Cover image via Interaksyon
News that former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was appointed as the newest Deputy Speaker of the [House of Representatives] (http://www.congress.gov.ph), informally known as the Congress, caused a loud splash in the sea of social media
"**I'm a deputy speaker. Yes, yes**," Mrs. Arroyo, now a Pampanga congresswoman, said in an ambush interview after donating dialysis equipment at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, according to the [Philippine Daily Inquirer] (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/804840/arroyo-now-a-deputy-speaker).
Image via Gloria-Arroyo.com
It was Bulacan Representative Hon. Linabelle Villarica who nominated Arroyo on the post
Villarica is a second-term legislator who chairs the [House Committee on Women and Gender Equality] (http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/instance/2_223.htm). "Today's Filipina deserve so much more," asserts the Vice President for the Association of Women Legislators Foundation who believes, "women's fair share includes a sustainable future for our children," added Villarica, according to her [website] (http://lvillarica.com).
"We had our lunch together and then our president Linabelle Villarica, she told our fellow members, '**We would like to nominate our former President to be our representative as Deputy Speaker**' so I was very glad and clapped, okay, approve, approve. That's how it goes," said Arroyo, according to [Tankler] (http://tankler.com/arroyo-now-a-deputy-speaker-in-the-house-of-representatives-7128).
The Deputy Speaker post is the second highest-ranking officials of the Congress. During the absence of the House Speaker, one of the House Deputy Speakers will preside over the House of Representatives
As stated in the Rules of the Senate under "[Rule V: The Secretary, his Duties and Powers] (http://www.senate.gov.ph/about/rules.asp#RULE_V)", here are the duties and powers of the Deputy Speakers:
— to assume the duties and powers of the Speaker when so chosen by a majority vote or by lot among themselves in cases of absence or temporary incapacity of the Speaker; and, in case of resignation, removal, permanent incapacity or death of the Speaker, until such time that a new Speaker is elected and qualified;
— to preside over the session when, even if present, the Speaker does not preside, or has not designated any other Member as temporary presiding officer
— to monitor, coordinate and facilitate action on measures filed, requests, and other concerns of Members representing constituencies to which they may be assigned by the Speaker;
— to recommend to the Speaker appropriate policies, strategies and programs of action to improve the process of legislation and the quality of legislative measures, and to effectively address concerns of Members on matters affecting them, their constituencies, and the overall operations and integrity of the House;
— to appoint personnel of the House when so authorized by the Speaker; and
— to perform such other duties and functions as may be assigned or delegated to them by the Speaker.
Image via Forbes
However qualified the former president is, people on social media took their time to post their heated reactions about the breaking news:
Even "[Smaller and Smaller Circles] (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1431558.Smaller_and_Smaller_Circles)" novelist F. H. Batacan, Carlos Palanca Grand Prize for the English Novel in 1999, tweeted about the news:
How about you, what do YOU think?
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