By Politiko staff
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano has assured the chamber’s leadership that the minority bloc is fully prepared to collaborate with the majority to expedite legislative work and swiftly address pressing national issues.
Cayetano expressed openness to taking on additional responsibilities within the upper chamber to ensure the Senate remains responsive to the public’s needs.
“There are some real issues, and I think all of us do want to work together to speed up the work,” Cayetano said during the plenary session on Wednesday, August 19.
“Given not only the climate but the number of problems affecting the country, people are looking at the Senate. The Minority, of course, joins the Majority,” he added.
Cayetano’s assurances came after the minority bloc finalized its representations across several Senate committees, paving the way for remaining committee vacancies to be filled.
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian welcomed the minority chief’s initiative, noting that both leaders had previously discussed mechanisms to streamline the Senate’s heavy workload.
“Thank you, Minority Leader, for the initiative to complete the members of our committees. And like you said, we had a conversation earlier on the various issues that will make the workload more efficient,” Gatchalian told Cayetano on the floor.
Cayetano pledged to maintain open lines of communication with Senate leaders through the weekend to iron out any unresolved matters before the chamber resumes work next week.
“I commit to keep talking to our Majority Leader over the weekend and yourself so that we can resolve all issues by Monday,” Cayetano said.—Politiko.com.ph
