Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Monday said the power struggle at the House of Representatives was yet another reflection of the chaos and incompetence of the Duterte administration.

“The debacle at the House of Representatives (HoR) that took place during President Rodrigo Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address (Sona) is yet another reflection of the chaos and incompetence plaguing the Duterte government,” she said in a statement.

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Minutes before the Sona started, a majority of the members of the lower chamber elected former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the new Speaker, replacing Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez.

“It reveals the extent of the President’s weakness, that minutes before his Sona, in front of the nation and the international community, congressional representatives decided to bicker and squabble for power,” Hontiveros said.

After a delay of more than an hourthe Congress finally convened its joint session with Alvarez sitting as the Speaker.

Arroyo reportedly skipped the Sona.

“They chose to disrespect their own President and attend to their own ambitions in full view of the nation. For almost an hour, it seemed that nobody was in control,” Hontiveros said.

“This is the true state of the nation,” she added. “It is petty infighting, backstabbing, and brinkmanship, all done at the people’s expense. This is nothing short of an embarrassment. It is a clear failure in leadership.” /atm

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