No House coup, GMA insists

Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Friday firmly denied any involvement in a supposed coup against Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy, calling the allegations baseless.

“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,” Arroyo said in a statement.

Arroyo stressed that her support for Dy remained steadfast, noting that their alliance dated back to her longstanding ties with his late father.

Though the source of the information was not fully disclosed, it was reported on Thursday that there have been talks between Arroyo and Vice President Sara Duterte regarding the former’s bid for the speakership.

The purported ouster was supposedly to influence the voting on the impeachment complaints against Duterte in the House plenary once the Committee on Justice finished its hearings.

Not strangers to upheavals

It would not mark the first time that both the former president and current Vice President were linked together.

In 2018, Arroyo became the first woman to head the House after a majority of lawmakers voted for her to replace then Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on the same day of President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address.

At the time, the rumors were that Sara Duterte, who was then mayor of Davao City, backed Arroyo following a verbal altercation between her and Alvarez earlier in the year.

Dy has yet to comment on the allegations.

Committee on Justice member and Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, on the other hand, said the rumors of a supposed change in leadership alluded to lawmakers’ participation in the impeachment complaints against the Vice President.

Along with the supposed coup, Ridon noted that discussions on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s health were also being used as a distraction.

“When there is talk of a coup, when there are talks on the health of the President, it merely distracts the House members,” he said.

“There might be a sudden change in leadership so that they won’t participate in the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Duterte,” he said.