Sotto Speaks on Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Permanent Chairmanship
SENATE BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE – Senate President Tito Sotto said the members will decide either senators Erwin Tulfo or Pia Cayetano will lead the panel.
Senator Ping Lacson resigned from being the chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee amid the ongoing investigation on the flood control issue in the country. According to Senate Pres. Tito Sotto, Lacson is ‘frustrated’ over the comments of their fellow senators on the probe and he understands him to some extent.
Sotto then bared the possible next chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee following the resignation of Lacson. He initially named five (5) senators who are the following:
- Sen. Kiko Pangilinan
- Sen. Raffy Tulfo
- Sen. Risa Hontiveros
- Sen. Pia Cayetano
- Sen. JV Ejercito
Pangilinan immediately declined the consideration for him to be the next chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee saying that he already leads three (3) committees. According to him, it will be “unwise” to accept the offer as his fourth committee.
As for Ejercito, there are other senators who may be able to lead the committee better as he knows his limitations. Tulfo also declined the post saying he wants to maintain his focus on the committees he currently handles and his advocacies.
Senate Pres. Tito Sotto then announced that Sen. Erwin Tulfo is included in the list of possible chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. According to him, Tulfo may be the next chairman if all five senators would decline the post. It was followed by confirmations that Tulfo who served as the committee’s vice chairman is currently the acting chairman of the panel.
Recently, based on a report on ABS-CBN News, Senate Pres. Tito Sotto claimed that the members of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee will have to decide between Sen. Erwin Tulfo and Sen. Pia Cayetano on who might be the next chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. The latter also expressed willingness to lead the powerful panel.
“We’ll discuss it one of these days because as soon as Sen. Erwin Tulfo arrives from his official trip abroad, IPU actually, Inter-Parliamentary Union, we will be calling, he will be calling and I asked him to call for a meeting of the committee, the Blue Ribbon Committee,” the Senate President said.
Sen. Pia Cayetano chaired the Blue Ribbon Committee from January 2024 to June 2025. Based on the report, when asked if she will be prioritized, the Senate President claimed that the decision will be made by the committee and won’t be his solo decision.
Following the change of leadership in the Blue Ribbon Committee, SP Tito Sotto previously spoke about the possibility of inviting former House Speaker Martin Romualdez to the flood probe.