Committee chairmanships to split 'unity' Senate?

Assigning committee chairmanships has started to threaten the unity that the Senate showed on Monday, with various senators who helped elect Juan Ponce Enrile as Senate President now jockeying to get the committees of their choice. Senator Franklin Drilon on Tuesday confirmed that Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile has awarded the Liberal Party (LP) members in the chamber at least four major standing committees. Drilon said he will handle the finance committee; Senator Ralph Recto the ways and means and public services committees; Senator Francis Pangilinan the agriculture committee; and Senator Teofisto Guingona III the energy committee. Senator Loren Legarda, however, said she also wants to head the energy committee. Legarda is a member of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) but is also allied in what she calls the "majority with the super majority" in the Senate.
Aside from Legarda, also included in this supposed majority are Senators Manuel Villar, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Nacionalista Party; Senators Lito Lapid, Miguel Zubiri, and Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. of Lakas-Kampi-CMD; independents Senator Gregorio Honasan and Joker Arroyo; Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago (People's Reform Party); Senator Edgardo Angara (Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino); and Senator Tito Sotto (NPC). But Drilon said that they will not waive the right to head the energy committee. "These are committees which were allocated to us... to us that is settled issue," he said. Legarda, for her part, said that that there should be "equitable distribution" of committee chairmanships because there is "equitable distribution of talent." "Most of the committees have overlapping interests... I'm sure everything can be settled," she said. Enrile, however, said that if the matter is not "resolved," they will "open" the committee chairmanship to the Senate body by voting on the floor. But Legarda said this won't be a reason for their bloc to suddenly withdraw their support for the reelected Senate president. "We gave our unconditional support for Enrile... we all supported him," she said. Enrile was elected president of the 15th Senate with 17 votes, through the combined effort of the LP and the alleged majority. The Senate chief, however, assured the senators that he is not beholden to anyone. "I don't want to fight the administration (but) I also don't want to be the errand boy of anybody," he said. Enrile said that he will probably handle the ethics committee. On the other hand, he said he has given the committee on constitutional amendments to Arroyo and the health and women committees to Pia. He had also earlier said that Senator Sergio "Serge" Osmena III will handle the committee on banks, financial institutions and currencies while Angara will get the education, arts and culture and science and technology committees. He likewise said that Senator Panfilo Lacson, through his chief of staff, has said that he wants to retain his post as chairman of the accounts committee. He also said that Lacson wants to head the ways and means committee. “I want him to handle the accounts. He has handled it quite well," said Enrile, although he added that he was not able to talk to Lacson himself. Legarda said she hopes that they will settle the issue of committee chairmanship soon. "We want to be back to work right away," she said. The standing committees of the Senate operate as “little legislatures" which determine the fate of most bills or proposals. Committee members and staff are usually experts in the subjects under their jurisdiction. They discuss and revise the bills during committee hearings. Meanwhile, the Senate likewise has no decision yet on the composition of the Commission on Appointments (CA).—JV, GMANews.TV