By Ellson Quismorio
House leaders are prodding the Senate to immediately pass the P1.161-billion supplemental budget/stand-by medical aid for Dengvaxia victims days before a scheduled recess in Congress.
(EPA / MANILA BULLETIN)
Davao City 1st district Rep. Karlo Nograles and AKO-Bicol Party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe both underscored the urgency of the matter even as both chambers move toward a 12-day break beginning on August 17.
"Ang panawagan ko lang po, before mag-recess ang Congress sa Thursday sana naman po maipasa na ng Senado yung Supplemental Budget (My appeal is for the Senate to pass the Supplemental Budget before Congress goes on recess this Thursday)," Nograles, chairman of the appropriations committee, said in a press conference on Monday.
"We already passed that in the House of Representatives...Naghihintay na po yung mga biktima ng Dengvaxia (The Dengvaxia victims are waiting)," he stressed.
The Lower Chamber unanimously approved House Bill (HB) No. 7449 on May, a measure which allocated the P1.161 billion fund as medical assistance to Dengvaxia vaccine recipients of which there are an estimated 900,000.
A counterpart measure is under the period of interpellation at the Senate.
"Definitely, they should pass it now. Let us not wait for the horse to die so to speak," said Batocabe, leader of the 46-strong Party-list Coalition in the House.
"But I am confident that under the leadership of Senate President Sotto, they will be able to pass it," Batocabe added.