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MANILA, Philippines – They are “major and relevant,” not minor or leftover committees.
Senate President Franklin Drilon is offering the minority 5 committee chairmanships: economic affairs; agrarian reform; social justice, welfare and rural development; housing and resettlement; and labor, employment and human resource development.
In a statement on Thursday, July 25, Drilon sought to address comments from the minority that they might end up getting only “minor” committees after his key allies got the chairmanships of prime panels.
READ: Escudero for finance, Pia gets education
Drilon described the committees offered to the minority as “major and relevant.”
“In the 15th Congress, all these important committees were headed by the senators belonging to the majority bloc,” Drilon said.
“I have asked the majority leader Sen Alan Peter Cayetano to relay to the minority bloc that we are offering them 5 committee chairmanships,” he added.
Drilon said that in the 15th Congress, Sen Gregorio Honasan II headed the agrarian reform committee, and Sen Jinggoy Estrada chaired the labor committee.
Sen Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr was the head of the urban planning committee in the past Congress while former Sen Manny Villar led economic affairs and former Sen Francis Pangilinan chaired the social welfare committee.
With Sen Juan Ponce Enrile as Minority Leader, the minority includes Honasan, Estrada, and Senators Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and neophytes JV Ejercito and Nancy Binay. They are mostly members of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).
Drilon explained that only 5 committees were offered to the 6-member minority because Enrile is ex-officio member of all committees as minority leader.
‘Not breaking tradition’
Drilon also said that the minority bloc will have 3 representatives in the Commission on Appointments (CA), which he heads. The majority will have 9 members in the CA, which confirms the appointments of the President.
“It is up to the discretion of the minority bloc as to how they plan to distribute these committees to its members and whether they will accept them or not,” Drilon said.
“We will not break the tradition, so the minority will have committee chairmanships as well and it will be announced as we resume session next week,” said the Senate President.
Even before Drilon’s statement, Estrada already knew that the 5 committees will be offered.
His list though also included the ethics committee, which Drilon is not offering the minority. The ethics panel handles matters relating to the conduct, rights, privileges, safety, dignity integrity, and reputation of the Senate and its members.
In an interview on Wednesday, Estrada said it is still uncertain whether his group will accept any committee chairmanships.
“I think we are going to accept committees as long as it is a major committee, but if it’s just minor, I think we will still have to discuss it among ourselves.”
He added, “Traditionally, the minority cannot demand their preferred committees, so we will have to wait until after they talk.”
In an interview with DZMM earlier this week, Drilon said it is natural for the minority not to get their choice committees because it is the majority that pushes for the administration’s legislative agenda.
“Naiintindihan po nila yan dahil mahirap naman, halimbawa sa nakaraang kampanya, puno ng batikos ang administrasyon tungkol sa mga polisiya, tungkol sa mga programa. Mahirap naman sa kanila na bigla na lang ika-campaign sila ng administrasyon at magtutulak sila ng mga polisiya na binabatikos nung halalan.”
(They understand that it is hard because for example, in the campaign they criticized the policies and programs of the administration. It’s hard for them to suddenly campaign for policies they criticized.)
“Sila po ay nasa oposisyon, babantayan po nila at titingnan po nila kung maayos ang programa na sinusulong ng administrasyon. Natural po yan sa demokrasya at hindi po yan bago sa ating sistema.”
(They are in the opposition. They will watch and check if the programs the administration is pushing for are effective. It’s natural in a democracy and it’s not new to our system.)
The minority initially said it is considering not accepting committee chairmanships, following the decision of Sotto.
Sen Nancy Binay has said that the group may be effective as committee members to check the work and performance of all the committees.
READ: No committee for Enrile-led minority?
The group though has yet to make a final decision.
In the opening of the 16th Congress this week, the majority announced the first two batches of committee chairmanships.
Members of the ruling Liberal Party (LP), Nacionalista Party (NP) and Nationalist People’s Coalition form the majority. They got plum positions as Senate officers like LP’s Ralph Recto for President Pro-Tempore and Cayetano for Majority Leader.
Aquino ally Sen Francis Escudero was named chairman of the powerful finance committee handling the budget. NP’s Sen Pia Cayetano will head the education committee while LP’s Sen Teofisto “TG” Guingona III is leading the Blue Ribbon and peace committees.
Neophyte senators belonging to the majority also got key posts like Sen Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara for ways and means, and Sen Grace Poe for public information, and public order.
For the full list, click here. – Rappler.com
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