MANILA — Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, poised to be the next Senate President, said on Friday he would consult the "supermajority" bloc on returning senator Alan Peter Cayetano's push to head the blue ribbon committee.

Cayetano said on Thursday he would rather join the minority bloc if he could not get chairmanship of the committee responsible for investigating wrongdoing by government agencies and other matters of public interest.

"I would need to consult the Majority on the request of my friend Senator Alan Cayetano," Zubiri said in a Viber exchange with ABS-CBN News.

He also noted that Sen. Francis Tolentino "had already accepted the Chairmanship of the Blue Ribbon Committee, so it's not my decision to make at this moment."

"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 added.

Tolentino has yet to reply to queries regarding this matter.

Zubiri, in an earlier interview, said he planned to meet the "supermajority" bloc members before the end of June to discuss and finalize committee chairmanships, among other matters.

• Zubiri defends push for Senate 'supermajority': 'Di ito para mag-railroad'

PIMENTEL BACKS CAYETANO

Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, who declared that he would join the Senate minority, said giving the blue ribbon chairmanship to the bloc would create "good signs."

"Giving the chairmanship of the blue ribbon committee to a Senator who has not pledged all-out political support to the President (the national chief executive) would be a 1. Good sign of magnanimity from the majority and 2. Good sign of confidence from the president himself that malfeasance in public office (like corruption) would not thrive under his administration and wouldn’t even be tolerated," he said in a text message.

The minority bloc is so far only composed of Pimentel and Sen. Risa Hontiveros.

• Drilon dismisses impact of 'super majority' in Senate
• Hontiveros vows 'fiscalizer' role in Senate as 'supermajority bloc' looms

ABS-CBN's Senate sources earlier said that Senators-elect Francis "Chiz" Escudero and Alan Peter Cayetano, along with his sibling, Sen. Pia Cayetano, might join the minority bloc because of some "discontent" about the committee chairmanship distribution.

Pimentel said the blue ribbon panel chairmanship was never mentioned in his meetings with Hontiveros.

He said he supports Cayetano's intention to head the panel.

"Sen. Alan Cayetano would be best choice for chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee," he said.

On the other hand, Zubiri maintained that everything must be discussed in full by the supermajority, especially given that Tolentino already accepted the position.

"We need to honor as well Senator Tolentino’s commitment to Chair that committee," Zubiri said.

"Once again, that is not my decision to make but the decision of the supermajority composed of 20 Senators. I would have to consult with them, but traditionally the Blue Ribbon Committee is Chaired by a member of the Majority and I don’t see any changes to that in the near future," he added.

EXPERT WEIGHS IN

Governance expert Maria Fe Villamejor-Mendoza sees Cayetano as the most ideal chairperson of the blue ribbon committee, given that the Senate is dominated by administration allies.

• The new Senate: Packed with Marcos allies, political families, famous names

"'Yung blue ribbon kasi is a very important committee for checks and balances, and also to get accountability. Literally kasi corruption 'yung ano niya [turf]," said Villamejor-Mendoza, former dean of the University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance.

(Corruption is literally its turf.)

"Traditionally the blue ribbon committee is headed by someone from the majority. But because yung Senate natin ngayon ay very skewed, parang iisa lang 'yung nasa legitimate opposition... we have naman competent members from the minority, why not give the chance for the minority to do that? Kasi 'pag majority ka, medyo allied ka sa existing administration," she added.

(But because our Senate right now is very skewed, it's as if there's only one legitimate opposition, we have competent members from the minority anyway, so why not give the chance for the minority to do that? Because if you're with the majority, you're a bit allied with the existing administration.)

She also noted that certain traditions in the Senate are no longer followed.

Villamejor-Mendoza cited the case of Senator-elect Robin Padilla who will get a major panel, the committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes, even if he is a neophyte senator.

• Zubiri on Robin Padilla: 'Let's give him a chance'

"Marami ka namang nakikita na traditions are not adopted anymore," she stressed.

(A lot of traditions are not adopted anymore.)

Villamejor-Mendoza believes that the opposition bloc would be more "objective" in handling the committee and conducting investigations, as compared to the allies of incoming president Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The minority also needs to guard itself because any abuse of such chairmanship, like investigating and criticizing everything about the sitting administration, could result in a public backlash, she warned.

• 'Good luck!': Gordon reminds next Senate Blue Ribbon head to be independent

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