Sen. Pia Cayetano will be the new chairperson of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, the first female to head the said post.
During the Senate's first plenary session for the year, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva mentioned that they had received the resignation letter of Sen. Francis Tolentino dated January 22, 2024, as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations or popularly known as the Blue Ribbon Committee.
Villanueva then made a motion to elect Cayetano as the committee's new chairperson as part of the majority and that the committee's composition remains the same.
"The minority applauds the decision of the majority, Mr. President and we congratulate our first-ever female chairperson of our Senate Blue Ribbon Committee," Senate Minority Leader "Koko" Pimentel III said.
"The Senate has been in existence for 106 years providing the checks and balances in a bicameral system so we're very honored that Senator Pia Cayetano is the new chairperson," Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said.
Last Dec. 19, Tolentino confirmed that he would vacate the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee post in fulfillment of a sacred commitment to serve for a concise term of one and a half years.
Tolentino also noted that upholding the commitment is in sync with the “evolving contextual conditions” such as the pressing need to focus on the Senate Special Committee on Maritime and Admiralty Zones which he also chairs.
Despite ending his term, he expressed his willingness to “serve in any capacity” to help the Senate leadership and the entire administration.