Martin Romualdez, Dong Gonzales pay respects to Gloria Arroyo

Speaker Martin Romualdez bowed and placed Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's hand on his forehead in an act of respect at the House plenary before presiding over the oath-taking of Arroyo's replacement as senior deputy speaker.

The new top deputy, Pampanga Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales, also did the "pagmamano" on his province mate and drew applause from the House members on the floor.

Arroyo then joined Romualdez and Gonzales at the House rostrum as the Speaker administered the oath. 

The exchange of gestures of courtesy happened days after the House voted to replace Arroyo as senior deputy speaker with Gonzales. Arroyo remained as deputy speaker.

Romualdez and Arroyo are party mates in the Lakas-CMD. The Speaker is its president while the former President is its chairman-emeritus.

Gonzales is a stalwart of the former ruling party PDP-Laban.

After the oath-taking, members of Lakas-CMD and PDP-Laban had a meeting at the House of Representatives. —NB, GMA Integrated News