Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez shakes hands with Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during the oath-taking of Pampanga Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales as Senior Deputy Speaker at the plenary hall of the House of Representatives on May 22, 2023. House of Representatives/Handout
MANILA — Given the recent show of unity in the House of Representatives, a lawmaker on Tuesday urged the public to refrain from reading much into the recent moves at the lower chamber.
Surigao del Sur 2nd District Rep. Johnny Pimentel said the demotion of former President and Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was the prerogative of Speaker Martin Romualdez.
"It was just a political exercise in Congress and I don't think that we should exaggerate this anymore," he told ANC's "Headstart".
"I believe the tensions have already been defused with what we have seen yesterday when Senior Deputy Speaker Congressman Dong Gonzales took his oath in the presence of former President Gloria Arroyo.
"We went about the session in a normal, business as usual day. It was a routinary day, there were no tensions, there were no commotions," he added.
Pimentel also insisted it was within the Speaker's power to reorganize the lower House and thwart any move to destabilize the chamber.
"I believe the hype on these rumors, these coup d'état rumors is already over," he said.
Romualdez and Arroyo appeared together at the oath-taking of the new Senior Deputy Speaker on Monday.
This was the first time they were seen together since Arroyo's demotion last week and after allegedly plotting to overthrow Romualdez, which she denied.
Arroyo was replaced by another lawmaker from her province, Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr.
Romualdez has asserted that the lower House is still in order.
Both Pimentel and Gonzales belong to PDP-Laban.
Congress, House of Representatives, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Martin Romualdez, Aurelio Gonzales Jr, Dong Gonzales, Johnny Pimentel, Speaker, Senior Deputy Speaker, demotion, coup d etat, coup plot