Senator JV Ejercito, the newly elected chairperson of the Senate Committee on Ethics, said the panel will begin its work once it is fully constituted and its internal rules are adopted.

In a statement on Wednesday, Ejercito clarified that the committee was only appointed a few days before the adjournment of the session, and its membership has yet to be completed. 

“The Committee is not yet fully constituted and, therefore, cannot hold meetings or hearings. Membership is yet to be manifested and completed during the resumption of plenary session next week,” he said.

Once organized, he said, the committee will immediately proceed to deliberate on the four pending complaints filed against individual senators. 

“We will proceed immediately after the Committee is organized and its internal rules are adopted,” he noted. 

Ejercito said the panel will follow a “first in, first out” approach to ensure fairness in the handling of cases.

“In keeping with fairness and transparency, the Committee intends to deliberate on the four pending complaints filed against individual senators in the order they were received, following a ‘first in, first out’ approach,” he stated.

Ejercito also vowed that the committee will uphold integrity, impartiality, and due process in carrying out its mandate.

“We are committed to carrying out our mandate with integrity, impartiality, and full respect for due process,” he said.