Senate bares new 12-member contingent in CA

The Senate on Wednesday elected a new batch of senators to sit as members of the Commission on Appointments (CA), following the change of leadership in the upper chamber. 

During the plenary session, seven senators from the majority bloc and five from the minority bloc were named as the Senate’s new contingents to the bicameral commission: 

Majority bloc: 

• Risa Hontiveros
• Loren Legarda
• Raffy Tulfo
• JV Ejercito
• Mark Villar
• Ping Lacson
• Lito Lapid

Minority bloc: 

• Joel Villanueva
• Bong Go
• Rodante Marcoleta
• Imee Marcos
• Jinggoy Estrada

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, meanwhile, will serve as the ex officio chairman of the powerful body. 

The CA is mandated to approve or disapprove appointments made by the President of the Philippines, the confirmation of which is required under the 1987 Constitution.

The commission’s function “forms part of the very delicate mechanism of checks and balances established by the Constitution to ensure that the coordinate departments of the government will function in a way that will be most conducive to the public welfare,” based on its website. 

Committees

Aside from the CA, the Senate on Tuesday also elected the new chairpersons of the following committees: 

• Francis Pangilinan- Justice and Human Rights
• Francis Pangilinan- Judicial Bar Council 
• Camille Villar- Economic Affairs 
• Lito Lapid - Cooperatives 

This developed following the change in leadership on Monday where Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero was replaced by Sotto as Senate president. —LDF, GMA Integrated News