Alvarez takes Speaker’s seat at rostrum during SONA

It was Alvarez, along with Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who called to order the joint session of Congress. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez took the seat of the Speaker at the rostrum when Congress convened in a joint session for President Rodrigo Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.

It was Alvarez, along with Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who called to order the joint session of Congress.

President Rodrigo Duterte also acknowledged Alvarez as the Speaker at the start of his SONA speech.

Earlier, former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took her oath as the new Speaker.

Deputy Speaker Miro Quimbo said the installation of Arroyo as Speaker was maceless and no roll call was held, so its validity could be questioned.

“It’s unprecedented. I don’t recall it ever happening in the last 25 years or since the Congress was established that we’ve had a change in leadership or a session held not without any prior notice,” Quimbo said.

The ouster move against Alvarez came after a manifesto of support to endorse Arroyo’s speakership bid circulated Monday morning.

Duterte’s allies said the ouster move against Alvarez has the support of the President’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, who earlier had a spat with Alvarez.

The Alvarez and Duterte-Carpio conflict started last February when he labeled the Davao City mayor as being part of the opposition when she formed the regional political party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago.