Senate to Tackle Pax Silica Initiative via Committee of the Whole

The Philippine Senate is set to tackle the issue of the Pax Silica initiative through the Committee of the Whole, which will assemble the entire Upper Chamber into a panel for one specific issue. Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri made the motion to refer the Pax Silica to the Committee of the Whole during a Senate session on Tuesday. “So that all members can be represented. All Committee Chairs can be represented but you’re the presiding officer, Mister President,” Zubiri said, addressing Senate President Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian. “And I think it would be best to show that we are serious either in support or we're concerned about Pax Silica because it's really a very, very important measure that needs to be given undue attention and the discussions will not be limited only to the environment and economic affairs,” he added. The Vice Chairs of the Committee of the Whole would be the current chairs of the Committee on Environment, Committee on Cultural Communities and Muslim Affairs, Committee on Economic Affairs, Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship. Respectively, these would be senators Raffy Tulfo, Robin Padilla, Risa Hontiveros, and Bam Aquino. Zubiri himself would also be a Vice Chair as the Chair of the Committee on Foreign Relations. Gatchalian said that the matter was urgent since the project was already ongoing. “I will heed to your suggestion. With that motion, is there any objection? Hearing none, the motion of the Majority Leader to create the Paxilica Committee of the Whole is approved,” Gatchalian said. Previous occasions when the Senate assembled the Committee of the Whole include the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, as well as agricultural smuggling in 2022. The Pax Silica initiative in the New Clark City in Tarlac has generated concerns on its possible impact on the environment and energy security. Locals in the area also fear displacement and homelessness should the project push through. —RF, GMA News