Drilon decries scheme to strip opposition of committees

MANILA, PHILIPPINES—The head of the minority bloc at the Senate insisted that all senators are covered by an unwritten rule that incumbents should retain leadership of their committees amid attempts by two incoming senators to elbow out two colleagues belonging to the opposition from the committees that they head.

Sen. Franklin Drilon, minority leader at the Senate, said while it was really up to the majority to decide which committees go to which senator, he felt sad that committees headed by minority senators were also being targeted by senators who won under a pro-Duterte ticket.

“Sad if true,” Drilon said in a statement released on Friday (June 7).

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He said even senators belonging to the opposition were entitled to the equity of incumbent rule, which allows incumbent senators the right of first refusal as far as committee leaderships are concerned.

Drilon issued the statement following reports that two incoming senators—Imee Marcos and Pia Cayetano—were salivating on getting committees currently headed by Senators Leila de Lima and Risa Hontiveros.

De Lima, an outspoken critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, is currently in jail after Duterte accused her of involvement in the illegal drug trade.

Hontiveros is also one of the staunchest critics of Duterte and had been repeatedly the subject of Duterte’s rants against what he called “yellows,” or members of the once powerful Liberal Party and its allies.

Marcos, daughter of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, wants to have the committee on social justice, welfare and rural development which De Lima currently chairs.

Cayetano, who spent three years at the House of Representatives to skirt a rule barring senators from serving more than two six-year terms, wants the committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality which Hontiveros heads.

In his statement, Drilon said losing committees would not “diminish our resolve to scrutinize every measure and act as fiscalizer.”

He said despite being fewer now, the opposition group at the Senate was prepared to fight “tooth and nail” to keep the Senate independent.

With the loss in the May elections of the entire opposition ticket in the Senate race that included outgoing Sen. Bam Aquino, the new Senate would be composed of only four opposition members—Drilon, De Lima, Hontiveros and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.

Drilon tried to put on a brave face, saying although the opposition was smaller now in terms of numbers, “we can assure the public that we in the minority will be more vigilant and will do everything in our capacity to protect the institution, fight for the common good and uphold democracy.” (Editor: Tony Bergonia)