Zubiri consulting majority bloc on Cayetano bid
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri on Friday said he will consult the majority bloc regarding Senator-elect Alan Peter Cayetano’s desire to lead the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
“I would need to consult the majority on the request of my friend, Senator Alan Cayetano,” Zubiri, who is poised to be elected as Senate President in the incoming 19th Congress, told reporters in a Viber message.
At the same time, he revealed that the chairmanship of the committee that Cayetano is eyeing had already been offered and accepted by Sen. Francis Tolentino.
“We have already discussed this with Senator Tolentino and he had already accepted the chairmanship of the Blue Ribbon Committee. So it’s not my decision to make at this moment,” Zubiri said.
“Unfortunately, a number of senators are on vacation for the next two weeks before I can call for an initial meeting of the supermajority. We can only make a decision then,” he added.
The statement came after Cayetano floated the idea of leading the committee that was tasked to investigate alleged wrongdoings of the government, its officials and its attached agencies, in exchange of joining the majority bloc.
In a separate message, the former House Speaker taunted that he will be a “problem-solver” in the upper chamber by bringing a “scientific” and solution-based approach, focusing on facing the country’s post-pandemic economic challenges.
“If the administration will do the right thing, Alan Cayetano will be there to support them. However, if what they’re doing is wrong, Alan Cayetano will stand up and remind them it is wrong,” he added.
Asked whether he will join the majority or the minority block, Cayetano said he would rather be known as a problem-solver in the 24-seat upper chamber.
“Refusing to solve a problem can become a much bigger problem,” he added.
Earlier, Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel, who is expected to be the next minority leader in the incoming 19th Congress, expressed his belief that Alan, and his older sister Pia Cayetano, would be joining the minority.
Pimentel is also positive that Senator-elect Francis “Chiz” Escudero would follow the same path.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, the lone lawmaker from the opposition who made it to the so-called “Magic 12” in the 2022 senatorial race, previously said that she would revive the investigation on the alleged overpriced procurement by the government of Covid-19 supplies from Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.
To recall, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee led by Sen. Richard Gordon, held multiple hearings in the 18th Congress regarding the transfer of Covid-19 pandemic funds amounting to P42-billion from the Department of Health to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
During the investigation, the panel learned that the DBM-Procurement Service purchased P8.6 billion worth of face masks, face shields, and personal protective equipment, which allegedly bought at a higher costs from Pharmally.
Out of 24 senators, only nine signed the draft committee report which recommends the filing of charges against several Pharmally officials, former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang and former DBM-PS procurement head Christopher Lloyd Lao.
The draft committee report includes recommendation to file charges against outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte due to “betrayal of public trust” when he appointed Yang as his economic adviser and allowed him to help Pharmally bag a multi-billion contract with the government.