Senate shake-up: New committee chairmanships following Sotto's election
Following the election of Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III, a reorganization of key committee chairmanships took place in the Senate on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
According to Sotto, the reason for the shake-up was to protect the "reputation of the Senate."
“If our leaders are criticized, the Senate is criticized. That was the trigger. This way, our leaders would have a good chance to address the allegations,” he told Headstart.
As a result, some senators have assumed new roles, including the appointment of Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson to head the Blue Ribbon Committee, replacing Sen. Rodante Marcoleta.
Sen. Loren Legarda is taking on multiple new roles, assuming the chairmanship of the Committee on National Defense, previously led by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada. This appointment comes alongside her new role as the chairperson of the Committee on Accounts and the Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education Committee, which were formerly chaired by Sen. Alan Cayetano.
Meanwhile, Sen. Raffy Tulfo has taken the helm of the Committee on Labor and Employment, replacing Senator Imee Marcos.
Sen. JV Ejercito assumes the chairmanship of the Public Order and Dangerous Drugs Committee, previously held by Sen. Bato dela Rosa.
The Committee on Health and Demography, on the other hand, will now be led by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, with Sen. Bong Go as vice chair and Ejercito as senior vice chair.
Both Ejercito and Hontiveros are also assigned as deputy majority leaders.
Sen. Migz Zubiri, the new Majority Leader and chairman of the Committee on Rules, said that the election of other committee chairmanships will continue on Wednesday, Sept. 10.
New minority bloc
In addition to the new committee posts, the Senate also saw the formation of a new minority bloc with Cayetano as the new Senate Minority Leader.
His bloc includes Senators Estrada, Go, dela Rosa, Marcos, Marcoleta, Robin Padilla, Chiz Escudero, and Joel Villanueva, with Villanueva and Marcoleta serving as deputy minority leaders.
Villanueva, in his privilege speech, lauded Cayetano's performances and contributions in Philippine politics.
"Sen. Cayetano has demonstrated his ability to navigate the complexities of legislative work with integrity, intelligence, and a deep sense of responsibility. His leadership has been marked by his dedication to transparency, accountability, and pursuit of justice," Villanueva said.
On Monday, Sept. 8, Sotto replaced Escudero as the Senate President.
Before the session, Sotto confirmed in an ambush interview that he would replace Escudero—who has been mired by several issues, including flood control project corruption allegations—after earning 15 votes from fellow senators. Reports about a leadership coup circulated in the morning.
The following day, former DPWH engineer Brice Hernandez linked Estrada and Villanueva in alleged kickback schemes along with former DPWH 1st District Engineer Henry Alcantara and Usec. Robert Bernardo. Both senators denied the accusation.
