Senate okays chairmanships of 21 committees
THE senators on Tuesday have approved the chairmanships of 21 Senate committees during its plenary session.
The announcement of the committee chairmanships was made a day after the 17th Congress opened its first regular session.
With Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III presiding over the session, Senate Majority Leader Tito Sotto III moved for the election of the chairpersons of the committees listed below:
1. Constitutional Amendments- Sen.Frankin Drilon 2. Rules-Sen. Tito Sotto 3. Public Order and Dangerous Drugs-Sen. Panfilo Lacson 4. Education-Sen. Bam Aquino 5. Tourism-Sen.Nancy Binay 6. Public Services-Sen. Grace Poe 7. Agriculture-Sen. Francis Pangilinan
8. Finance-Sen. Loren Legarda 9. Ways and Means-Sen. Sonny Angara 10. Environment and Natural Resources-Sen. Cynthia Villar 11. Public Works-Sen. Manny Pacquiao 12. Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement-Sen. JV Ejercito 13. Justice and Human Rights-Sen. Leila de Lima 14. National Defense and Security-Sen. Gringo Honasan
15. Energy-Sen. Win Gatchalian 16. Labor, Em- ployment and Human Resource Development-Sen. Joel Villanueva 17. Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation-Sen. Sonny Trillanes 18. Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship-Sen. Migz Zubiri 19. Health and Demography-Sen. Risa Hontiveros 20. Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development-Sen. Cynthia Villar 21. Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (Blue Ribbon)-Sen. Richard Gordon
Sotto said that under the Senate rules, the Senate President Pro-Tempore, Majority Leader, and Minority Leader are ex-officio members of all standing Senate committees.
“The vice chairmen who were not named may be designated by their chairmen during the committees’ organizational meetings,” he said.
Sotto said that the chairpersons for the other Senate committees will be elected on Aug. 1, 2016 due to an emergency meeting called by the National Security Council where all the officers of the Senate are asked by President Rodrigo Duterte to attend.” (Camille P. Balagtas/Sunnex)