Senate finally forms panel for RH bicam

MANILA, Philippines– The Senate has finally created its contingent to the bicameral conference committee on Reproductive Health bill.

The Senate panel is composed of Senators Pia Cayetano, Alan Peter Cayetano, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Ralph Recto, Teofisto Guingona III, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, and Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.

It was Sotto, who read on the floor the composition of the Senate panel Tuesday.

He earlier objected to the creation of the panel and the holding of the first bicameral conference committee meeting, citing the absence of a clean copy of the bill.

But even before the panel was formed, Pia Cayetano and 10 members of the House panel were already holding a pre-bicameral conference on the bill.

Pia Cayetano was the only member of the Senate panel present at the start of the hearing.

Her younger brother, Alan Cayetano, later joined her but also left after a while.

Before adjourning the session, Sotto even joked about suspending it until January next year.

He moved just the same to suspend the session until 3 p.m. Wednesday, the last day of session before Congress goes on Christmas break.