A major leadership shakeup in the Senate has removed Sens. Bam Aquino and Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan from two of the chamber’s key committees following the election of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano as the new Senate President.
The reorganization happened after senators allegedly aligned with former president Rodrigo Duterte voted to replace Sen. Vicente "Tito" Sotto III during a sudden shift in Senate alliances.
As is customary during leadership changes, all committee chairmanships—including the powerful Blue Ribbon Committee — were declared vacant and reorganized under the new majority.
Among those affected were Aquino, who chaired the Committee on Basic Education, and Pangilinan, who headed the Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform.
Aquino confirmed his removal in a Facebook post, but said politics would not stop him from pushing for reforms in education.
"Ang laban para sa edukasyon ay hindi dapat tumigil dahil lang sa pulitika. Kasabay ng pagbabago ng liderato sa Senado, hindi na po ako Chairperson ng Committee on Basic Education,” Aquino said. “Gayunpaman, isang karangalan ang magsilbi sa komiteng ito sa nakalipas na sampung buwan.”
For the past 10 months, Aquino led discussions on classroom shortages, internet access in schools, teacher welfare, student nutrition, and learning gaps caused by the pandemic.
One of the committee’s biggest accomplishments during his term was helping secure the proposed ₱1.34-trillion education budget for 2026 — the largest education budget in Philippine history. The proposal includes funding for 25,000 new classrooms nationwide to help address the country’s massive classroom shortage.
Aquino also pushed for the passage of the Class-Building Acceleration Program Act, which would allow private groups and local governments to help speed up school construction projects.
Under the new Senate leadership, the Basic Education Committee is expected to be led by Sen. Robin Padilla.
Meanwhile, despite losing his post as chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Pangilinan said he would continue advocating for farmers, fisherfolk, and food security even without the committee chairmanship.
"Hindi po tayo interesado sa pagiging Senate President, tutulong ako sa kanila. Para sa akin, mas importante ang food security kaysa sa Senate presidency,” Pangilinan said.
He also brushed aside talks linking him to the Blue Ribbon Committee and other leadership positions, saying his focus remains on agriculture-related issues rather than Senate politics.
Both Aquino and Pangilinan are now part of the Senate minority bloc after backing Sotto in the leadership vote that eventually installed Cayetano as Senate President.
Thirteen senators voted for Cayetano, nine for Sotto, while two abstained.
Under Senate tradition, lawmakers who support the losing candidate for Senate President typically become members of the minority bloc, while those aligned with the winning alliance join the majority.
Their inclusion in the minority also came amid the broader reorganization of committee chairmanships and Senate leadership posts following the chamber’s political realignment.
Written by Doreen P. Cabildo, Insight PH
Doreen P. Cabildo, Insight PH is a dedicated campus journalist and contributor. Their insightful writing sparks meaningful conversations and keeps the community informed.
