3 senators want to head education committee – Sotto

Senate President Vicente Sotto III (File photo by CATHY MIRANDA / INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — Three senators want to get elected as chair of the Senate Committee on Education in the 18th Congress, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said on Saturday.

In an interview over AM radio station DWIZ, Sotto the three contenders as Senators Joel Villanueva and Sherwin Gatchalian and Senator-elect Pia Cayetano.

Sotto said Cayetano wanted the post as Sen. Francis Escudero would vacate it when the 18th Congress starts in July.

“Meron kasing may point kasi si Pia ang point niya bakante e hindi committee ni Sherwin o committee ni Joel, tama din yun, committee ni chiz yun e,” Sotto said.

In current 17th Congress, Gatchalian chairs the Committee on Energy and the Committee on Economic Affairs, while Villanueva chairs the Committee on Youth and the Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resources and Development.

Asked how the senators would resolve this, Sotto said they would need to communicate with his colleagues on who would be the next chair of the Senate Committee on Education.

In another interview, also on DWIZ, Gatchalian said he would want to look into the K-to-12 program if he should become chair of the Senate Committee on Education.

“We have seen many shortcomings in the K-to-12 program,” Gatchalian said in Filipino. “The outcome has not really been good.”

The senator added that he would want to focus on his advocacy on education.

(Editor: Alexander T. Magno)