The 24-member Senate is almost finished selecting chairmen of the chamber's 40 committees in the upcoming 19th Congress, which begins on July 25.
The selection was made by senators who form the so-called ‘’Senate supemajority’’ headed by incoming Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri after two meetings and socials gatherings.
Returning Senator Loren Legarda will be the Senate President Pro Tempore while Senator Joel Villanueva will be the majority leader.
The chairmen and their committees are as follows:
Juan Edgardo Angara: Finance and Youth
Nancy Binay: Accounts and Tourism
Ronald ‘’Bato’’ dela Rosa: Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, and on Marawi City Rehabilitation and Victims' Compensation
Joseph Victor ‘’JV’’ Ejercito: Local government; and Urban planning, Housing and Resettlement
Francis ‘’Chiz’’ Escudero: Higher, Technical and Vocational Education
Jose ‘’Jinggoy’’ Estrada: Labor; and National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation
Christopher ‘’Bong’’ Go: Health and Demography; and Sports
Manuel ‘’Lito’’ Lapid: Games and Amusement
Imee Marcos: Foreign Relations; Cooperatives; Social Justice and Rural Development; and Electoral Reforms
Robin Padilla: Constitutional Amendments, and Public Information and Mass Media
Grace Poe: Public Services, and Economic affairs
Ramon ‘’Bong’’ Revilla Jr.: Public works, and Civil Service
Francis Tolentino: Blue Ribbon (accountability of public officers and investigation)
Raffy Tulfo: Energy, and Migrant Workers (to be created)
Cynthia Villar: Agriculture; and Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change
Mark Villar: Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship; and Banks, Fiinancial Institutions and Currencies
Meanwhile, the possible members of the Senate minority bloc are Aquilino ‘’Koko’’ Pimentel III (possible Minority Leader) and Risa Hontiveros, who will handle the Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality Committee.
There is still no committee offered to Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.
Cayetano earlier ‘’wished’’ that the chairmanship of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee be handed to him as a condition before joining the supermajority.
His sister, Pia, may head the Committee on Sustainable Development, Goals, Innovations and Futures Thinking.
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