The Senate elected new chairpersons of key committees on Wednesday, June 3, following the declaration of quorum amid ongoing leadership concerns and repeated absences of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano and other senators.
Among the newly designated committee heads is Sen. JV Ejercito, who was elected chair of the Committee on Finance, while Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III will lead the Committee on National Defense.
Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson was named chair of both the Committee on Public Order and the Committee on Accounts, while Sen. Erwin Tulfo will head the Committee on Accountability of Public Office and Investigations (Blue Ribbon Committee) as well as the Committee on Social Welfare and Rural Development.
Other appointments include Sen. Raffy Tulfo for the Committee on Public Services, Sen. Bam Aquino for the Committee on Basic Education, Sen. Kiko Pangilinan for the Committee on Agriculture, and Sen. Risa Hontiveros for the Committee on Health.
Sen. Lito Lapid was elected chair of the Committee on Games and Amusements, while Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero will retain his position as head of the Committee on Housing.
Sen. Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri was also designated Chair of the Committee on Foreign Relations.
In a related development, Sen. Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian was elected Senate President Pro Tempore, replacing Sen. Loren Legarda. Gatchalian was sworn in on June 3, and will serve as acting Senate president.
Cayetano was again absent on Wednesday, marking his third consecutive no-show.
Meanwhile, Sen. Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri was also designated chair of the powerful Committee on Rules, which oversees the legislative agenda of the chamber.
The Senate has since adjourned sine die, as leadership changes continue to unfold amid internal tensions that have disrupted recent sessions and stalled legislative work.
