Palace ‘able, ready’ to work with Speaker Arroyo, says Roque

Malacañang said Tuesday it respects the election of its staunch ally, former President and Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Arroyo ascended to the fourth highest position in government on Monday after majority of House members voted to replace Pantaleon Alvarez, the representative of Davao del Norte's first district.

Both Arroyo and Alvarez are members of the ruling PDP-Laban party of President Rodrigo Duterte.

"We are of course able and ready to work with Speaker Arroyo. We have had very good relations with Speaker Arroyo. She was 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," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said at a news conference.

Roque added Duterte has "full respect" to the legislative chamber's choice of its leader, citing the separation of powers between the three branches of government.

"Whatever the decision of the House is the Palace has always been amenable to accepting the choice of leadership," the Palace official said.

Arroyo, in a statement, vowed to pursue Duterte's legislative agenda.

Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address at the Batasang Pambansa on Monday was delayed by more than an hour because of the power play between Alvarez and Arroyo. The President had separate meetings with the two camps to discuss the issue.

It was Alvarez who went up the rostrum and sat beside Duterte. Senate President Vicente Sotto III also sat beside the President. 

After the President's SONA, the House resumed to formalize Arroyo's election as Speaker.  — RSJ, GMA News