Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III named five senators who may serve as the new chairperson of the blue ribbon committee vacated by Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.

Among those being considered for the chairmanship of the Senate blue ribbon committee:

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito

Senator Raffy Tulfo

Senator Pia Cayetano

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan

Senator Risa Hontiveros

“So pag-uusapan namin. As a matter of fact, I called a caucus bukas ng tanghali, kaming mga members ng majority, para pag-usapan itong nangyari sa resignation ni Senator Lacson,” he added.

In a letter addressed to Sotto, Lacson cited the dissatisfaction of other senators on the “direction” of the legislative inquiry into the alleged anomalous flood control projects for his resignation.

“In the course of the current investigation, which has implicated some senators in the flood control mess, a number of our colleagues have expressed disappointment with the ‘direction’ of the Blue Ribbon Committee, which this representation chairs,” said Lacson.

“Furthermore, some senators publicly and secretly pursue the narrative that I am zeroing in on several of my colleagues while purportedly protecting those members of the Lower House perceived to be the principal actors in the budget anomalies related to the substandard and ghost flood control projects,” he said.

According to Sotto, he tried to convince Lacson to stay as the blue ribbon committee chairperson days before he filed the resignation.

Sotto noted that Lacson is still a member of the committee despite his resignation as chairperson.

Meanwhile, in an ambush interview, when asked who he wanted to lead the blue ribbon committee, Senator Jinggoy Estrada said there are a lot of qualified senators, but specifically named Pia Cayetano.

“There’s Senator Pia Cayetano who once held the chairmanship of the blue ribbon committee. She being a member of the majority,” he said.

Estrada said the call to continue the committee’s hearings will be up to the new chairman.