Camille P. Balagtas
People's TONIGHT
AUG. 12, 2002
Villar now the Senate Finance committee
Chair, still vacant for foreign relation while Sen. Flavier replaces Villar for
the Senate Pro Tempore
==========================================================================================
"Done
deal."
The
two blocs, both the administration and opposition held separate caucuses
yesterday to plan out the composition of the 36 committees.
As
the majority, the group of Senate President Franklin Drilon has the say over
the naming of the chairs, especially those of the major panels: blue ribbon,
finance, defense and security, justice and human rights, and ways and means.
The
opposition senators finalized who among them will be assigned to what committee
as members.
But
as expected, the administration has
strong hold on the chamber's leadership, after the controversial June 3-6 rump
sessions.
The
majority finally gave only eight of the standing 36 committees to the
undermanned minority bloc.
In
a two-hour caucus by the majority, People's TONIGHT learned that Sen. Juan
Flavier was appointed as the new Senate president pro tempore - the second
highest position in the Senate - while the post's former occupant Sen. Manuel
Villar was named chairman of both the committees on finance and foreign
relations.
With
two sensitive positions now on his hand, Villar surrendered the chairmanship of
the committee on food and agriculture to fellow administration Sen. Ramon
Magsaysay Jr.
The
foreign relations committee became vacant when President Arroyo appointed Sen.
Blas Ople as new secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs, while Sen.
John Osmena relinquished the 17-man finance panel.
However,
the lawmaker from Cebu, whose defection to the opposition started the infamous
Senate impasse, was retained chairman of the committee on government
corporation, which is scheduled to conduct an investigation into the alleged intricacy
of former President Ramos in several power contracts with independent power
producers (IPPs).
Senator
Ramon Magsaysay is the new Agriculture Committee Chairman while is likely
to retain his chairmanship on the committee on banks, financial institutions
and currencies.
The
assignment of committee chairs is an indication that the senators are ready to
get down to serious legislative business after weeks of bickering.
Work
in the Senate was disrupted as the administration and opposition argued
bitterly over the legality of the extra session presided by the group of Sen.
Edgardo Angara after Drilon had adjourned the regular session.
The
dispute simmered for most of June and came to a head when Senate resumed
session last month. It tapered off after the administration side re-established
itself as the majority in the chamber following defections from Angara's camp.
Sen.
Vicente Sotto III expressed readiness to accept the minority leadership if
Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. makes good on his pledge to back him.
Sotto
said he wants to help in making the 12th Congress more fruitful despite the
infighting for the past two months.
Pimentel
said he is ready to relinquish his post to Sotto to give more time to
concentrate on crafting the amendments he wants to put in place in the
11-year-old Local Government Code.///camille p. balagtas