.
Meanwhile, an Alvarez lieutenant, Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, said the former speaker’s rift with the President’s daughter, Davao Mayor Sara Duterte, had led to his ouster.
The lawmaker said they did not see the ouster coming.
“Nobody saw it coming, it happened too fast. To my understanding there were calls made Sunday night, that’s about it,” he said.