Imee Marcos to get 2 committees; Lapid gets games panel

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Imee Marcos would likely get the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means while returning Sen. Lito Lapid would get the Committee on Games and Amusement.

This early, some of the newly-elected senators have already set their eyes on committee chairmanships in the Senate.

Of the 12 newly-elected senators, five are incumbents while seven are either new faces or returning senators.

The five incumbents are Cynthia Villar, Grace Poe, Sonny Angara, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, and Nancy Binay, while the seven new or returning senators are Marcos, Lapid, Christopher “Bong” Go, Francis Tolentino, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Pia Cayetano and Ronald dela Rosa.

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said Marcos had already expressed her interest on the ways and means committee currently chaired by Angara — and she would likely get the post.

“Siya lang nag-express ng gusto niya eh. Umiiwas kaming lahat,” Sotto told reporters on Wednesday. “Eh kung walang mayroong gusto, siya ang may gusto, Malamang kanya na.”

According to Sotto, aside from ways and means committee, Marcos is also interested in heading Angara’s Committee on Local Government — and she would also likely get it since Angara is ready to give up all his other committees if he could get the Committee on Finance.

Meanwhile, Lapid would get the games and amusement panel, which Sen. Panfilo Lacson willingly gave up for him.

“Ang bilis-bilis ni Senator Lacson. Gusto mo, iyo na,” Sotto said.

Lacson had also given up his chairmanship of the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs to Dela Rosa.

Sotto earlier said Lacson would be the next Chairman of the Committee on National Defense, which is currently chaired by outgoing Sen. Gringo Honasan.

Cayetano, and incumbent Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Joel Villanueva are interested to get the committee on education, now being headed by outgoing Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero.

Cayetano also wanted the Committee on Health, but it would likely go to Go, Sotto said.

Revilla, on the other hand, is interested in two committees — public services and public works. But both are currently headed by Senators Grace Poe and Manny Pacquiao, respectively.

It was Tolentino, who is said to be eyeing at least three committees — Poe’s public services and the blue ribbon and justice committees both chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon.

But Gordon, who also chairs the Committee on Government Corporations, has already said that he would not give up the chairmanships of his committees.

READ: Gordon refuses to give blue ribbon panel to Poe

(Editor: Alexander T. Magno)