Sara Duterte on speakership: Still up in the air

MANILA, Philippines — Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said on Friday that the possibility of being the next speaker of the House of Representatives was still “up in the air” after she confirmed that she would either run for representative or city mayor.

During the launch of her regional party "Hugpong ng Pagbabago" in Davao City, Carpio was asked if she would take the leadership of the House from Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, whom she publicly criticized on social media on Thursday.

“Well everything is up in the air right now. We will discuss in the party what is best for Davao region,” Carpio responded as she shot down the possibility that she would run for senator in the 2019 midterm elections.

Carpio assailed Alvarez on social media on Thursday after the speaker reportedly labeled her part of the opposition for forming her regional party.

READ: Sara slams Alvarez for 'opposition' tag: How dare you call me that?

Carpio also did not like the statement of the speaker that the Davao City mayor leader was acting alone in forming HNP and that it was the product of a political dynasty.

The speaker’s remark that HNP’s formation did not have the blessing of her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, also did not sit well with Carpio.

“I understand they have a problem in Davao Del Norte, but I can’t understand why he was attacking me in Davao City. I expressed my sentiments on social media,” she said during the press conference.

The Davao City leader said that there was no reason to patch things up with the speaker, who she said was not even her friend.

“I don’t have a problem with him. I think he is the one who has a problem with me because he was the one who started attacking me. For me, we are not friends, so there is no need to patch things up and restore our friendship,” Carpio said.

Alvarez on Thursday denied saying that Carpio was part of the opposition for forming HNP.

READ: Pantaleon Alvarez denies branding Davao Mayor Sara Duterte as part of opposition 

The usually brusque speaker said in Filipino, “I don’t know where that story came from, but I did not say that she was part of the opposition. How can she be part of the opposition if she is part of the administration?”

Despite the public spat, Alvarez said that he was hopeful that the two of them could sit down and clarify the issues, adding that Carpio might have been given the wrong information.

Alvarez is a representative from Davao Del Norte and was the personal choice of the president to lead his supermajority in the House.