Manila: The Senate on Wednesday reconstituted key committees and elected members to constitutional bodies during its special session, after Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian was formally elected Senate President.
According to Philippines News Agency, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri stated that while some committee chairpersons were elected on June 3, the chamber needed to complete committee chairships and memberships to enable pending legislative work to proceed efficiently.
The Senate constituted the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, commonly known as the Blue Ribbon Committee. It was structured with 17 regular members and three ex-officio members, maintaining an 11-9 majority-minority ratio. Sen. Erwin Tulfo was appointed as the Blue Ribbon chairperson, with Senators Francis Pangilinan and Panfilo Lacson serving as vice chairpersons. Zubiri mentioned that the committee's membership would encompass nearly all senators, respecting the prescribed limit under the rules.
Among the major committee appointments, Tulfo was named chairperson of the committees on energy and social justice. Pangilinan took charge of the committees on constitutional amendments, justice, and agriculture. Sen. Bam Aquino was appointed chairperson of the committees on trade, basic education, and science and technology, while Sen. Risa Hontiveros assumed leadership of the committees on health and women and children.
The Senate also appointed Sen. JV Ejercito as chairperson of the committees on finance and local government. Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente Sotto III was designated chairperson of the national defense and ethics committees. Zubiri took on the role of chairperson for the foreign relations and rules committees, while Lacson led the ways and means committee. Sen. Raffy Tulfo was appointed chairperson of the public services and migrant workers committees, Sen. Manuel Lapid took charge of the games and amusements committee, and Sen. Joel Villanueva was named chairperson of the higher education and labor committees.
Ejercito was designated vice chairperson of several committees, including energy, agriculture, health, and more, while Aquino was named vice chairperson of ways and means and public services. Additionally, Lacson, Zubiri, Villanueva, Hontiveros, Sotto, Raffy Tulfo, and Ejercito were elected as members of the Commission on Appointments.
Senators Aquino, Pangilinan, Lapid, and Francis Escudero were elected as members of the Senate Electoral Tribunal, with Pangilinan serving as the Senate representative to the Judicial and Bar Council. Zubiri retained his deputy majority leaders, with Ejercito elected as senior deputy majority leader and Villanueva as deputy majority floor leader.
The motions were approved without objection, allowing the Senate to proceed with third reading votes and other measures on the special session agenda.
