(Eagle News)–Senator-elect Bong Go has expressed support for the continued leadership of Senator Tito Sotto in the Senate, saying, with the veteran senator at the helm, “we can solidify the support of the Senate to the legislative agenda” of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Sotto said Go would get leadership roles in the committee on health and the committee on urban planning, housing, and resettlement, which are currently chaired by Senator JV Ejercito, who failed in his reelection bid.
In a statement, Go had expressed interest in having a “leadership role” in the two panels when he assumes his Senate seat in July, and in the committees on health and education.
Go clarified, however, that the “majority bloc will decide in the coming weeks on how to best lead these committees,” adding that “we, as newly-elected senators, respect the tradition of ‘equity of incumbents..”
Under the tradition, it is up to the sitting panel chair to decide whether to voluntarily give up the chairmanship of his or her committee.
He said during the meeting of incoming and incumbent senators in Senator Pacquiao’s residence in Makati on Wednesday night, “ipinalista lang ang mga preferred committees ng mga miyembro ng mayorya.”
“…And we appreciate how the senior senators have been very accommodating with our requests and concerns,” Go said.
Earlier, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said Sotto would retain the Senate presidency following the meeting, which was held after incoming senators Imee Marcos and Francis Tolentino said there was a push for Senator Cynthia Villar to be the president of the next Senate.
Marcos and Tolentino were present in the meeting, but Villar was not.
Villar earlier refused to sign a resolution drafted by Senator Panfilo Lacson, and that aimed to determine who among the senators supported Sotto as Senate president.
She had said she would rather wait for her fellow Nacionalista Party members who are incoming senators, Marcos and Pia Cayetano.