Senate panel inquiry on COVID-19 to be postponed in honor of ex-lawmaker Oreta — Zubiri

The Senate Committee of the Whole hearing slated on Monday afternoon will be postponed as the chamber will honor former Senator Tessie Aquino-Oreta who just passed away.

"Monday will be just to pass a resolution honoring the late Senator Tessie Aquino-[Oreta] then we close right after as tradition dictates," Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said in a message to reporters on Friday.

"We moved up a day lahat ng Committee of the Whole hearings. So 'yung schedule on Monday will be moved to Tuesday and so on. Tuloy lang till Thursday," he added.

It has been a tradition of the Philippine Senate to honor a colleague or a former lawmaker who died by simply opening and closing its session without tackling any other agenda. 

Oreta, the author of the Solo Parent Act, Solid Waste Management Act, Philippine Micronutrient Fortification Program, Clean Air Act, and Philippine High School System Act , among other measures, passed away at the age of 75 on Thursday.

The members of the Senate recently agreed to constitute themselves into a Committee of the Whole and conduct hearings that will focus on COVID-19 updates, in preparation for passing appropriate legislative measures tailored to the health and economic situation in the country.

The inquiry was originally scheduled to start on May 11 but executive department officials asked for a deferment as they claimed that they will be very busy in the said week. — Dona Magsino/RSJ, GMA News