Senators-elect are eyeing committees held by incumbents, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III disclosed yesterday.
Sotto said he hopes to iron out the conflicts which have resulted between incumbent and incoming senators over the chairmanship of committees in the Senate.
Returning senators, he said, have expressed intention to head the committees they formerly held while neophyte senators want the committees currently chaired by incumbent senators.
Sotto said he understands the advocacies and expertise of the senators but he said that the Senate follows the “equity of the incumbent” rule.
The Senate President, Sotto reiterated, does not decide on the committee chairmanships but the whole majority bloc. “Bobotohan ng mga miyembro ‘yon, bobotohan sa floor ‘yon…Ang akala nung mga bago, ang may hawak nito si Senate President lang,” Sotto said.
Sotto had earlier said there are three committees that are giving them a headache. He later said there are four – Blue Ribbon, Justice, Education, and Public Services.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, currently chaired by Sen. Richard J. Gordon, tackles and conducts legislative inquiries into the possible malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance by public officials and employees, and other matters of public interest.
Sen. Grace Poe, who won another term in Senate, had said she wants to chair the Blue Ribbon Commitee. Senator-elect Francis Tolentino was also reported to be eyeing the chairmanship of the major Senate panel.
But Gordon, reportedly, has no plans to relinquish his chairmanship. (Vanne Terrazola)
