Tolentino will head local government panel — Sotto

Senator-elect Francis Tolentino (File photo by NOY MORCOSO / INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — As senators vie for committee chairmanships in the incoming 18th Congress, Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Wednesday said neophyte Sen. Francis Tolentino would get the Committee on Local Government, while fellow neophyte Sen. Imee Marcos was seeking “different committees.”

Sotto said this following a dinner attended by several of his colleagues — incumbent, new, and returning — who discussed the issue of committee chairmanships with him.

READ: Senators gather for dinner at Pacquiao’s Makati residence

“Tolentino will get [committee on] local government. Imee is seeking different committees. I’m fixing it,” Sotto said in a text message to reporters, adding that he would “sort it out.”

According to Sotto, Marcos prefers the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development.

He said 95 percent of the committee chairmanships had been settled, with only one or two committees still under “minimal contention.”

In another text message to INQUIRER.net, Sotto said: “I asked everyone to submit their committee preferences, which I will sort out then will present it back to them by next week for everyone’s approval. All is well.”

READ: Almost done: Sotto says 95% of Senate committee chairmanships settled

Sen. Manny Pacquiao, meanwhile, said there were no more problems in the committee chairmanships.

“Wala na kaming nakitang problema pagdating sa hatian ng mga committees,” Pacquiao said in a text message.

In the 17th Congress, the Senate Committee on Local Government was chaired by Sen. Sonny Angara and the Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development was chaired by detained Sen. Leila de Lima.

Sotto earlier revealed that some newly-elected senators were eyeing committee chairmanships held by incumbent senators.

(Editor: Alexander T. Magno)