House having a hard time filling up committees

Three weeks after the 15th Congress opened its session, the House of Representatives has yet to organize its more than 50 regular committees. As of Wednesday evening, only 45 of the 57 regular committees have been organized. But Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., at a press briefing Thursday, said they are not behind schedule. “In the last Congress, it took them two months to organize the committees," he said. House majority leader Neptali Gonzales II, in a separate interview, said he is hoping they will be able to complete the lineup next week. “Hopefully next week, kasi may mga committees pa na medyo pinupuno pa namin kasi yung iba walang nag-apply (because there are committees that can’t be filled up because nobody was applying for it)," he said. He said among the committees they are having a hard time filling up are the committees on human rights; ethics; revision of laws; and government reorganization. “Umiiwas (yung mga congressmen). Yung iba di siguro nila feel (Maybe some congressmen prefer other committees)," Gonzales said. He said another factor in the delay was they have to track down who among the House members are not yet included in a committee. “We also have to consider the fact na may mga other party-lists pa na dadating so yun nagre-reserve din kami sa kanila. If you notice di kami nage-elect ng full in anticipation that there will be party-list coming in," Gonzales said. (We have to consider the fact that other party-list lawmakers will still be coming so we are reserving committees for them. We are not filling up committees in anticipation that there will be party-list lawmakers coming in.) He said they are also naming first-term lawmakers who were former governors, city mayors and those who had held elective posts as chairmen of the committees. He gave as an example former Senator and now Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon, who was chosen to head the defense committee. Biazon is a former Armed Forces chief and chairman of Senate committee on defense. Those elected to head the committees on Monday were: