MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said he cannot support House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez's dissolution of marriage bill, which is currently pending in Congress.
In his speech in Camp Aguinaldo, Duterte told Alvarez that his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, is not happy with his proposed law.
“House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, the exponent or the proponent of the divorce law,” Duterte said as he acknowledged the House Speaker at the start of his speech.
“I am sorry but I cannot follow your… My daughter is not happy with that. Really. Mag-usap na lang kayo ni Sara,” Duterte teased.
The two recently had a feud after Alvarez allegedly called Sara a part of the opposition when she formed a separate regional political party.
The President's daughter had dropped expletives against the House Speaker in social media posts, telling Alvarez he "messed with the wrong girl."
Alvarez refused to comment on the Davao City mayor's tirades except to say he "surrenders."
The two, however, were seen shaking hands before Duterte at a dinner for administration allies in Pasay City earlier this month.
Malacañang earlier confirmed that Duterte is against a divorce law in the Philippines, citing its effect on children.
“Ang Presidente po ay tutol sa divorce. Ang sabi niya, kawawa ang mga anak at kung magkakaroon ng divorce mawawalan ng karapatang magsampa ng kaso ang mga asawa na pinabayaan ng asawa nila matapos ang divorce,” Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a news conference in Camarines Sur last March.
Rodrigo Duterte, Pantaleon Alvarez, Sara Duterte, divorce bill, marriage, religion, Catholic church