Alvarez still an ally: Roque

MANILA - Despite his squabble with presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez still enjoys the trust of President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang said Tuesday, March 6.

“He (Alvarez) continues to have the full trust and confidence of the President,” Roque told Palace reporters.

Roque gave the assurance to Alvarez, who was the subject of Duterte-Carpio’s series of cryptic posts after the House Speaker purportedly called her as a part of the “opposition.”

The Davao City mayor recently called out Alvarez for “messing with the wong girl” when he allegedly described her as a member of the opposition after she spearheaded the creation of a regional political party separate from the ruling PDP-Laban, the vehicle the propelled her father to the presidency in the May 2016 elections.

The Speaker, however, denied Duterte-Carpio’s claim, and explained that she may have been wrongfully informed about his remarks.

Roque said Alvarez’ possible removal as the top leader at the House of Representatives was a mere “wishful thinking.”

“You know, the Speaker is our most loyal and trusted ally in the House of Representatives. I don’t think there is any viable alternative to Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez,” he said in a television interview. SunStar Philippines