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Friday, March 29, 2024

Senate panels divided; ‘newbies’ in plum posts

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A row over the leadership of key Senate committees was defused after Senate President Vicente Sotto III resolved “almost 95 percent” of the issues in a caucus attended by 18 incoming and incumbent senators Tuesday night.

Senate panels divided; ‘newbies’ in plum posts

“Very good. Way beyond cordial. Off to a good start, I could say,” Sotto said when asked to describe the caucus held in the house of Senator Manny Pacquiao in Dasmariñas Village, Makati.

Declaring the “fellowship dinner a success,” Sotto said they assume “all is well.”

“Just one or two committees remain [unresolved],” he added.

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Also in attendance at the caucus were Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Senate Minority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senators Sonny Angara, Sherwin Gatchalian, Gregorio Honasan, Loren Legarda, Joel Villanueva, and Nancy Binay.

Incoming Senators Christopher Go, Ronald dela Rosa, Francis Tolentino, Lito Lapid, Imee Marcos, and Bong Revilla were also present.

Senators Richard Gordon and Grace Poe arrived late while Senators Aquilino Pimentel III and Panfilo Lacson had earlier informed their fellow senators they couldn’t make it to the meeting.

Pimentel said he has dinner with his wife while Lacson has his birthday celebration. Returning Senator Pia Cayetano was abroad.

Senator Cynthia Villar did not attend the meeting because of a prior engagement.

The meeting at Pacquiao’s residence was held two days after Villar confronted Pacquiao and Pimenfel for dragging her name into internal issues besetting the ruling PDP-Laban.

During the meeting, Sotto said that all present were asked to list down their preferred committees.

Pacquiao, who hosted the fellowship, said the meeting was successful as they were able to iron out issues with regards to the committee chairmanships.

He said those who failed to attend the meeting can have the committees they wanted.

He also confirmed offering his chairmanship of the Senate committee on sports to Go.

“I give it to Senator Bong Go. I offered it to him,” Pacquiao said in an interview while undergoing training at Elorde Gym at MOA in Pasay City.

However, Pacquiao said he would still sit as chairman of the Senate ethics and public works committees.

Go, in a separate statement late Wednesday has expressed interest to hold “leadership” roles—in committees on health, urban planning, sports, and education.

Villar has been vocal on retaining the chairmanship of the committees on agriculture and food and the environment and natural resources so she can continue her advocacies.

Meanwhile, Go on Thursday assured that he and the other incoming senators will respect the tradition of “equity of the incumbents” in the distribution of committee chairmanships for the 18th Congress.

Go also thanked the current Senate majority bloc for accommodating the incoming senators as evidenced by the caucus hosted by Pacquiao.

In the meeting, Go confirmed that all those present were asked to list down their preferred committees in the coming 18th Congress.

So far, Go is likely to get the committee on health as Sotto previously stated. The chairmanship will be vacated by Ejercito, who failed to win reelection.

“As of last night he got the committee on health,” said Gatchalian while referring to Go. “This is in line with his advocacy.”

Go will likewise get the urban planning, housing and resettlement to be left by Ejercito.

So far, the former presidential aide will get the chairmanship of four committees.

In a separate interview, Gatchalian said senators will get the committees in line with their advocacies. He said Dela Rosa, a former top cop who led the administration’s anti-drug and peace and order campaign, will head the committees on public order and dangerous drugs and peace, unification and reconciliation.

Lacson voluntarily offered the public order and dangerous drugs to Dela Rosa as he would take over the defense committee to be left by Honasan.

The peace, unification and reconciliation committee was also formerly led by Honasan.

Gatchalian said Tolentino, who served Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chief, will lead the Senate committee on local government.

He also said Poe will remain chairman of the Committee on Public Services while Gordon will still head the powerful investigative panel Blue Ribbon Committee.

He said the committee on education, arts and culture would likely be split between him and Villanueva.

Earlier, Villanueva said Cayetano, Marcos, and Tolentino were being considered to head the Senate’s ways and means committee, which handles tax reform matters, among others.

Villanueva used to be head of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Meanwhile, Gatchalian said Sotto III would most likely retain his position.

He added that it was clear that Malacañang was not meddling in the choice of the Senate leadership.

In a forum Thursday, outgoing Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said the opposition was in good hands, with Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Senators Francis Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros, and Leila de Lima.

He said they would perform their roles to provide a check and balance, despite their dwindling number in the Senate.

READ: 13 senators go for Sotto; Villar disses Pacquiao move

READ: Veteran senator taunts neophytes

READ: Villar sucked into Senate top post guessing game

READ: Lacson vows reso, vouches for Sotto

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