By Hannah Torregoza Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon on Sunday reminded law enforcers they can no longer arrest violators under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act since the law has already expired. Senator Franklin Drilon
(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) “Hindi na po pwedeng manghuli dahil sa fake news, hindi na pwedeng manghuli dahil sa lumabag sa curfew (no arrest for those who allegedly shared fake news, no arrest for those who violated the curfew),” Drilon pointed out in a GMANews TV interview. “Hindi na pwedeng manghuli ang police dahilan sa prohibition against mass gathering. Iyan ay hindi na pwedeng gamitin dahil nag-expire na ang batas (police cannot arrest people due to prohibition against mass gathering. Those can no longer be used because the law has expired),” Drilon stressed. Congress, last Thursday, June 4, adjourned without approving the proposed Bayanihan to Recover As One Act or “Bayanihan 2” which is supposed to replace the original law that allows the President to realign executive branch’s funds for COVID-19 response. The Senate passed its own version on second reading but failed to hurdle third reading since President Duterte did not certify the measure as urgent. Drilon, during the deliberations on the bill, called for the removal of Section 6 or the punitive provisions of the law due to the serious cases of abuses and inequity in the implementation of the law. But the minority leader said even without “Bayanihan 2,” the government can still implement the activities meant to stop the spread of COVID-19 and programs that can spur the country’s economy which was negatively impacted by the coronavirus disease. “Mukhang hindi naman interesado ang Malacanang dahil hindi nila na-certify. Nasa kanila iyon (Malacanang seems uninterested because they did not certify. That’s up to them,” he said. “Sa ngayon, expired na ang batas. Iyan ay nakalagay sa Saligang Batas at maliwanag na yung Bayanihan ay emergency powers. (For now, the law has expired. And under the Constitution, it is clear that Bayanihan is about granting emergency powers),” the minority leader said.