House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and his sidekick, Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, are trying so hard to ape President Rodrigo Duterte, it’s painful to watch. I don’t know if anyone’s noticed, as well, that Alvarez and Fariñas are so alike, they’re practically twins. My own belief is that the two House leaders are locked in a competition to out-Duterte Duterte himself. They sure have the swagger down; but I don’t think they truly understand that a) they only look like cheap copies, and b) their role as House leaders is way different—and a lot more constricting—than that of the president. Here’s why:Both House leaders think nothing of bringing their personal political vendettas before the House and escalating local problems into national crises.

Source: The Standard July 10, 2017 16:07 UTC