MANILA, Philippines (Update 3, 2:13 p.m.) — The Senate of the Philippines on Wednesday approved more chairmanships and the organizations of its committees.
On Tuesday, the Senate only approved 20 of the 40 were assigned chairmanships a day after the opening of the first regular session of the 18th Congress.
The chairmanships approved 17 more chairmanships on Wednesday.
READ: ‘Game of chairs’: Winning senators share preferred Senate committee | IN PHOTOS: Senate opens regular session of 18th Congress
Senate President Vicente Sotto III was reelected Monday as the leader of the upper chamber while Sen. Ralph Recto is still the Senate President Pro-Tempore.
Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, meanwhile, was voted the chair of the committee on rules or the Senate majority leader. His counterpart is Sen. Franklin Drilon who will lead the four-member Senate minority bloc.
The opposition bloc is composed of Sens. Drilon, Leila de Lima, Risa Hontiveros and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.
Hontiveros and Pangilinan were designated as members of the Committee on Appointments while Drilon was named a member of the Senate Electoral Tribunal.
Sotto reportedly said each committee should have around one to three members from the minority.
Here are the committees and their chairmanships:
- Accountability of Public Officers & Investigations (Blue Ribbon) – Sen. Richard Gordon
- Accounts – Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson
- Agrarian Reform – Sen. Cynthia A. Villar
- Agriculture and Food – Sen. Cynthia Villar
- Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies – Sen. Grace Poe
- Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation – Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr.
- Climate Change – Sen. Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay
- Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes – Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan
- Economic Affairs – Sen. Imee Marcos
- Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation – Sen. Imee R. Marcos
- Energy – Sen. Win Gatchalian
- Environment and Natural Resources – Sen. Cynthia A. Villar
- Ethics and Privileges – Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao
- Finance – Sen. Sonny Angara
- Foreign Relations – Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III
- Games, Amusement and Sports – Sen. Manuel “Lito” Lapid
- Health and Demography – Sen. Christopher Lawrence Go
- Justice and Human Rights – Sen. Richard J. Gordon
- Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development – Sen. Joel Villanueva
- Local Government – Sen. Francis “Tol” Tolentino
- National Defense and Security – Sen. Panfilo Lacson
- Public Information and Mass Media – Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr.
- Public Order and Dangerous Drugs – Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa
- Public Services – Sen. Grace Poe
- Public Works – Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao
- Rules – Sen. Sen. Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri
- Science and Technology – Sen. Win Gatchalian
- Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development - Sen. Leila de Lima
- Sports – Sen. Christopher Lawrence T. Go
- Tourism – Sen. Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay
- Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III
- Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement Sen. Francis “Tol” N. Tolentino
- Ways and Means – Sen. Pia Cayetano
- Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality – Sen. Risa Hontiveros
- Youth – Sen. Sonny Angara
Meanwhile, here are the committees yet to be granted chairmanships:
- Cultural Communities
- Education, Arts and Culture
- Government Corporations and Public Enterprises