Sotto bares chairmanship of 3 incoming senators

FILE: NO RUBBER STAMP. Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the Senate would not be a rubber stamp of the Duterte administration under the 18th Congress amid the looming dominance of administration allies in its new composition during the weekly Kapihan sa Senado held at the Senate in Pasay City on Thursday (May 16, 2019). Sotto also assured that the upper chamber would remain independent, transparent and sincere. (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)

MANILA — Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Thursday revealed the chairmanship of some Senate committees in the upcoming 18th Congress.

Sotto said Senator-elect Christopher “Bong” Go will head the committee on health and the committee on urban planning, housing, and resettlement.

Sotto also noted that Senator-elect Ronald dela Rosa will chair the committee on public order and dangerous drugs, while Senator-elect Francis Tolentino will lead the committee on local government.

“Public Order, Bato; Health and Urban Planning, Bong; Local government, Tolentino,” Sotto told reporters in a text message.

Sotto said the committee chairmanships for the new Congress have been “95 percent” settled after a dinner meeting with some incumbent and incoming senators was held at the residence of Senator Manny Pacquiao in Makati City Wednesday night.

The upper chamber has been hounded by a tug-of-war over committee chairmanships between incoming and incumbent senators.