Senate elects panel heads; Marcoleta gets Blue Ribbon

MANILA, Philippines — Senators Kiko Pangilinan and Bam Aquino got their favored committee posts after joining the Senate majority bloc.

Their new committee chairmanships were announced yesterday during the Senate plenary session.

Pangilinan will head the Senate agriculture, food and agrarian reform committee previously chaired by former senator Cynthia Villar.

Aquino will head the basic education committee previously chaired by Sherwin Gatchalian, who got the powerful Senate finance committee.

Neophyte Senator Rodante Marcoleta will chair the Senate committee on accountability of public officers and investigations, also known as the Blue Ribbon committee.

Marcoleta will also chair the Senate trade, commerce and entrepreneurship committee.

Other new senators aligned with the majority got key committee posts: former social welfare secretary Erwin Tulfo will chair the Senate committees of social justice, welfare and rural development, as well as the games and amusements committee.

Neophyte Senator Camille Villar will chair the environment, natural resources and climate change committee — inheriting the post of her mother Cynthia Villar.

Other senators more or less got their previous committee posts: Alan Peter Cayetano at the accounts, science and technology and higher and tech-voc education committees; Robin Padilla, constitutional amendments, cultural communities and Muslim affairs and public information; Ronald dela Rosa, public order and dangerous drugs; Imee Marcos, cooperatives and foreign relations; Jinggoy Estrada, national defense and security; Bong Go, sports, health and demography and youth; JV Ejercito, local government and Raffy Tulfo, public services and migrant workers.

Senators also got new committee posts: Pia Cayetano will chair the energy, sustainable development goals and ways and means committees; Marcos, labor committee; Alan Cayetano, justice and human rights; Mark Villar, a former public works secretary, the public works committee and Ejercito, tourism.

Chairpersons of the following committee posts were not yet announced: banks, civil service and government reorganization, culture and the arts, economic affairs, electoral reforms and people’s participation, ethics, government corporations, urban planning and women children and gender equality.

Minority bloc senators Risa Hontiveros, Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda and Juan Miguel Zubiri have not yet been given committee posts.

Reading bills

The Senate resumed its session yesterday by tackling the first reading of several proposed measures, referring them to the appropriate committees.

The bills included new proposals and carryovers from the previous Congress, many of which are expected to be prioritized in the current legislative calendar.

Shortly before the chamber made public the result of its all-member caucus, the session was suspended to allow senators to greet Sen. Rodante Marcoleta on his birthday. — Neil Jayson Servallos

Senate committee heads