Senate Leadership and Blue Ribbon Committee Chairmanship
MANILA, Philippines—The Senate leadership faced questions about whether the chairmanship of the Senate blue ribbon committee was offered to gain support from Duterte allies. However, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero quickly dismissed such claims, emphasizing that these accusations have surfaced before.
Escudero, speaking on ANC’s Headstart, said, “That’s par for the course because I think these accusations were raised during the campaign for Senate presidency.” The exact four word keyphrase Senate blue ribbon committee chairmanship was at the core of the controversy surrounding the election of neophyte Senator Rodante Marcoleta as the new head of the panel.
Marcoleta’s Appointment and Support from Allies
Marcoleta, along with six other members of the “Duter7” bloc, voted to re-elect Escudero as Senate president. Escudero secured 19 votes, defeating Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, who received only five votes. The “Duter7” includes Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Christopher “Bong” Go, Robin Padilla, Imee Marcos, and siblings Camille and Mark Villar.
Escudero highlighted Marcoleta’s background, stating, “Sen. Marcoleta is not a newcomer – in the Senate perhaps, but not in the House.” He noted their previous collaboration in the House of Representatives.
Marcoleta’s Background and Qualifications
Before becoming a senator, Marcoleta represented the Sagip party list in the House. He ranked sixth in the recent senatorial elections. Escudero praised him as a skilled litigator and lawyer, expressing confidence that despite being a neophyte senator, Marcoleta will perform well as the blue ribbon committee chairperson.
“He will do a good job as a blue ribbon committee chairperson and raise the flag of the institution through his stewardship of this committee,” Escudero added. He further emphasized that judging someone’s capability based solely on age or tenure is unfair.
Committee Chairmanships Based on Competence
Escudero also defended the distribution of other committee chairmanships, explaining that assignments were based on senators’ advocacies and expertise. For instance, Senators Francis Pangilinan and Bam Aquino were given committees on agriculture and basic education, respectively, which aligned with their campaign platforms.
Both Pangilinan and Aquino, opposition candidates during the election, supported Escudero’s re-election and are now part of the majority bloc.
“In the cases of the others, they were former executive department officials handling those offices. So we tried to make do with the available talent we have in the Senate. So it’s not really a question of giving them this or that,” Escudero explained.
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