Senator Francis Tolentino announced in a press briefing on December 19 that he is stepping down as the chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee and as a member of the Commission on Appointments when the regular sessions resume on January 22, 2024.
Tolentino had an agreement with the Senate leadership that he would only be serving for one and a half years. To honor this agreement, he decided to leave his post.
“This decision is rooted in a deep-seated belief that public office demands fidelity to pledges made. Ang pagtupad sa kasunduan ay nakabatay sa aking malalim na paniniwala na ang pangako na maglingkod ng maikli na panahon ay isang sagradong tungkulin sa paglilingkod sa bayan na dapat tuparin,” Tolentino said.
He shared that his term will expire by the end of the year but he will still be assisting whoever will replace him to have a seamless transition.
The Blue Ribbon Committee, also known as the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations of the Senate of the Philippines, investigates alleged wrongdoings of the government – not limited to its officials, attached agencies, and government-owned and controlled corporations – to suggest new laws or proposals of amendments to existing laws.
Tolentino denied the claims that he is resigning due to suspicions that the previous chairs will most likely fail on their reelection bids which happened to TG Guingona and Richard Gordon.
He also said that the next panel chair should “recognize that the duty of the Blue Ribbon is above everything else, whoever it is against.”
