Arroyo confirms 'thank you' lunch with Sara Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Monday hosted a "social lunch" with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and hundreds of lawmakers, a week after the former president successfully ousted Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez (Davao Del Norte).

The dramatic removal of Alvarez, which played out on national television and in front of dignitaries in attendance at the House for President Rodrigo Duterte's annual address, was rumored to have been supported by the president's daughter.

In the hours leading to the ouster of the former speaker, it was reported that the plan had the backing of Carpio, who allegedly burned the phone lines to drum up support for Arroyo.

However, Carpio has remained mum about her participation in one of the most dramatic political showdown in recent years and simply congratulated Arroyo on her success in ousting one of the most powerful men in government and one of the president's closest allies.

A week later, Arroyo was holding a lunch meeting with Carpio, Ilocos Gov. Imee Marcos and more than 150 representatives at a hotel in Quezon City.

"It was just a thank you lunch," Arroyo told reporters.

"It was a private lunch, a private social lunch," she added.

Arroyo also confirmed that Carpio attended the event, which was described as the former president's means of thanking the lawmakers who supported her as the leader of the House.

Arroyo's ascension to the speaker's office was a turnaround for the former president, who had been implicated and subsequently cleared in high-profile cases like the P728-million Fertilizer Fund and the P16.4-billion NBN/ZTE deal.