Former House Speaker Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano called on Congress not to shift focus on the passage of the proposed 2021 General Appropriations Act by giving way to the consideration of the proposed Bayanihan 3 bill.
This developed as Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles batted for an extension of the effectivity of Republic Act No. 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2 in order to prevent the expiration of its funding provision and help government access ready funds to procure COVID-19 vaccines.
Earlier, opposition Rep. Stella Quimbo of Marikina City filed House bill 8031 or the proposed Bayanihan to Arise as One Act providing for the allocation of P400 million to finance economic recovery programs following the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both bills are dubbed Bayanihan 3 bills.
Cayetano said he prefers the passage and implementation of the 2021 national budget over the approval of the Bayanihan 3 proposal.
The former Speaker stressed that the urgency and need for congressional approval of Bayanihan 1 and 2 cannot be compared to the budgetary situation affecting the proposed Bayanihan 3.
“Kasi iyong Bayanihan 1 at 2, kinailangan natin dahil noong ipinasa natin ang 2020 budget ay wala pang COVID (Bayanihan 1 and 2 were passed because COVID-19 had not yet happened when the 2020 budget was approved),” Cayetano explained.
However, Cayetano said he supports the consideration of Bayanihan 3 as soon as legislative work on the 2021 national budget is completed.
Cayetano agreed that support for the business sectors remains imperative in order to pave the way for economic recovery.
Nograles said HB 8017 proposes to ensure the “continuity of essential response and recovery interventions” during the pandemic and guarantee the availability of funds to procure COVID-19 vaccines as soon as they are available.
Before any fund is disbursed for any government purchase, it must be covered by a pertinent appropriation. In the case of RA 11494, the procurement of COVID-19 medication and vaccine has been determined to lapse three months after Dec. 19, 2020.
Nograles wants to amend the deadline until Dec. 21,2022 as he noted that by then, COVID-19 medication and vaccine has been fully rolled out for public use.
“The world is now scrambling in tracking the pandemic, administering critical interventions, and distributing vital medical supplies to those afflicted with COVID-19. There are more than 100 potential COVID-19 vaccines that are in the phases of clinical trial and testing,” Nograles said.
The administration solon added: “If successfully developed, these vaccines may put an end to the spread of the deadly virus at the earliest possible time. The goal of equitable and immediate access to the COVID-19 vaccine must be ascertained.”