Pantaleon Alvarez
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Pantaleon Diaz Alvarez (born January 10, 1958) is a Filipino lawyer and politician serving as the Representative of
Davao del Norte Davao del Norte (; ), officially the Province of Davao del Norte (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital and largest city is Tagum. The province also includes Sam ...
's 1st district since 2016, previously holding the position from 1998 to 2001. He served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2016 to 2018. He also served as the Secretary of Transportation and Communications in the Cabinet of President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...
from 2001 to 2002. He is a stern advocate to shift the current centralized set-up of the Philippines into a federal form, pushing for the establishment of an indigenous state in Luzon and an indigenous state in Mindanao. Initially in favor of an independent Mindanao, Alvarez changed stance when
Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the first Philippine president from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assum ...
talked about a federal Philippines with him. In 2017, Alvarez proposed a new set-up to spearheaded federalism in the Philippines.


Early life and education

Alvarez was born on January 10, 1958 to Eliseo Alvarez and Nicolasa Diaz. In 1978, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts (AB) degree from
Far Eastern University Far Eastern University (), also referred to by its acronym FEU, is a Private university, private research non-sectarian university in Manila, Philippines. Created by the merger of Far Eastern College and the Institute of Accounts, Business and ...
. He then studied law and graduated from the Ateneo de Manila Law School in 1983.


Political career

Alvarez was in private law practice from 1984 to 1986. From 1987 to 1992, he was a member of the staff of Philippine Senator Wigberto Tañada. He then became an action officer at the
Manila International Airport Authority The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA; ) is a government-owned and controlled corporation and an agency under the Department of Transportation of the Philippines. It serves as the regulatory body for Ninoy Aquino International Airp ...
(MIAA). From action officer, he rose through the ranks, becoming senior assistant manager and chief operating officer of MIAA in March 1995, a position he held until September 1997. In
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
, he was elected congressman from Davao del Norte's 1st District. He served as vice-chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Communication and was a member of nine other congressional committees. In January 2001, President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...
appointed him acting Secretary of Transportation and Communications, where he served until July 2002. Among Alvarez's achievements were the adoption of the light railway expansion program, improvement of the Philippine National Railway, and computerization of the department and attached agencies. He also spearheaded the slogan "OKS na OKS sa DOTC" which means "Organisado, Kalinisan at Seguridad" (). In
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
, he was once again elected congressman from Davao del Norte's 1st District. On the opening of the 17th Congress on July 25, he was elected as the 24th Speaker of the House of Representatives with 251 votes. On July 23, 2018, he was ousted as Speaker and was replaced by Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Alvarez was re-elected as congressman in
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
and in
2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
. On November 15, 2020, he tendered his "irrevocable resignation" from
PDP–Laban The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP, ) is a populist political party in the Philippines founded in 1982. It was previously known as Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP–Laban) from 1983 to 2024 as a result of a merger with L ...
and joined the Reporma Party. During the 2022 presidential election, Alvarez endorsed presidential candidate Vice President
Leni Robredo Maria Leonor "Leni" Gerona Robredo (; Gerona; born April 23, 1965) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 14th vice president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. She is the mayor-elect of Naga, Camarines Sur, having won the ...
, abandoning the camp of Senator Panfilo Lacson, who also ran for president. Robredo welcomed the alliance with Partido Reporma, headed by Alvarez. Alvarez ran for vice governor of
Davao del Norte Davao del Norte (; ), officially the Province of Davao del Norte (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital and largest city is Tagum. The province also includes Sam ...
in 2025 under Partido Reporma but lost to Clarice Jubahib and placed third.


Issues


Alleged Graft in PIATCO-Fraport NAIA 3 deal

In 2005, Alvarez along with four other former Department of Transportation and Communications officials were charged with graft before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the construction of
Ninoy Aquino International Airport Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA ; ; ), also known as Manila International Airport (MIA), is the main international airport serving Metro Manila in the Philippines. Located between the cities of Pasay and Parañaque, about south of ...
(NAIA) Terminal 3. In 2010, the charges were dismissed by the Sandiganbayan Special Second Division due to lack of evidence. Pantaleon Alvarez allegedly used information gained by his position to preempt the bidding process by creating a company called Wintrack which the board awarded a major sub-contract for the project's site development and excavation work. Alvarez and other member of the Piatco and Fraport became board members of Wintrack, benefiting and amassing profits from the deal. The staggering income gotten by Wintrack from the deal has prompted the Ombudsman to file a case of graft against Alvarez and his cohorts.


Prejudicial policy making and leadership

In finalizing the General Appropriations Act of 2018, Alvarez and his allies deliberately withheld infrastructure funding from the members of the House of Representatives who they found "undesirable". Alvarez stated that it was unfair for the members who cooperated with him and the President to receive funding less than those representatives. The total amount of funds reallocated to cooperative members was suspected to amount to . When asked about the welfare of those regions which will be negatively affected by the reallocation of the budget, Alvarez was unapologetic and told the affected citizens in the regions to blame their representatives for the retaliatory budget cuts. Various members of the House of Representatives were alarmed and pointed out the dictatorial and vengeful nature of the Duterte administration and the alacrity in the leadership of Alvarez in perpetuating it. Alvarez has threatened congressmen and various governmental agencies that they would receive zero budget if they didn't support Rodrigo Duterte's plans to supplant the Republic of the Philippines by implementing PDP–Laban's Federal form of Government. Alvarez stated that he did not care whether the provinces, agencies and local governments affected by his budget cuts would suffer and told the people to blame their representatives instead who refused to follow what Duterte wanted. Former Senator Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr. warned Alvarez that "nobody stays in power forever", insinuating that Alvarez would receive his
just deserts Desert () (or Dessert (/dɪˈzɜːt/) in the UK) in philosophy is the condition of being deserving of something, whether good or bad. It is sometimes called moral desert/moral dessert to clarify the intended usage and distinguish it from the dry ...
after his blatant abuse of power and authority.


"Persona Non-Grata" in PDP–Laban

In August 2017, Alvarez was declared "Persona Non Grata" by his own party mates in PDP–Laban, Rogelio Garcia and Cesar Cuntapay, stating that Alvarez actions in reorganizing the party nationwide without authority and recruiting new members in exchange for favors severely damaged the party's credibility and Duterte's own legitimacy in his war against drugs. Benito Ranque, PDP–Laban deputy secretary general, states that the new members are not even educated or informed of the party's constitution and by-laws, in support of Cuntapay's accusations. There were also reports that the new politicians that Alvarez recruited are "narco-politicians", involved in illegal drugs manufacturing and trafficking. Then- Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, PDP–Laban's president, however, denied the reports that Alvarez is persona-non-grata despite the numerous PDP–Laban members disdain for Alvarez and his insubordinate actions which violated PDP–Laban's own constitution and by-laws. Pimentel retaliated against Garcia and Cuntapay by ordering them silenced or be disciplined. Alvarez stated that "grumbling members" should either leave or he will "take care" of them.


Martial law in Mindanao

Alvarez was an advocate for the
secession Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a Polity, political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal i ...
of all of
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...
from the Philippines. He is in favor of extending the
martial law Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...
in Mindanao until 2022, the end of Rodrigo Duterte's term, citing the threat of terrorism and insurgency in Mindanao.


Abolition of Court of Appeals

Alvarez has threatened to dissolve the Court of Appeals and to disbar CA Special Fourth Division, Stephen Cruz, Edwin Sorongon and Nina Antonino-Valenzuela, for granting the habeas corpus petition of six Ilocos Norte officials under their custody for the investigation regarding the "Tobacco Funds" issue. Alvarez in a radio interview said, “They are not even our co-equal branch… They are merely a creation of Congress—that Court of Appeals. They only exist because they were created by Congress. Any time, we can dissolve them. So they better start thinking,”. Alvarez has repeatedly publicly campaigned for the abolition of the Court of Appeals, stating that the said court only allowed lawyers to use delaying tactics and gives corrupt judges ways to abuse their power. He stated that in the federalism set-up he's proposing, he will create special courts that will allow him to dispense speedier "justice".


Influence peddling and "imbecile" Facebook post

A customs official accused Alvarez of peddling influence at the
Bureau of Customs The Bureau of Customs (BoC or BOC; ) is a Philippine government agency that is responsible for the collecting of customs, customs duties, excise duties, and other indirect taxes in the Philippines. It is part of the Department of Finance (Philip ...
(BOC). Mandy Anderson, a BOC official, said that Alvarez had been using his position as a lawmaker to urge BOC commissioner Nicanor Faeldon to appoint Alvarez's recommendations. The accusation came after Majority Leader
Rodolfo Fariñas Rodolfo "Rudy" Castro Fariñas, Sr. (born September 5, 1951) is a Filipino lawyer, politician and the former Majority Floor Leader of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, Majority Floor Leader of the House of Representatives of the ...
scolded Anderson at a congressional hearing due to a Facebook status message wherein Anderson called Alvarez an "imbecile" for threatening to dissolve the Court of Appeals. Alvarez denied Anderson's claims, saying that he does not know the customs officers whose promotion he endorsed except through their resumés.


Marriage dissolution bill

Alvarez, along with 14 co-authors, had formally filed House Bill No. 6027, titled "An Act Providing for Grounds for the Dissolution of a Marriage". The bill lists irreconcilable differences or severe and chronic unhappiness causing the "irreparable breakdown of marriage" as the possible grounds for its dissolution. The bill prescribes imprisonment of 5 years in prison if spouse is forced to petition for "marriage dissolution". After news of the filing, Alvarez's wife Emelita broke her silence and revealed her grievances regarding her marriage with Alvarez, revealing that she has long since known that Alvarez had been cheating on her countless times. That it was only during after he became Speaker that Alvarez had completely broke off relations with her. She expressed her longstanding support for him, having been by his side since 1988 and even campaigning for him in
Davao del Norte Davao del Norte (; ), officially the Province of Davao del Norte (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital and largest city is Tagum. The province also includes Sam ...
. Despite the challenges, she emphasized the need to move forward in life. She also refuted her husband's claim that he's from the Manobo tribe, wherein polygamy is allegedly acceptable. She states that Alvarez was clearly a Catholic when she married him.


Impeachment efforts against the Vice President and Chief Justice

Alvarez has been known for facilitating and endorsing impeachment efforts against
Vice President A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...
Leni Robredo Maria Leonor "Leni" Gerona Robredo (; Gerona; born April 23, 1965) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 14th vice president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. She is the mayor-elect of Naga, Camarines Sur, having won the ...
and Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. Alvarez's endorsed impeachment complaint against Robredo came after the Vice President reported to the United Nations the state of the country and the War on Drugs that President Duterte's administration is currently conducting. Alvarez claims that Robredo's act of portraying the country in a bad light is a betrayal of public trust, and thus impeachable. Alvarez has also revealed that the congress will be discussing possible impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Sereno for meddling in the case of the Congress' detention of Ilocos-6, wherein Sereno granted the right of habeas corpus to the six individuals.


Death penalty advocate

Alvarez has been a staunch supporter of reviving capital punishment, despite the United Nations' moratorium on death penalties, even going so far as to threaten the "dismissal" of representatives who refused to sign the death penalty bill. Alvarez also advocates and encourages the killing of criminals, following the Duterte administration's zero tolerance policy on crimes and corruption.


Animosity against the Catholic Church

Alvarez has been a vocal critic of the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
for opposing the death penalty bill and the Duterte's administration's War on Drugs. This led to his calls for pro-death penalty Catholics to change religion, and to propose taxation of Catholic-run schools, despite its expressed exclusion in the Philippine Civil Code.


Close ties with Rodrigo Duterte

Alvarez, a longtime ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, became House Speaker right after the PDP–Laban reshuffled after the election results came out. Since then, Alvarez has backed Duterte on issues, like the Martial Law in Mindanao, the postponement of Barangay Elections, and Duterte's War on Drugs, which he even promoted to the ASEAN. There is general consensus that as long as Duterte is in power, Alvarez will remain a House Speaker. Many critics have expressed that other than having close ties with the President, Alvarez is ill-suited for his position as a Speaker, due to his ineffectiveness in uniting the house to pass bills on critical issues.


Siargao land purchases

The Speaker has multiple properties in Siargao, a popular tourist town known for its surfing area, with Government records showing that he owns at least seven properties which have appreciated in value given the increasing popularity of the island. The Speaker, however, defended these land purchases, saying he purchased the properties years ago.


Mindanao independence

Alvarez have advocated for the
secession Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a Polity, political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal i ...
of Mindanao from the Philippines. He reportedly held the stance as early as 2005 when
Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the first Philippine president from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assum ...
, then the
Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of
Davao City Davao City, officially the City of Davao, is a City of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the List of Philippine cities and municipalities ...
, have advocates the Christian-majority portion of Mindanao to secede in the event President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...
was deposed by a revolution or coup d'etat. Alvarez have advocated an independence declaration "with or without GMA". In November 2023, he proposed that Mindanao should push for independence if the national government continues to pursue its claim in the South China Sea dispute. In his opinion, pursuing the claim will drag Mindanao into an armed conflict if the national government continues its policy regarding China and expressed reluctance on the United States' commitment to side with the Philippines in a potential military confrontation. In January 2024, amidst a People's Initiative bid launched to revise the Philippine constitution, Duterte has said that Alvarez is planning to launch a signature campaign proposing Mindanao independence.


Sedition allegations

In April 2024, Alvarez called on the
Armed Forces of the Philippines The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) () are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Philippine Army, Army, the Philippine Air Force, Air Force, and the Philippine Navy, Navy (including the P ...
and the
Philippine National Police The Philippine National Police (PNP; ) is the national police force of the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Currently, it has approximately 228,000 personnel to police a pop ...
to withdraw their support for President
Bongbong Marcos Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. (, , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials BBM or PBBM, is a Filipino politician who has served as the 17th president of the Philippines since 2022. He is the second child ...
, saying that his stance on the South China Sea dispute would lead to war. After his call was rejected by the military and led to an investigation by the Department of Justice for possible
sedition Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech or organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, establ ...
, Alvarez apologised for his statements but denied that they constituted sedition. An ethics investigation was also opened by the House of Representatives over his remarks, which led to him being
censure A censure is an expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism. In parliamentary procedure, it is a debatable main motion that could be adopted by a majority vote. Among the forms that it can take are a stern rebuke by a legislature, a sp ...
d by the chamber on May 22.


Personal life

Alvarez's daughter Paola is the current
PDP–Laban The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP, ) is a populist political party in the Philippines founded in 1982. It was previously known as Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP–Laban) from 1983 to 2024 as a result of a merger with L ...
spokesperson as well as an Assistant Secretary in the Department of Finance. Duterte once jokingly claimed Alvarez is a Muslim, though there is no proof of such claim, and Alvarez admitted to have fathered eight children from three different women out of wedlock. Although legally married, he is in a relationship with Jennifer Vicencio.


References

, - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Alvarez, Pantaleon 1958 births Living people Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Davao del Norte Partido Demokratiko Pilipino politicians Partido para sa Demokratikong Reporma politicians Secretaries of transportation of the Philippines Far Eastern University alumni Ateneo de Manila University alumni Arroyo administration cabinet members Speakers of the House of Representatives of the Philippines People from Tagum Filipino Muslims Critics of the Catholic Church