BULACAN, Philippines – Presidential spokesperson and former House minority member Harry Roque on Monday, March 12, dismissed speculation that key Duterte ally House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez would be booted from his post.

Speaking at the ruling PDP-Laban’s oath taking in vote-rich Malolos, Bulacan, Roque had a short message to those who’ve been spreading rumors that Alvarez would be replaced: “Maglaway sila (Let them dream).”

What’s going on? Alvarez represents the first district of Davao del Norte in the House and is the secretary-general of the ruling PDP-Laban.

In late February 2018, he got into a very public spat with presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s eldest daughter, who had just formed a new regional party, lambasted Alvarez in a series of public posts on Facebook, accusing the House Speaker of telling local chief executives that she was part of the opposition.

The public feud ended quickly after Alvarez apparently conceded and stopped making public statements after he denied ever calling the younger Duterte part of the opposition.

Roque had earlier said that despite the presidential daughter’s sentiments, Alvarez remains an ally of Malacañang.

What are the rumors? Talk is rife that Alvarez will be ousted from his post and replaced by another key Duterte ally, former president and Pampanga 2nd District Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

This wouldn’t be the first time for the rumor to go around.

Arroyo had denied in the past that she wants to head the lower chamber, which is dominated by a PDP-Laban led supermajority. Arroyo herself is a member of the ruling party.

Curiously, Alvarez once served as Arroyo’s transportation secretary. Roque, who once represented the party Kabayan in the House, was once part of the minority because he was tapped to be Duterte’s mouthpiece. – Rappler.com