The Senate on Monday completed a sweeping reorganization of its committee chairmanships, a direct consequence of the leadership change that elevated Senator Alan Peter Cayetano to the Senate presidency on May 11, displacing former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.
Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda was designated to head the Committee on Basic Education, one of two panels she will now chair. Bam Aquino, who previously led the Basic Education committee, will serve as its vice chair under the new arrangement.
The new committee assignments were read on the floor during Monday’s plenary session by Acting Senate Majority Floor Leader Joel Villanueva. Beyond the Basic Education post, Legarda retained her chairmanship of the culture and arts panel but gave up her previous leadership of the committees on higher, technical and vocational education and on national defense and security. Villanueva took over the former, while Senator Jinggoy Estrada assumed the national defense committee.
Four senators from the new minority bloc — Hontiveros, Aquino, and the Tulfos — lost committee chairmanships a week after voting against Cayetano in the Senate presidency race. Senator Risa Hontiveros lost the health committee to Senator Bong Go, while Raffy Tulfo’s chairmanship of the public services committee passed to Senator Rodante Marcoleta, and Erwin Tulfo’s games and amusement post went to Estrada.
Chairmanships for major committees including the Blue Ribbon and Finance have yet to be assigned.
