By Brian Campued
As the Senate convenes for its special session on Wednesday, a new set of committee chairships and memberships have also been elected on Wednesday under the leadership of Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.
Aside from the official assumption of Gatchalian as new Senate President, Senators Vicente Sotto III and Juan Miguel Zubiri were elected Senate President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader, respectively.
Senators Joseph Victor Ejercito and Joel Villanueva, who joined the new majority during the session, were named Deputy Majority Leaders.
Sotto was also elected as the chairperson of the Committees on National Defense and Security and Ethics and Privileges, while Zubiri will helm the Committees on Foreign Relations and Rules, the panel that came under scrutiny following the impasse caused by respective blocs led by Gatchalian and former Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.
Ejercito would lead the Finance and Local Government committees, while Villanueva was designated chair of the Committees on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education and Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development.
The Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations or the Blue Ribbon Committee, tasked with probing government anomalies and corruption in aid of legislation, will be composed of all majority senators except Sen. Francis Escudero.
Senator Erwin Tulfo, who was previously appointed as chair of the panel, will be assisted by vice chairs Senators Panfilo Lacson and Francis Pangilinan.
Tulfo would also head the Committees on Energy and Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, while Lacson was named chair of Committees on Accounts; Ways and Means; and Public Order and Dangerous Drugs.
Pangilinan, likewise, would hold multiple panels, including the Committees on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform; Justice and Human Rights; and Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes. He was also elected as the Senate’s representative to the Judicial and Bar Council.
The remaining majority senators who were given committee chairships are the following:
- Sen. Bam Aquino – Committees on Trade, Commerce, and Entrepreneurship; Basic Education; and Science and Technology
- Sen. Risa Hontiveros – Committees on Health and Demography; and Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality
- Sen. Raffy Tulfo – Committees on Public Services; and Migrant Workers
- Sen. Lito Lapid – Committee on Games and Amusements
The upper chamber also elected Lacson, Zubiri, Villanueva, Hontiveros, Sotto, Raffy Tulfo, and Ejercito as members of the Commission on Appointments.
Meanwhile, Lacson said Escudero was poised to be selected by the majority as presiding officer of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Mindanao quake recovery
Among the top priorities adopted by the Senate on Wednesday were Resolution Nos. 49 and 50, urging adequate funding for Mindanao’s relief and rehabilitation and expressing gratitude to the rescue workers and humanitarian responders following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake.
Following the adoption of Resolution No. 49, Gatchalian emphasized the need for the adequate and timely release of government funds to provide relief to affected families and help facilitate recovery in affected communities.
“Ito pong resolusyon na ito ay nagdidirekta nang mabilis na aksyon at mabilis na pag-release ng pondo para makatulong sa mga kababayan natin sa Mindanao,” the newly elected Senate chief said.
Zubiri and Raffy Tulfo both paid tribute to rescue workers, medical frontliners, humanitarian groups, and volunteers for their swift response and relief efforts in the aftermath of the disaster.
“I urge my colleagues to continue working together to ensure that the affected communities receive the assistance, rehabilitation, and protection they deserve,” Tulfo said in co-sponsoring both resolutions.
Pangilinan likewise echoed his colleagues’ sentiments, stressing that the recovery of Mindanao must be treated as a national priority to address the earthquake’s impacts on the economy.
“Pinagtitibay ng Senado na nasa interes ng buong Pilipinas ang pagbangon ng Mindanao dahil pagprotekta ito sa ating sistema ng pagkain, pangangalaga sa mga trabaho at pagpapababa ng presyo ng mga bilhin,” he said. “Sa sama-sama nating pagkilos, bubuo tayo ng isang Mindanao na mas matatag, mas ligtas at mas handa.”
Ejercito and Erwin Tulfo also called for stronger collaboration among the national and local governments as well as relevant stakeholders not only to help Mindanao but also to ensure more resilient infrastructure capable of withstanding severe earthquakes are constructed in the country.
“Ang mga buhay pong ito ay hindi mga numero lamang. These are lives and futures that were abruptly cut short by this disaster… This disaster is a reminder that the country is still vulnerable to calamities and that we have so much to do regarding disaster preparedness,” Ejercito said.
“It is imperative that the national government, together with local government units and relevant stakeholders, work closely to address the urgent needs of those affected and strengthen disaster preparedness and response mechanisms,” Tulfo emphasized. “Isantabi po natin ang ating mga personal o group interest, alang-alang sa mga mas nakakarami sa atin.” (with report from Bernard Ferrer / PTV News)
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