Pantaleon Alvarez remains mum on feud with Sara Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has remained tightlipped on his recent word war with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

Asked by reporters in Tagum City on Friday about his feud with the presidential daughter, Alvarez said, “Ayaw kong mag-comment diyan (I don’t want to comment.”

The newshounds wanted to know if the President has intervened. Alvarez answered, “Hindi ako magsasalita (I won’t talk).”

On Thursday night, Duterte was guest of honor at a gathering of friends and supporters from government and the private sector in Pasay City.

The Speaker and Mayor Duterte attended the dinner and they briefly shook hands.

Another Alvarez foe, Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr., was also there, but the two reportedly did not encounter each other.

Alvarez represents the province’s first district. Floirendo is the second district’s representative.

Two months ago, a feud between the Speaker and Mayor Duterte was ignited by statements the latter attributed to Alvarez on her formation of a regional political alliance she named Hugpong sa Pagbabago.

She said Alvarez claimed that Hugpong was part of the opposition and that it was a product of political dynasties.

Alvarez said Hugpong did not have the blessing of the President, who is titular head of the administration party PDP-Laban.

She said her source was a mayor to whom Alvarez had apparently discussed his misgiving about the formation of the mayor’s alliance for change.

“Those things ignited me…after I talked to the mayor he talked to. I understand they have a problem in Davao del Norte but I couldn’t understand why he is attacking me in Davao City,” she told her alliance.

She vowed to campaign against the Speaker in his district in the 2019 elections if he ever mentions her name again.

Alvarez denied saying the things Mayor Duterte attributed to him. 

“I really never said that. I don’t know where that story came from…she was fed the wrong information,” he said.

“How could the presidential daughter be part of the opposition when she is with the administration?” he asked.

The President’s daughter has not taken down the comments she posted on Facebook about Alvarez.