Gloria Arroyo won’t elaborate on exchange of pleasantries with Romualdez after coup reports

Former President and House Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday declined to elaborate on the exchange of pleasantries between her and Speaker Martin Romualdez in the aftermath of reports of an ouster plot against the latter.

Arroyo, who attended the House basic education panel deliberations on her proposed K+10+2 bill which would remove the two-year senior high school years for 2 years of post secondary or pre-university education in preparation for professional degree studies, said her previous statement denying that she is behind the plot to unseat Romualdez is already sufficient. 

“I have given my statement. That’s enough,” Arroyo said when asked if all’s well that ends well between her and her Lakas-CMD party-mate Romualdez.

A day earlier, Romualdez paid respects to Arroyo by pagmamano or placing the former Philippine leader’s hand on his forehead before presiding over the oath-taking of Arroyo’s replacement as senior deputy speaker. 

New Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga from PDP-Laban did the same gesture towards Arroyo ahead of his oath taking for the post previously held by the latter.

Asked on Tuesday about what was discussed during Monday night’s meeting between the PDP-Laban and Lakas-CMD where Arroyo functions as chairman and if such meeting was an exchange of pleasantries, Arroyo repeated her earlier response by saying, “As I said, I have given my statement. That’s enough.”

Over the weekend, Romualdez issued a statement that efforts to destabilize the House should be nipped in the bud. 

Arroyo was replaced as Senior Deputy Speaker last May 17.

Less than a day after, her ally and Vice President Sara Duterte resigned from her post as Lakas-CMD chairperson.

Romualdez is Lakas-CMD’s president, and Vice President Duterte ran for the vice presidency under the Lakas-CMD party. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News