MEMBERS of the five-man Senate minority bloc were assigned committee chairmanships yesterday as the Senate continued to organize the chamber for the 20th Congress.
Senate majority leader Joel Villanueva said Sen. Loren Legarda was assigned as chairwoman of the Committee on Culture and Arts, while Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri will head the Committee on Economic Affairs.
The Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation will be chaired by Sen. Panfilo Lacson, while Sen. Risa Hontiveros was retained as chairperson of the Committee on Women.
Villanueva said additional committee chairmanships were given to Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who will also lead the Committee on Civil Service, and Sen. Mark Villar, who will head the Committee on Government Corporations.
On Tuesday, senators started the organization of the Senate, with neophyte Sen. Rodante Marcoleta getting the chairmanship of the powerful Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian was also named chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, which will handle the deliberations on the proposed national budget, while Sen. Camille Villar was named chairwoman of the Committee on Environment, a post formerly held by her mother, former senator Cynthia Villar.
