Senators to get fair share of chairmanships (2:06 p.m.)

MANILA -- Re-elected Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said all senators will get a fair share in handling committee chairmanships with the full list to be released anytime soon.

In an interview, Enrile said the list of committee chairmen is still a work in progress but this early, some senators have already expressed interest to hold prized committees.

There are 37 standing committees in the Senate, which means each of the 23 senators will get at most two committees.

As majority floor leader, Senator Tito Sotto III will handle the committee on rules; Senator Franklin Drilon on finance committee, Senator Ralph Recto for ways and means; Senator Edgardo Angara for Education, Arts, and Culture plus Science and Technology; and Senator Gregorio Honasan II for Public Order and Illegal Drugs.

For the Blue Ribbon committee (Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations), Enrile said there was no final decision yet although erstwhile Senate presidency hopeful Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is interested in the post left by then Senator Richard Gordon in the 14th Congress.

“For the Blue Ribbon (committee), nobody has been appointed to it yet. I think there is a request by Senator Pangilinan to handle it in the meantime until we get a suitable person for the committee,” he told reporters.

The energy committee, meanwhile, is a toss-up between Senator Loren Legarda and Senator Teofisto Guingona III, Enrile said. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)