Gloria Arroyo confirms urging ex-President Duterte to be active again in politics

Former President and now Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday confirmed that she encouraged former President Rodrigo Duterte to be active again in politics.

Arroyo released a statement confirming Senator Bong Go’s statement following the “informal meeting” among Arroyo, Duterte, former Senate President Vicente Sotto III, and former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea over the weekend.

“I think Senator Bong Go already disclosed what happened,” Arroyo said in a statement sent by her camp to GMA Integrated News’ Jonathan Andal.

GMA News Online has reached out to Duterte through Medialdea but he has yet to respond as of posting time.

In a statement on Monday, Go—Duterte’s former aide—said that Arroyo was convincing Duterte to participate actively again in politics.

“Sa nasabing pagkikita, kinukumbinsi din ni dating pangulong Arroyo si dating pangulong Duterte na maging aktibo muli sa pulitika,” Go said.

[In the same gathering, former President Arroyo was convincing former President Duterte to be active again in politics.]

Arroyo and Duterte are political allies.

According to Go, Arroyo invited Duterte to an “informal” meeting through one of her staff members. The invitation coincided with Duterte’s visit in Manila.

“Inanyayahan ni dating pangulong Gloria Arroyo, sa pamamagitan ng kanilang mga staff, sa isang impormal na pagkikita si dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na nasa Maynila noong panahong iyon.  Nagkataong magkasama kami ni Tatay Digong noon matapos ko siyang samahan sa kanyang medical checkup sa hospital, gaya ng dati kong ginagawa sa kanya,” said Go.

[Former President Arroyo, through one of her staff, invited former President Rodrigo Duterte when he was here in Manila. It coincided with me being with Tatay Digong after I accompanied him for a medical checkup, the way I used to do.]

"Isang simpleng kamustahan at masayang pagkikita ang nangyari kasama ang mga pinunong naglingkod sa bayan sa iba’t ibang posisyon o kapasidad noong mga nakaraang administrasyon. Nagbalik-tanaw sila sa mga panahong nagkasama sila sa gobyerno,” hee added.

[It was a simple gathering of past leaders during the last administration. They reminisced moments when they were together in government.] —VAL, GMA Integrated News