MALACAÑANG said Friday that it would not interfere in the rift between House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Davao del Norte Representative Antonio Floirendo Jr.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the ongoing feud between Alvarez and Floirendo should be settled "privately between themselves."
"This is a personal matter between two men and the Palace will allow them to settle it privately between themselves," Abella told a press conference.
The two lawmakers are known to be "best buddies" but the row between their partners had caused them to part ways.
Their friendship allegedly turned sour when their partners engaged in a fight at the Bacolod City Masskara Festival in October last year.
On March 13, Alvarez filed graft complaint against Floirendo in the Office of the Ombudsman for the alleged anomalous government deal with the latter's family business firm.
Alvarez's complaint stemmed from a joint venture agreement between Floirendo's family business, Tagum Agricultural Development Company (Tadeco), and the Bureau of Corrections (BOC) that was renewed for another 25 years in 2003.
The deal allows Tadeco to lease more than 5,000 hectare of land from Bucor.
Alvarez, in an interview, had denied that the spat between his partner and Floirendo's partners triggered him to file a case against the latter. (VoxPop Philippines)
