Alvarez offers to reconcile with Sara

 MANILA, Philippines — Reelected Davao del Norte first district Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez yesterday offered to reconcile with his political enemies, including Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, with whom he had a bitter feud before he was ousted as House speaker in July last year.

He made the initiative five days after his PDP-Laban ticket made a clean sweep of the elections in his province, beating candidates fielded by the mayor’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago, including three belonging to the Floirendo-del Rosario political clan.

“Now that elections are over, I offer my hand in peace to heal our deep and divisive wounds,” Alvarez said in a statement, without referring specifically to President Duterte’s daughter or his former friend, outgoing Davao del Norte second district Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr., with whom he had an equally acrimonious quarrel before his feud with Mayor Sara.

“Borrowing the words of a statesman from an era long past: ‘A house divided against itself cannot stand... though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. We are not enemies, but friends. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature,’” he said.

Alvarez called for “unity and progress in our Davao region and our beloved country.”

“Let us consolidate our efforts in making true change and uplift the lives of our countrymen,” he said.

He thanked the President and Mayor Sara, who founded Hugpong months before Monday’s balloting, “for their leadership, both at the national and local level, in making sure that the 2019 elections in Davao del Norte were peaceful, orderly and fair.”

Alvarez defeated outgoing Gov. Anthony del Rosario, while Vice Gov. Alan Dujali beat Floirendo. Alvarez’s chief of staff, Edwin Jubahib, prevailed over long-time governor-congressman and Marcos-era minister of environment and natural resources Rodolfo del Rosario Jr.

The Del Rosarios and Floirendo were candidates of Hugpong, while Alvarez, Hubahib and Dujali ran under PDP-Laban, of which the former speaker is secretary general.

Alvarez’s allies trounced Hugpong bets in other areas of Davao, except Davao City, where Mayor Sara won reelection and her bothers Sebastian and Paulo were elected as vice mayor and first-district congressman, respectively.

While speaker, Alvarez deprived his former friend Floirendo his House posts, including his membership in the powerful Commission on Appointments. Floirendo was also removed as PDP-Laban member. He later joined Hugpong.

He reclaimed his posts when the House ousted his Davao del Norte colleague and replaced him with former president and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

In several speeches, the President has repeatedly acknowledged that it was his daughter who “maneuvered” the ouster of his Davao del Norte ally as speaker of the House of Representatives.  –  With Edith Regalado