Senators will exhaustively consult each other about who will be the next chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee following Senator Francis Tolentino's resignation as its head, Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri said Wednesday.

Zubiri said the so-called "supermajority" of the upper chamber respects Tolentino's decision to resign as the chairman of the powerful Senate panel.

"As much as we regret the decision of Sen. Francis Tolentino to step down as chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, we accept this with utmost respect and understanding," he said in a statement.

"As to the new chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee, this will be the subject of exhaustive consultations with our colleagues in the Senate," he added.

On Tuesday, Tolentino confirmed his resignation as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, also known as the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

He noted that his resignation was an act to honor the agreement with the Senate leadership that he would only serve for one and a half years as the Senate panel's head.

Zubiri noted that Tolentino, who served as the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chair since August last year, "has left a big shoes to fill."

"Senator Tolentino's leadership of the Blue Ribbon Committee has been an efficient and productive one, and under his capable hands, the panel has effectively exercised its power and mandate to investigate in aid of legislation matters involving the accountability of public officers," he said.

"Senator Tolentino has left big shoes to fill, but I am sure we can find a suitable replacement in our rolls of brilliant lawyers in the chamber," he added.

Under Tolentino's watch, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigated several controversies involving government officials and agencies such as the Sugar Regulatory Administration's Sugar Order No. 6, and the Department of Education's "overpriced laptops".

Before being announced as the chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee last July, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano previously expressed his interest in leading the panel that was tasked to investigate alleged wrongdoings of the government, its officials, and its attached agencies, in exchange for joining the majority bloc.

However, Zubiri said the "supermajority" in the upper chamber decided to give the panel's chairmanship to Tolentino.