80% of Senate committees filled

About 80 percent of the 36 committees in the Senate have been filled by the majority coalition composed of opposition, administration and independent senators, Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. said yesterday.

Villar has reached an agreement with the members of the majority coalition not to publish the committee chairmanships until everything is settled, including the committees that will go to the minority group. “Actually almost everything had been settled already and there’s only a few kinks. We have decided to announce it as a body to have flexibility in our dialogues. So that nobody’s embarrassed there will only be one announcement,” Villar said in an interview at DZBB yesterday.

In the same interview, Villar expressed confidence that neophyte Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis Escudero and Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri would be able to live up to the expectations of the people.

Cayetano and Escudero were the subjects of intrigues in the last few weeks for joining the majority coalition, to the disappointment of their opposition colleagues.

“I have been with them when I was Speaker of the House of Representatives. Then, I already know of their potentials. This young batch will be my workhorse at the Senate. I have high hopes that they will be helping us in our work here at the Senate,” Villar said.

Escudero is reportedly being eyed to head the Senate committee on ways and means, a post previously held by Ralph Recto, one of Villar’s allies. It remains to be seen if Cayetano will be head of the controversial Blue Ribbon Committee.

Smarting from the heavy intrigues that came his way during the fight for the Senate presidency, Villar appealed to his colleagues to stop squabbling over the committee chairmanships and start to buckle down to work.

Villar assured his colleagues that the Senate under his leadership would remain independent and not allow itself to be pressured by the Palace the same way it did in the 13th Congress in fighting moves to dissolve the Senate.

He added that he was silent over the issues for the past several months because he does not want to engage in a word war that could have complicated the matter. 

Even some of his family members wanted him to answer criticisms over his alleged “loyalty switch” but he discouraged them, he said.

“I know there are some who still have ill-feelings, but we have to let these pass so that we can start working. I understand them. At the Senate, everyone can say what they want to say. I decided to remain silent because if I joined the fray, I will face more difficulties in managing my affairs as Senate president,” Villar said. – Christina Mendez