THE House of Representatives on Monday night named the new chairmen of the most powerful committees in the lower chamber, according to Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas.
Fariñas said Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles will be chairman of the House committee on appropriations; Lord Allan Velasco of Marinduque, committee on energy; Franz Alvarez of Palawan, committee on legislative franchise; Lucy Torres-Gomez of Leyte, committee on tourism; and Ronaldo Zamora of San Juan, House contingent head for the majority bloc of the Committee on Appointments.
Last week, Reps. Elenita Ermita-Buhain of Batangas was named chairperson of the committee on accounts while Romeo Acop of Antipolo City was tapped to lead the committee on public order and safety.
Angat Tayo party-list Rep. Harlin Neil III also reported out in the plenary that Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez will be recognized as minority leader.
Meanwhile, former speaker and Quezon City Rep. Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said he has decided not to head any committee and will instead help in his capacity as former Speaker.
Belmonte told reporters that Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has given him a free hand in choosing whatever committee chairmanship he wished but Belmonte said he declined the offer and said he would only accept the chairmanship of a special committee on West Philippine Sea.
Belmonte said he will just help the House leadership after his LP joined the supermajority, led by the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, where Alvarez is the secretary-general.
“I decided not to accept any committee chairmanships. I decided to just help in all committees,” Belmonte told reporters.
The former Speaker said he will propose to Alvarez the need to create more committees to address other pressing concerns, including the West Philippine Sea.
“I will ask the House leadership to put up a special committee on the West Philippine Sea,” Belmonte said.
He said the creation of a special committee on the West Philippine Sea is very timely to help address the ongoing territorial dispute.