MANILA, Philippines – Liberal Party president and Albay 1st District Representative Edcel Lagman challenged House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Wednesday, May 24, to disclose information he had on a supposed ouster plot that led to the demotion of his mentor, former president and Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Romualdez never publicly tagged Arroyo as the mastermind of the rumored coup, but he said on Sunday, May 21, there were “moves to destabilize” the House that he had to “nip in the bud.”

The statement came days after the abrupt removal as senior deputy speaker of Arroyo, who subsequently denied that she was trying to steal the speakership from her longtime political ally.

“It is incumbent for the Speaker, in the interest of the House Members still in the dark, to reveal the inculpatory details of a plot by GMA (Arroyo) for her to deserve such an abrupt, unceremonious, and humiliating demotion from senior deputy speaker to one of the many deputy speakers,” Lagman said in a statement.

“But there can be no conspiracy of one. Who are the other conspirators? Why are they not similarly punished? Maybe they do not have any important positions in the House from which they can be demoted,” he aded.

Romualdez and Arroyo already appeared to have buried the hatchet during a plenary session on Monday, May 22. The two smiled for a photo op after Romualdez exchanged pleasantries with Arroyo and reached for her hand.

But Lagman believes the squabble is not yet over.

“Although it appears that GMA has accepted her fate, politics is not only a show of force, it is also a show of appearances,” Lagman said. “Protagonists kiss and make up in public with daggers behind their backs. Token gestures of amity actually hide enmity.” – Rappler.com