Arroyo debunks ouster talks, asserts trust in Dy leadership

Amid allegations of a supposed coup to replace House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy, Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo publicly denied reports of her alleged involvement in the rumor through a social media post this Friday.

“I categorically deny the allegations concerning the supposed ouster of Speaker Bojie Dy that surfaced yesterday. I reaffirm my confidence in his leadership of the House of Representatives,” she said in a statement.

“Our mutual support, which began many years ago with his late father, remains unbroken,” she added.

Though the source of the information was not fully disclosed, a news agency detailed on Thursday that there have been talks between Arroyo and Vice President Sara Duterte for the former’s speaker bid.

The purpose of the ouster was described to serve the interest of influencing voting on the impeachment complaints undertaken in the House plenary once the Committee on Justice finishes their hearings.

It would not mark the first time that both the former president and current vice president were linked in such an event.

In 2018, Arroyo became the first woman to lead the House after she was voted by a majority of lawmakers to replace then speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on the same day of President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address.

Rumors at the time claimed that Sara Duterte, who was still serving as the Mayor of Davao, backed the push following a verbal altercation between her and Alvarez earlier in the year.

Dy has yet to comment on the allegations.