PPC, in caucus, decides top posts in Senate

The People Power Coalition (PPC) decided yesterday in a caucus the chairmanship of key standing committees in the Senate.

The PPC caucus, held at the Manila Hotel, would give the powerful finance committee to Sen. John Osmeña, who has held the post since 1998.

The other committee assignments are: Renato Cayetano, education; Ralph Recto, ways and means; Joker Arroyo, Blue Ribbon; Juan Flavier, health; Senate President Pro Tempore Manuel Villar, banking; Francis Pangilinan, justice; and Robert Barbers, public order and security.

Flavier said that the complete committee assignments will be announced Monday.

Sources said the PPC is still deliberating on the retention of opposition senators Rodolfo Biazon and Sergio Osmeña III in the committees of national defense and agriculture, respectively.

A majority of the PPC senators are for the allocation of some committees to the opposition.

"I will press for it," said Majority Leader Loren Legarda, who chaired the committees on environment and natural resources and on economic affairs even when she was in the minority.

John Osmeña said that there is a more practical reason why the opposition should get committees in the Senate.

"There are 24 senators and 37 standing committees. Of the 24 senators, the Senate president, the majority leader and the minority leader cannot head a committee. So, of the 13 senators in the majority, only 11 can head committees," he pointed out.

He said that even if each of the 11 in the majority would head two committees, there would still be 11 committees left for the 10 (11 minus the minority leader) opposition members.

"Another consideration is that we need the expertise of everybody in the Senate, and this includes members of the opposition," Osmeña added.

Sen. Vicente Sotto III, meanwhile, said that the opposition still has to discuss the issue on committee assignment.

"Some of us don’t want any committee chairmanship if these are only the crumbs. Some don’t want to head any committee at all, while some are willing to accept chairmanship," he said.

An opposition caucus will be held later this week to discuss the issue of committee assignments.

"Regardless of the personal feelings of individual opposition senators, the rule of the majority in the opposition will prevail. If majority vote for acceptance of committee chairmanship, then that will be followed," Sotto said.