Alvarez says life goes on after ‘betrayal’

MANILA, Philippines — Life goes on. 

Two years after leading the super majority coalition in the House of Representatives, former speaker Pantaleon Alvarez admitted yesterday he felt betrayed when he was ousted on the day of President Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address last week. 

“I am now OK… Like I said before, the pain lasted for only 24 hours. After that, wala na. But of course, being a human being…,” Alvarez told reporters on the sidelines of the PDP-Laban leadership meeting at the Seda Hotel in Quezon City. 

Alvarez, a close friend of the President who earned the ire of his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio for calling her an opposition member, was replaced by Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in chaotic proceedings. 

Alvarez, along with PDP-Laban stalwarts Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas and several others, held a meeting after reported attempts by a disgruntled faction in the party to overthrow them. 

The group of PDP-Laban national council chair Rogelio Garcia, accompanied by officials of the party’s regional councils, elected a new set of officials last week and is reportedly eyeing an alliance with the regional Hugpong ng Pagbabago political party of Carpio, which is Mindanao-based. 

Garcia proclaimed himself president in place of Pimentel but retained President Duterte as PDP-Laban party chairman in the national assembly, and designated Special Assistant to the President Bong Go as their auditor.

Alvarez was also replaced by the Garcia faction as secretary-general.

House reorganization 

This developed as the new House leadership continues with its minor realignments following the removal of Alvarez and Fariñas as House majority leader.

Newly installed House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr., who replaced Fariñas, announced Wednesday night the designation of Leyte Rep. Vicente Veloso as chairman of the House committee on constitutional amendments vice Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado, who is allied with Alvarez. 

Cebu Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa has also taken over the chairmanship of the House committee on environment from Rep. Arnel Ty of LPGMA party-list, while Leyte Rep. Yedda Romualdez was designated chair of the House committee on accounts, replacing Batangas Rep. Elenita Ermita-Buhain, now its vice chair. 

Two more House committees – justice and good government – will also undergo changes on the basis that their chairmen, Reps. Rey Umali of Oriental Mindoro and Johnny Pimentel of Surigao del Sur, are identified with the Alvarez-Fariñas group in the House minority. 

But Pimentel issued a disclaimer yesterday, claiming he still “belongs to the majority coalition in the House” as Andaya granted his “request to join the majority coalition the same day it was made.” 

Dante Roberto Maling is also the acting House secretary-general now, vice Cesar Strait Pareja. Retired general Romeo Prestoza replaced retired Lt. Gen. Roland Detabali as the House sergeant-at-arms.