Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 19) — Senator Francis Tolentino on Tuesday announced that he will resign as chairperson of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, the panel tasked to investigate alleged wrongdoings of public officials.
Tolentino said he is just fulfilling an earlier agreement with the Senate leadership that he would only serve as the panel’s chair until the end of this year.
\”It is my intention to honor an agreement—in fulfillment of a sacred commitment to serve as Blue Ribbon Committee chairman and member of the Commission of Appointments for a concise term of one and a half years,\” he said in a press briefing.
\”I find it both a duty and an honor to uphold the essence of a prior agreement,\” he added.
Tolentino said that he will make a formal motion to resign when the session resumes in January and wait for his replacement.
News about the senator’s resignation from committee chairmanship has been around since last week.
Tolentino said he would like to focus now on the Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones.
\”Kung mauunawaan niyo, in the present context, binigay pa sa akin yung chairmanship ng Special Committee on Maritime and Admiralty Zones, na sa palagay ko ay kailangan kong tutukan at bigyan ng buong puso at panahon,\” he said. \”Dahil sa palagay ko po yung usapin ng maritime zones ay napakalawak.\”
