Last week’s power shift at the House of Representatives initially came as a shock to many, given the elements of stealth and drama that came with it.
Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was installed as the new Speaker, even as it was Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez who welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte to the Batasan.
Eventually, while it was Alvarez who sat behind the President during the State of the Nation Address, the leadership did pass on to Mrs. Arroyo who clearly had command of the numbers among her colleagues.
Her assumption of the speakership coincides with Mr. Duterte’s articulation of his legislative priorities.
Now we see various personalities in the Duterte administration who used to be vociferous critics of Mrs. Arroyo but who will now find themselves working with her. We wonder: What might be going on in their minds, and do they think they would encounter difficulty given that in the past they expressed such distaste for the Speaker?
This might be true if their reasons for criticizing Mrs. Arroyo were borne out of genuine conviction. If these were out of mere convenience, then we figure they would not have any problem doing business as usual.
It’s by no means limited to the new leadership at the House. Time and again we have seen hordes of politicians changing alliances when it is expeditious for their interests to do so.
It has become so common that we should not be surprised anymore. Expecting our leaders to stay true to declared affiliations may just be too much. For now, we have to get used to these tendencies, accept this reality, and keep in mind who remains true to the interests of their constituents despite constantly shifting sands.
