Blue ribbon seat seen as Gordon's
By Christine Avendaño
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:51:00 11/23/2008
Filed Under: Congress
MANILA, Philippines--A day before the new Senate majority finalizes committee assignments, Sen. Francis Escudero asked Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile to consider keeping Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano as chair of the blue ribbon committee even if the latter belonged to the minority.
The chairmanship of the committee on accountability of public officers and investigations is crucial at a time when it is concluding investigations into three major controversies -- the national broadband project, the P728 million fertilizer fund scam and the alleged smuggling attempt by some Philippine police officials of euros, totalling P7 million, through the Moscow aircport.
But sources said on Sunday that Sen. Richard Gordon has been picked by the majority as chairman of the blue ribbon.
The Senate is expected to finalize on the floor on Monday the committee assignments of the 14 members of the majority in the aftermath of Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile wrestling the Senate leadership from Sen. Manuel Villar Jr.
Enrile met with senators on Sunday to go through the list and sources privy to the meeting said the blue ribbon committee was decided in favor of Gordon.
Enrile earlier said the chairmanship of the blue ribbon committee was a toss up between Gordon and Escudero, both lawyers. But he earlier said it would likely go to Gordon.
Sources said Escudero would retain his chairmanship of the justice committee and would represent the Senate in the Judicial Bar Council.
Aside from the blue ribbon committee, Gordon will retain his chairmanship of the constitutional amendments committee, but is expected to yield the position later on when he has completed legislative work election automation
Being Senate officers, Senate Pro Tempore Jose "Jinggoy'' Estrada and Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri will only have one committee chairmanship--the labor and cooperatives committees respectively.
Sen. Edgardo Angara will head the finance committee and will retain the banks and sciences commitees.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson will head the ethics, accounts and ways and means commitees.
Sen. Manuel Roxas will keep the education and trade and commerce committees.
Sen. Loren Legarda will head the agriculture and health committees.
Sen. Jamby Madrigal will chair the environment, women and cultural committees.
Sen. Gregorio Honasan will have the public order and reconciliation commitee.
Sen. Rodolfo Biazon will keep his defense committee and will chair the housing committee.
Sen. Ramon "Bong'' Revilla Jr., will keep his public works committee and will get the public services commitee.
Definitely now a member of the majority, Sen. Lito Lapid will retain his games, amusement and sports commitee.
The same sources said Enrile's group had yet to decide on the request of Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, who did not participate in the voting for Enrile as Senate president, to keep the chairmanship of the energy and foreign relations commitees.
Interviewed over dzBB radio which was before Enrile's meeting on Sunday, Escudero asked that Cayetano be considered for blue ribbon committee chairmanship considering the good job the latter had done in the inquiries he presided.
"Sen. Cayetano should remain as blue ribbon committee chair...My vote will always go for Cayetano,'' said Escudero, who last week pitched for Cayetano's retention until his replacement was decided.
But Cayetano, who chose to stay with the group of Villar, immediately declined the proposal.
Gordon, meanwhile, said that should he be named as chair of the blue ribbon commitee, he would continue with the investigation of the fertilizer fund scam and the euro general controversy.
Gordon said he would preside over the hearing on the fertilizer fund scam scheduled on Tuesday, if Cayetano did not want to chair it anymore.
But he said the investigation of the previous Senate agriculture and blue ribbon committees on the scam had already come out and their recommendations against former Agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante were already with the Ombudsman.
And while Bolante has testified and gave his interrogators the runaround, he said the new evidence against Bolante could already be a basis for more charges being filed against him before the Ombudsman.
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