Sara Duterte on Alvarez regaining speakership: 'Huwag na siguro'

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Thursday frowned at the possibility of Davao del Norte Representative Pantaleon Alvarez regaining leadership of the House of Representatives in the next Congress.

"'Yung nasubukan na tapos hindi naman naging successful, siguro... wag na siguro," Sara told reporters in a campaign stop in Pateros.

Sara, daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, said this a day after the ruling PDP-Laban party announced that Alvarez leads its possible candidates for speakership in the next Congress.

Alvarez, who is seeking re-election, was removed as speaker during President Duterte's third State of the Nation Address in July last year and was replaced by former President and Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Five months before his ouster, Alvarez locked horns with Sara, who accused him of bragging to local officials that he can impeach President Duterte in his capacity as speaker of the House.

President Duterte said in October last year that Sara had a hand in Alvarez's ouster.

Meanwhile, during Thursday's interview, Sara, who leads the regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago, said PDP-Laban needs to trim down its list of candidates for Congress in the May elections.

This, despite describing herself as just a "bystander" when it comes to congressional candidates.

"Sa Congress naman, bystander lang ako. Pero nakita ko yung listahan ng PDP, siguro dapat iklian nila. Masyadong mahaba yung sinasabi nila na short list. Long list 'yung kanila," Sara said. —KBK, GMA News