Senator Francis Tolentino on Tuesday 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.
In a press briefing, Tolentino clarified that his resignation was an act to honor the agreement with the Senate leadership when he assumed the post in August last year.
"In fulfillment of a sacred commitment to serve as Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman and Member of the Commission on Appointments for a concise term of one and a half years, I find it both a duty and an honor to uphold the essence of a prior agreement. This decision is rooted in a deep-seated belief that public office demands fidelity to pledges made," he said.
He announced his resignation after rumors spread that he resigned from his post on the powerful Senate panel before leaving for the United States last week.
Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri earlier said that Tolentino "cannot resign in absentia," stressing that the latter's resignation would be confirmed in the plenary once the session resumed in January.
Despite ending his term, Tolentino expressed his willingness to "serve in any capacity" to help the Senate leadership and the entire administration.
Tolentino led the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee since August last year, which has 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 "super majority" in the upper chamber decided to give the panel under Tolentino's watch.
Aside from the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Tolentino is also the chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, and the Senate Special Committee on Maritime and Admiralty Zones.