The Senate has appointed Senator Francis Tolentino to lead a special Senate committee that would exclusively focus on measures in connection with the country's maritime and admiralty zones.
Sen. Francis Tolentino (Senate PRIB Photo)
During the Senate's plenary session on Tuesday, August 1, Senate Majority Floor Leader Joel Villanueva moved for the election of Tolentino as new chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones.
It was Tolentino who proposed the creation of the newly made Senate panel last week following the initial referral of the proposed Philippine Maritime Zones Act under House Bill No. 7819 to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
Tolentino earlier explained that since the Senate is expected to hear and tackle several proposed maritime legislations that would be filed this 19th Congress, the Senate leadership should then consider the creation of a special committee on admiralty matters “to hear and sponsor all measures related to maritime zone bills as well as the baseline acts.”
Tolentino will be joined in the newly created committee by Senators Sherwin Gatchalian, Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa, Robin Padilla, Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go, Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara, and Risa Hontiveros.