The question of who will take over the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, more commonly known as the Blue Ribbon Committee, has become a hot topic following the resignation of its current chair, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.
Lacson reportedly stepped down from the post after receiving complaints from several senators regarding how he handled the ongoing probe into alleged anomalies in flood control projects.
According to reports, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is being considered as one of the frontrunners to replace Lacson.
“The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee has become too hot to handle, given the serious allegations implicating some senators in the flood control fund scam,” a source told Politiko.
The same source added, “Several of them believe Senator Kiko might be the right person to steady the ship since he wasn’t part of the Senate when most of these questionable projects were approved.”
Information obtained by our team also indicates that, aside from Pangilinan, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III is reportedly considering Senators Bam Aquino and Pia Cayetano — the sister of Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano — to lead the Blue Ribbon Committee.
At present, Pangilinan chairs both the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform and the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments. He is also a member of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) and the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET).