MANILA, Philippines — Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has issued a curt response confirming her sudden removal from the second-highest position at the House of Representatives, a reaction that a political science expert said could hint at shifting power dynamics among government allies.
In just one sentence sent to media late Wednesday night, Macapagal-Arroyo said her replacement as senior deputy speaker by a fellow Pampanga lawmaker was “the prerogative of the House."
Following the announcement that the House had elected Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. (Pampanga, 3rd District) to replace Arroyo, House Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe (Zamboanga City) said that the move was meant to “unburden” the former president from “the heavy load required from the position.”
A deputy speaker is the second-highest-ranking position in the lower chamber, right below the House speaker. Nine lawmakers, including Gonzales and Arroyo, carry the title.
Deputy speakers enjoy certain privileges that set them apart from other lawmakers, such as voting powers in all House committees and additional funding for their respective offices.
Gonzales and Arroyo are not from the same party, with the former being from PDP-Laban, which is associated with former President Rodrigo Duterte, and the latter being from Lakas-CMD, the ruling House coalition.
Shift in power?
Political science analyst Cleve Arguelles said that based on Macapagal-Arroyo’s short statement, it “seems that she isn’t happy with it.”
Arguelles explained that based on historical trends of power shifts in the lower chamber, Macapagal-Arroyo’s removal from the post “may have something to do with a change of balance of power in the Marcos-Duterte-Arroyo coalition.”
“We know that the House is historically the president’s House—changes in Batasan are planned in Malacañang,” Arguelles said.
“But we still need more information to assess its roots and implications,” Arguelles said.
While Macapagal-Arroyo is “temporarily out again,” her political influence and track record as the longest-serving president since the current president's late father could mean it would only be a matter of time before she stages a political comeback, Arguelles said.
“I doubt if GMA has already (run) out of political surprises,” he added.
Support for Marcos, Duterte
Joining the chorus of the government's heated replies to the International Criminal Court, Macapagal-Arroyo in February led her House allies to declare their "unequivocal defense" of former President Duterte, whose administration is under investigation for alleged crimes against humanity in the bloody "war on drugs."
Macapagal-Arroyo also endorsed the electoral tandem of Marcos and Sara Duterte in the lead-up to the 2022 polls.
The former president in late April said that she consulted with Marcos and Duterte prior to filing a measure that would replace the K to 12 curriculum with "K+10+2" under the Department of Education, which Duterte leads as education secretary.
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