Senators unanimously agreed on Monday to designate Senator Pia Cayetano as the first female chairperson of the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, more popularly known as the Blue Ribbon Committee.

Cayetano replaced Senator Francis Tolentino who resigned from the post to “honor a prior agreement” that he would only serve as chair of the panel for one-and-a-half years.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri congratulated Cayetano whom he said is the first female Blue Ribbon chair in the Senate’s 107 years of existence.

“So, we’re very honored that Senator Pia Cayetano is the new chairperson,” Zubiri said.

Citing it as a “historic appointment,” Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda is confident that Cayetano will efficiently oversee the panel’s mandate with her “leadership and commitment to upholding the principles of transparency, accountability, and good governance.

“I look forward to witnessing her skilled leadership as she guides the Committee in fulfilling its responsibility to scrutinize matters of public interest, oversee government actions, and ensure that government institutions efficiently and effectively implement laws,” Legarda said in a statement.

Even the Senate minority bloc also commended the appointment of Cayetano.

“The Minority applauds the decision of the Majority, Mr. President and we congratulate our first-ever female chairperson of our Senate Blue-Ribbon Committee,” Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said.

Cayetano, who is a lawyer, economist and also currently leads the Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, Innovation, and Futures Thinking, has been pushing for various measures in healthcare and education, and as a triathlete, for sports development. (PNA) 

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