MANILA, Philippines – The Senate has started to form its committees in the 19th Congress, which opened its first regular session on Monday morning, July 25.

Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri earlier shared on July 6 the running list of leadership positions and committee chairmanships in the chamber. The Senate started formally electing their committee chairpersons on Tuesday, July 26.

The top three positions in the upper house – Senate president, Senate president pro-tempore, and majority leader – have already been decided: Zubiri for Senate president, Loren Legarda as Senate president pro-tempore, and Joel Villanueva as majority leader. The three were formally elected by their colleagues on July 25. 

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III was also designated as the Senate minority leader. Only he and opposition senator Risa Hontiveros joined the minority bloc. The siblings Pia and Alan Peter Cayetano, meanwhile, decided to form their own independent bloc. (READ: Minority and independents: What blocs mean for dissent in the Senate)

Lawyer Renato Bantug Jr. was also elected as new Senate secretary. He has been the chamber’s executive director for legislation since 2004 and served as acting Senate legal counsel in 2010. He was also a former chief of staff of then-Senate president Frank Drilon from 2013 to 2016.

Below is the running list of Senate committee chairmanships as of July 26:

• Rules: Joel Villanueva
• Finance: Sonny Angara
• Accounts: Nancy Binay
• Public Order and Dangerous Drugs: Bato dela Rosa
• Local Government: JV Ejercito
• National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation: Jinggoy Estrada
• Ways and Means: Sherwin Gatchalian
• Health and Demography: Bong Go
• Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality: Risa Hontiveros
• Games and Amusement: Lito Lapid
• Foreign Relations; Social Justice, Welfare, and Rural: Imee Marcos
• Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes: Robin Padilla
• Public Services: Grace Poe
• Public Works: Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. 
• Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education: Francis “Chiz” Escudero
• Accountability of Public Officers and Investigation (Blue Ribbon): Francis Tolentino
• Energy: Raffy Tulfo
• Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform: Cynthia Villar
• Trade, Commerce, and Entrepreneurship: Mark Villar
• Government Corporation and Public Enterprises: Alan Peter Cayetano
• Sustainable Development Goals, Innovations and Futures Thinking: Pia Cayetano

– Rappler.com