I strongly object the rise into power of former Philippine President and now Pampanga 2nd District Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as the 21st Speaker of the House of Representatives last July 23.
The planned ouster of then House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has been reported two days before the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of the President.
When the House of Representatives opened its 3rd Regular Session on Monday, the session has been adjourned earlier than expected - a move made to preempt the proposed coup d' etat of Alvarez. It also halted the ratification of the Congress of the Bangsamoro Organic Law in time for President Rodrigo Duterte's signing before his State of the Nation Address late afternoon.
The congressmen resumed the session of the House but the mace was not found in the session hall and the microphone turned off when they elected Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, making the oath taking ceremony 'ceremonial' according to some lawmakers.
After the President's SONA, lawmakers stayed to hold a session therefore formally catapulting into the Speakership the former President by 184 votes over 12 abstentions. The second mace archived at the House library was used to officially declare Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as the first woman Speaker of the House of Representatives. It was also reported that the presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio was the culprit of the Alvarez ouster making way to the Arroyo speakership.
In my own personal view, creating an "unusual scene" in the chambers of the Congress before the start of the State of the Nation Address of the President is a "shameful act" that only shows that public servants themselves are not united behind their leader (which is the President). Though it is not as rude as what other countries do such as throwing chairs during sessions and the like, it doesn't reflect the true image that the President wants to portray as the father of our nation. Also, electing a politician as a leader of Congress with a record of corrupt practices in the past builds up a negative image in the four corners of the legislators' session hall. It creates another impression of another Arroyo presidency since that the House Speaker is in the 4th place under the succession to the President, after the Vice President and the Senate President. But on the other hand, it highlights the pivotal role of women in politics being the first woman to make it as the House Speaker, just like the achievements made by Corazon C. Aquino for being elected as the first woman President and Maria Lourdes P. A. Sereno when she was appointed as the first female Supreme Court Chief Justice of the Philippines.
The scene changed the political arena setup in the country. It somehow mirrors that our democracy is still there and alive, as incompetent leaders can be easily replaced by the rule of the majority which I advocate as a Filipino citizen. But with the rise of GMA as the new Speaker, our watchful eyes must be there to guard each and every step to prevent her ultimate rise into power once more as President of the Philippines for the third time around.
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