The Philippine Senate is tearing itself apart over who gets to chair its most powerful committees, and the public is watching a drama that keeps getting messier.

Four committees have become flashpoints in the battle between two blocs for control of the upper chamber. The Blue Ribbon Committee — the panel that investigates public officials — has had five chairpersons since the 20th Congress began in July 2025.

Senator Rodante Marcoleta held the post first, from July 29 to November 11, 2025. Senator Panfilo Lacson took over until May 11, 2026. Senator Pia Cayetano then chaired from May 19 to June 3, 2026 — just over two weeks — before Senator Erwin Tulfo replaced her.

But Cayetano refused to accept the change. On June 4, she pushed ahead with a scheduled flood control probe, defying a Senate decision to postpone the hearing to June 8. Her bloc, led by her brother Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, doesn't recognise the new majority that emerged from the June 3 leadership shake-up.

The Blue Ribbon Committee has 17 members and the power to investigate any matter of public interest. That makes it the most coveted panel in the Senate.

The Committee on Basic Education is also caught in the fight. Senator Bam Aquino chaired it from July 29, 2025, to May 11, 2026. Senator Loren Legarda took over briefly from May 19 to June 3, 2026, before the chairmanship returned to Aquino. The panel handles legislation on student and teacher welfare, scholarships, and subsidies. It oversees early childhood, elementary, and secondary education, including sports high schools and science high schools — but not the Philippine Science High School system.

The Finance Committee, with 20 members, controls the national budget. It reviews the General Appropriations Bill, manages public debt, audits state accounts, and handles claims against the government. Whichever bloc chairs this panel decides how public money flows.

The Rules Committee, with just nine members, sets the legislative calendar and determines which bills reach the floor. The Senate majority leader automatically chairs it, and the deputy majority leader is vice chair. That means whoever controls the majority controls the agenda.

There are 41 Senate committees in total. Each oversees a specific policy area and holds hearings to shape legislation before bills reach the plenary. Committee reports must be approved by a majority of regular and ex-officio members before they can be debated on the floor.

The power struggle shows no signs of cooling. With the Blue Ribbon Committee now under Tulfo, the Cayetano bloc has made clear it won't cooperate. The public can expect more standoffs, more competing hearings, and more confusion over who actually runs the Senate.