Former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday gave political foe and incumbent Speaker Lord Allan Velasco a nudge for what the latter believes is the belated filing of the P420 billion Bayanihan 3 economic stimulus package.
(PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN / FILE PHOTO)
In a press statement, Cayetano said House Bill 8628 or the proposed Bayanihan to Arise as One Act (Bayanihan 3) authored by Velasco “might not be approved in time to help those who need it the most.”
Cayetano also took a jab at Velasco’s bid to prioritize Charter change moves which the Lower House Committee on Constitutional Amendments did when it adopted last week Resolution of Both Houses 02.
"This is precisely why we asked that we focus on what is important, #AyudaHindiChacha, so that we can give the best solutions to the problems facing the nation without any distractions," he said.
Instead of the Bayanihan 3, Cayetano urged his Lower House colleagues to start tackling the proposed Bangon Pamilyang Pilipino Assistance Program that calls for the distribution of P10,000 cash assistance for each Filipino family.
The proposal is contained In House Bill 8597 authored by Cayetano, his wife, Taguig City Rep. Maria Laarni L. Cayetano and his closest allies in the Lower House, namely Reps. Raneo E. Abu (NP, Batangas); Dan S. Fernandez (NUP, Laguna); Michael Defensor (Anak Kalusugan Partylist); Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado (NUP, Bulacan) and Luis Raymund F. Villafuerte Jr. (NP, Camarines Sur).
"I have always believed that the Filipino family deserves the best, and this (Bayanihan 3) is a step in that direction. But the reality is, it might not come soon enough for those who are struggling to make ends meet now," Cayetano said in a Facebook post on Monday morning.
Velasco filed House Bill (HB) No. 8628 on Thursday, February 4 to provide a P420-billion fund to help the country recover from the economic ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Cayetano while several such proposals have been filed both in the Lower House and in the Senate, the country’s economic managers and the executive department “still have a few concerns and objections about the package, especially on its fiscal impact.”
The former speaker stressed that approval of HB 8628 faces “a long series of discussions” among House members.
"Marami na po ang naghihirap sa ating mga kababayan at hindi na sila makapag-aantay sa matagal na mga debate. (Many of our countrymen are already suffering and they cannot wait while the bill is being debated on),” said Cayetano.
On the other hand, Cayetano appeared confident HB 8597 could easily hurdle Lower House approval..
HB 8597, Cayetano explained, seeks to provide the beneficiaries with additional assistance in recognition of the effects of the pandemic, the economic setbacks, and the hardships brought by the previous year.
“It also aims to empower Filipino families, increase household consumption, and boost the nation's economic activity,” he said.
"I urge my colleagues to pass that as soon as possible so that we can quell the hunger in the bellies of our countrymen, while we are tackling this bigger financial package," he said.