Returning senator Alan Peter Cayetano believes the next Senate in the 19th Congress needs a fiscalizer so he wants the chairmanship of the Blue Ribbon Committee in exchange for joining the majority bloc.
Cayetano, who is thought to be part of the minority bloc together with Senators Risa Hontiveros, Koko Pimentel and Pia Cayetano, said he will only join the majority if he gets the Blue Ribbon.
In an interview with reporters on Thursday, the outgoing Taguig-Pateros representative revealed Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, who is expected to become the Senate President, talked to him about joining the majority bloc.
“Ang sabi ko naman, alam mo kailangan ninyo ng fiscalizer. So kung ibibigay n’yo ‘yung Blue Ribbon Committee, then baka may dahilan ako mag-majority because I will be able to do my job,” Cayetano said.
At the moment, Cayetano added, he may stick with the minority unless he gets a committee where he can openly express his approval or disapproval of the incoming administration’s policies.
Zubiri, for his part, explained he needed to consult with the ‘supermajority’ to discuss Cayetano’s request.
This, especially, that Senator Francis Tolentino, has already accepted the chairmanship of the Blue Ribbon.
“Unfortunately a number of senators are on vacation for the next 2 weeks before I can call for an initial meeting of the supermajority. We can only make a decision then,” Zubiri told reporters.
The ‘supermajority’ is composed of 20 senators, according to Zubiri, but declined to name them yet. It will be the group of senators supportive of the administration’s policies and legislations.
The Blue Ribbon Committee, one of the most powerful committees in the Senate, is mainly tasked to investigate anomalies in government agencies and those involving public officials.
It is widely seen as a crucial component of the Upper Chamber as it is playing a key role in maintaining checks and balances in government and in ensuring accountability from its officials.