Duterte hands off on complaints vs Alvarez by other PDP-Laban members

March 1, 2018

President Rodrigo Duterte is leaving it up to the leadership of the ruling PDP-Laban to resolve the complaints against House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez in mass recruitment of party members.

In a press briefing on Thursday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said while Duterte is PDP-Laban's chair, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and Alvarez, as well as Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, are handling the party's day-to-day management.

"So the question is: Does the President know about these gripes? Well the President defers to the leadership, I’m sure this will be threshed out in due course. But the President has full trust and confidence in Senate President Pimentel, Speaker Alvarez and Secretary Cusi," he said.

Some PDP-Laban members reportedly have been complaining on how Alvarez has been accepting and kicking out the party's members.

As to some newly-accepted members, they reportedly did not undergo the mandatory basic seminar.

Recently, Alvarez earned the ire of presidential daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, who formed her own regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago.

The younger Duterte reportedly called Alvarez an "asshole" and even urged other members of the House to oust the Speaker, who was quoted as saying the mayor was an "opposition" after the creation of her own party. Celerina Monte/DMS