I will move on, retire in 2019: Arroyo

House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo reiterated Thursday, Aug. 30, that she will retire in 2019, implying that she was not interested in becoming Prime Minister under a federal form of government.

“Yes, (I will retire next year) because we all have to move on,” Arroyo said in a chance interview following the blessing of the Romana Pangan District Hospital in Floridablanca, Pampanga on Thursday, Aug. 30.

Arroyo, 71, said she was confident that the younger congressmen can take over the government’s legislative branch.

“One of the blessings of being a Speaker now at this time is that I’ve come to work with the younger congressmen and seeing how they work, seeing how good they are I’m very confident that the new generation will be very good in taking over the reins of government,” Arroyo said.

Speculations have been rife that Arroyo ascended to the House Speakership so that she could be the Prime Minister when the present government shifts to federal.

Arroyo repeatedly denied this allegation and said the prime minister position was not even provided for in the draft federal government proposed by the Consultative Committee to Congress.

Arroyo also said she will not run for any position in the 2019 elections.