Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez of Davao del Norte on Thursday confirmed that there are efforts to unseat him, but refused to name names.
The Speaker made the disclosure in a radio interview a day after the House of Representatives adjourned sine die after passing the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) which abolishes the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and replaces it with a Bangsamoro Region that will enjoy fiscal autonomy and be governed by the Bangsamoro Parliament elected by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region’s inhabitants.
“May mga nanggugulo ano, at alam ko naman kung sino ang mga nanggugulo [There are those who are trying to rock the boat, and I know who they are],” Alvarez said when asked if there were serious efforts to remove him as the Speaker of the House, the country’s fourth highest post.
There have been persistent talks that Alvarez could be replaced by Rep. Lord Allan Velasco of Marinduque, son of Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr. of the Supreme Court.
Velasco is a known ally of President Duterte.
Last year, the congressman celebrated his birthday in Malacañang.
Alvarez made it known that he was not a fan of Velasco.
“I don’t want to talk to Congressman Velasco. Baka bolahin lang ako ‘ nun [He could just resort to making a fool of me],” he said.
Alvarez then warned that those who seek to unseat him should be ready for his job.
“I would say…. maybe they should look at the mirror, compare themselves to the one they seek to replace and ponder, ‘Can they do the job?’” he said.
“The government will be in a pitiful state if anybody can just swoop into the position without giving much thought to the responsibilities that come with it,” Alvarez added.
It has been reported that there are House members lobbying for former President-turned-Pampanga lawmaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to be the Speaker, but she has turned them down.
Arroyo is a member of the PDP-Laban, the political party headed by the President and where Alvarez serves as the secretary general.
She used to be one of the 12 deputy speakers of the House, but she was kicked out by Alvarez last year when she voted no on the bill imposing death penalty on drug-related offenses.
The Speaker made the disclosure in a radio interview a day after the House of Representatives adjourned sine die after passing the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) which abolishes the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and replaces it with a Bangsamoro Region that will enjoy fiscal autonomy and be governed by the Bangsamoro Parliament elected by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region’s inhabitants.
“May mga nanggugulo ano, at alam ko naman kung sino ang mga nanggugulo [There are those who are trying to rock the boat, and I know who they are],” Alvarez said when asked if there were serious efforts to remove him as the Speaker of the House, the country’s fourth highest post.
There have been persistent talks that Alvarez could be replaced by Rep. Lord Allan Velasco of Marinduque, son of Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr. of the Supreme Court.
Velasco is a known ally of President Duterte.
Last year, the congressman celebrated his birthday in Malacañang.
Alvarez made it known that he was not a fan of Velasco.
“I don’t want to talk to Congressman Velasco. Baka bolahin lang ako ‘ nun [He could just resort to making a fool of me],” he said.
Alvarez then warned that those who seek to unseat him should be ready for his job.
“I would say…. maybe they should look at the mirror, compare themselves to the one they seek to replace and ponder, ‘Can they do the job?’” he said.
“The government will be in a pitiful state if anybody can just swoop into the position without giving much thought to the responsibilities that come with it,” Alvarez added.
It has been reported that there are House members lobbying for former President-turned-Pampanga lawmaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to be the Speaker, but she has turned them down.
Arroyo is a member of the PDP-Laban, the political party headed by the President and where Alvarez serves as the secretary general.
She used to be one of the 12 deputy speakers of the House, but she was kicked out by Alvarez last year when she voted no on the bill imposing death penalty on drug-related offenses.
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