Yearender: House demotes GMA, expels Teves, detains SMNI hosts

MANILA, Philippines — Banner headlines in the House of Representatives could have been limited to just one or two events as the year 2023 started, but things heated up in the second half with Speaker Martin Romualdez’s perceived tiff with Vice President Sara Duterte.

Observers and lawmakers alike were surprised to hear the news last May about the demotion of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from senior deputy speaker to just one of the deputy speakers, with her political ally Duterte expressing sympathy by bolting from the ruling Lakas-CMD party.

As it turned out, the former president was suspected of allegedly hatching a plot to oust Romualdez – a cousin of President Marcos – at the House helm, but which she categorically denied, although she admitted being initially interested in the post.

This was also around the time when the defiant Negros Oriental congressman Arnie Teves, who asked permission last February to visit the US, made public his plan to stay overseas despite repeated calls for him to return and face charges on the murder of his rival, Gov. Roel Degamo.

Then came Teves’ two successive 60-day suspensions, until his colleagues were forced to expel him in August, owing to his open and continued refusal to abide by the House sanctions and his absence in committee hearings and “display of disorderly behavior,” among other misdemeanors.

And while Duterte – concurrent secretary of the Department of Education – visited the Speaker’s office during the plenary deliberations of the 2024 national budget, persistent attacks by militant lawmakers on her confidential funds didn’t turn out well for her politically.

Her refusal to explain where the P125-million confidential and intelligence funds went also took a rather substantial toll on her very high ratings, which soared when she and fellow UniTeam partner President Marcos were elected in mid-2022, with Duterte getting more votes than Marcos.

The former Davao City mayor was apparently offended when the House leadership suggested that proposed CIFs of OVP and DepEd be diverted to military and law enforcement authorities in charge of protecting the West Philippine Sea, when this was what she told senators at a budget