Marcoleta to lead Blue Ribbon Committee; Kiko gets agri, Bam on basic ed

First-termer Sen. Rodante Marcoleta has been elected the chairman of the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, commonly known as the Blue Ribbon Committee. 

This came after Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, during Tuesday's plenary session, moved to proceed with the organization of various standing committees of the Senate through the election of their respective chairpersons.

The Senate blue ribbon committee is tasked to investigate all matters relating to malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance in office by officers and employees of the government, its branches, agencies, subdivisions and instrumentalities; implementation of the provision of the Constitution on nepotism; and investigation of any matter of public interest on its initiative or brought to its attention by any member of the Senate.

The panel was last chaired by Senator Pia Cayetano, who replaced former Senator Francis Tolentino. 

Aside from Marcoleta, Villanueva moved to elect Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan to lead the Senate committee on agriculture, food, and agrarian reform; while Senator Bam Aquino was elected to head the Senate committee on basic education. 

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero approved the motions to elect the new committee chairpersons after no senator objected.

Villanueva was elected chairman of the Committee on Rules on Monday.

The first batch of committee chairpersons to be elected in the 20th Congress included the following: 

• Accounts: Alan Peter Cayetano
• Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes: Robin Padilla
• Cooperatives: Imee Marcos
• Cultural Communities and Muslim Affairs: Robin Padilla
• Energy: Pia Cayetano
• Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change: Camille Villar
• Finance: Sherwin Gatchalian
• Foreign Relations: Imee Marcos
• Games and Amusement: Erwin Tulfo
• Health and Demography: Bong Go
• Higher, Technical, and Vocational education: Alan Peter Cayetano
• Labor, Employment & Human Resource Development: Imee Marcos
• Justice and Human Rights: Alan Peter Cayetano
• Local Government: JV Ejercito
• Migrant Workers: Raffy Tulfo
• National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation: Jinggoy Estrada
• Public Information and Mass Media: Robin Padilla
• Public Order and Dangerous Drugs: Ronald dela Rosa
• Public Services: Raffy Tulfo
• Public Works: Mark Villar 
• Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development: Erwin Tulfo
• Sports: Bong Go
• Sustainable Development Goals, Innovation and Futures Thinking: Pia Cayetano
• Tourism: JV Ejercito
• Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship: Rodante Marcoleta
• Science and Technology: Alan Peter Cayetano
• Ways and Means: Pia Cayetano 
• Youth: Bong Go

–NB, GMA Integrated News