Pia becomes 1st woman to head Senate Blue Ribbon

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Pia Cayetano has been elected as chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, becoming the first woman to head the panel in Senate history.

“It is a fact that Sen. Pia Cayetano, our distinguished colleague, will be the first-ever female chairperson of the SBRC in its 106th year in existence, providing checks and balances in a bicameral system,” said Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.

As Congress resumed session yesterday, senators elected Cayetano to replace Sen. Francis Tolentino as Blue Ribbon chair.

Tolentino announced his intention to step down as panel head in December to focus on his reelection bid in 2025.

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva informed the chamber of Tolentino’s resignation letter dated Jan. 22, 2024.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III supported Cayetano’s election.

“The minority applauds the decision of the majority and we congratulate our first-ever female chairperson of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee,” he said.

Zubiri earlier said Cayetano was the only female and one of three senator-lawyers being considered to replace Tolentino.

The other three were Senators Sonny Angara, Francis Escudero and her younger brother Alan Peter Cayetano.

Under Tolentino, the Blue Ribbon panel probed the Department of Education’s “pricey” and “outdated” laptop deals worth P2.4 billion as well as the sugar importation controversy.

The lengthy investigations uncovered some irregularities and recommended the filing of charges against some officials involved. Other officials resigned.

Tolentino will still head another equally important committee: the Senate special committee on Philippine maritime and admiralty zones, which will have jurisdiction to study and report on all matters relating to archipelagic baselines, maritime zones, archipelagic sea lands and other incidental matters.

“It is timely then that the Senate of the Philippines provides the necessary support for our fellow workers in the government and the executive branch in order to better secure the benefits of the vast Philippine maritime zones, including our territorial sea …and the large, exclusive economic zone,” Tolentino said last year.