Duterte calls Congress to a special session
Published Mar 20, 2020 12:00 am
By Mario Casayuran, Vanne Elaine Terrazola and Ben Rosario
President Duterte has called Congress to a special session to pass a supplementary budget to combat the spread of the dreaded COVID-19 disease.
MEETING ON COVID-19 – President Duterte holds a meeting with officials of the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacanang Palace on March 19, 2020. Duterte has warned local government units to follow guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force in dealing with the fight against the new coronavirus. (Ace Morandante/ Presidential Photo)
This was disclosed late Thursday night by Senator Christopher Lawrence ‘’Bong’’ Go, a former special assistant to President Duterte and current chairman of the Senate Health and Demography Committee.
“I, together with my other colleagues in the Senate and the House of Representatives, recommended to the President of the Republic that a
special session of both Houses of Congress be called so that the Legislative Branch can convene to tackle and pass appropriate measures granting a supplemental budget in order to give the President and other concerned agencies the flexibility of utilizing funds as they deem necessary to combat the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19),” Go said.
The Philippines has recorded 230 COVID-19 cases as of Friday.
“President Duterte has already responded to this recommendation and has called on Congress to hold the Special Session immediately,” he stressed.
Go said that he has discussed the matter with Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III and House Speaker Alan Peter S. Cayetano who both said that they are ready to hold the special session at the soonest possible time, either on Saturday or Monday next week.
Based on their discussion, Go said, the priority is to ensure that additional funds could be allocated for immediate healthcare needs and for much-needed financial and food assistance to Filipinos, particularly the vulnerable sectors, daily wage earners, and informal economy workers affected by the strict quarantine measures being imposed.
Bigger budget
Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Friday that Congress might have to approve a law allowing the use of much bigger government funds than a mere supplemental budget to combat COVID19.
Sotto cited projections by "high-level" economists that local government units (LGUs) might run out of funds for COVID19 response by next week.
"Mahirap kasi 'yong puro food distribution, bibili ka ng pagkain, ipeprepare mo, ibabalot mo, idi-distribute mo (It would be difficult to rely on food distribution by LGUs; you will buy food, prepare its ingredients, pack it, then distribute)," Sotto said in an interview over radio DZMM.
He said Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III suggested the grant of a food subsidy assistance especially to "no work, no pay" workers whose jobs were affected by the imposition of the ECQ. The cash grant would also help in stimulating the economy amid the global pandemic.
"'Pagka ganon medyo malaki-laki involved, hindi basta supplemental budget lang (If that would be the case then it would involve a greater amount, not just a supplemental budget)," the Senate chief said.
While the executive department has yet to issue its request to Congress for additional funds, Sotto said they are looking to pass a bill that would authorize President
Duterte and concerned government agencies to use unused government funds for COVID-19 response.
"Specific, para sa (for the) COVID-19. Nothing else," he assured.
Sotto cited for instance the some P36 billion of funds appropriated for the government's unconditional cash transfer program for this year, which he said has not yet been disbursed.
He said there "several more" funds can be sourced from the unused 2019 budget.
"Because emergency ito eh, ibang klaseng crisis ito eh, at baka wala na tayong bansa pag di tayo kumilos ngayon (Because this is an emergency, this is a different kind of crisis, and we might end up losing this country if we do not act now)," he said.
Sotto proposed on Thursday at least P27 billion of additional COVID-19 funds for the provision of a P300 daily subsidy for each family for the duration of the monthlong quarantine.
Senators have expressed willingness to heed President Duterte's call for a special session to approve any additional funds to help in the government's efforts against COVID-19.
Senator Grace Poe supported her colleagues in Senate in asking President Duterte to call for a session during their recess to come up with measures to mitigate the effect of the pandemic.
"We support the call for a special session through remote means like teleconferencing or physical presence with the proper safety protocols," Poe said in a statement on Thursday.
Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III on Thursday night also said he is "ready" to attend a special session.
But he said the Department of Social Welfare and Development "should start moving now."
Sen. Panfilo Lacson earlier expressed backing for the recommendations for the holding of a special session. Senate President Vicente Sotto III said "most" of his fellow senators support his call.
Minority Senators Franklin Drilon, Risa Hontiveros, Leila de Lima, and Francis Pangilinan had also issued the same appeal to President Duterte.
House heeds call
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday said the House of Representatives will heed the call of President Duterte for a special session and will take all necessary measures to strictly observe “necessary social distancing protocols.”
He gave the assurance despite confirmed reports that two Lower House employees have tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19. One of the two, a 41-year-old male, had already died.
Lawmakers who attended the Committee on Health hearing on COVID-19 early this month have put themselves on 14-day self-quarantine.
Minority Leader and Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. said the minority bloc supports the “special joint session of Congress” sought by the executive department.
Cayetano said the Lower House is ready to hold a special session in which it is expected to pass the supplemental budget to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
MEETING ON COVID-19 – President Duterte holds a meeting with officials of the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacanang Palace on March 19, 2020. Duterte has warned local government units to follow guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force in dealing with the fight against the new coronavirus. (Ace Morandante/ Presidential Photo)
This was disclosed late Thursday night by Senator Christopher Lawrence ‘’Bong’’ Go, a former special assistant to President Duterte and current chairman of the Senate Health and Demography Committee.
“I, together with my other colleagues in the Senate and the House of Representatives, recommended to the President of the Republic that a
special session of both Houses of Congress be called so that the Legislative Branch can convene to tackle and pass appropriate measures granting a supplemental budget in order to give the President and other concerned agencies the flexibility of utilizing funds as they deem necessary to combat the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19),” Go said.
The Philippines has recorded 230 COVID-19 cases as of Friday.
“President Duterte has already responded to this recommendation and has called on Congress to hold the Special Session immediately,” he stressed.
Go said that he has discussed the matter with Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III and House Speaker Alan Peter S. Cayetano who both said that they are ready to hold the special session at the soonest possible time, either on Saturday or Monday next week.
Based on their discussion, Go said, the priority is to ensure that additional funds could be allocated for immediate healthcare needs and for much-needed financial and food assistance to Filipinos, particularly the vulnerable sectors, daily wage earners, and informal economy workers affected by the strict quarantine measures being imposed.
Bigger budget
Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Friday that Congress might have to approve a law allowing the use of much bigger government funds than a mere supplemental budget to combat COVID19.
Sotto cited projections by "high-level" economists that local government units (LGUs) might run out of funds for COVID19 response by next week.
"Mahirap kasi 'yong puro food distribution, bibili ka ng pagkain, ipeprepare mo, ibabalot mo, idi-distribute mo (It would be difficult to rely on food distribution by LGUs; you will buy food, prepare its ingredients, pack it, then distribute)," Sotto said in an interview over radio DZMM.
He said Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III suggested the grant of a food subsidy assistance especially to "no work, no pay" workers whose jobs were affected by the imposition of the ECQ. The cash grant would also help in stimulating the economy amid the global pandemic.
"'Pagka ganon medyo malaki-laki involved, hindi basta supplemental budget lang (If that would be the case then it would involve a greater amount, not just a supplemental budget)," the Senate chief said.
While the executive department has yet to issue its request to Congress for additional funds, Sotto said they are looking to pass a bill that would authorize President
Duterte and concerned government agencies to use unused government funds for COVID-19 response.
"Specific, para sa (for the) COVID-19. Nothing else," he assured.
Sotto cited for instance the some P36 billion of funds appropriated for the government's unconditional cash transfer program for this year, which he said has not yet been disbursed.
He said there "several more" funds can be sourced from the unused 2019 budget.
"Because emergency ito eh, ibang klaseng crisis ito eh, at baka wala na tayong bansa pag di tayo kumilos ngayon (Because this is an emergency, this is a different kind of crisis, and we might end up losing this country if we do not act now)," he said.
Sotto proposed on Thursday at least P27 billion of additional COVID-19 funds for the provision of a P300 daily subsidy for each family for the duration of the monthlong quarantine.
Senators have expressed willingness to heed President Duterte's call for a special session to approve any additional funds to help in the government's efforts against COVID-19.
Senator Grace Poe supported her colleagues in Senate in asking President Duterte to call for a session during their recess to come up with measures to mitigate the effect of the pandemic.
"We support the call for a special session through remote means like teleconferencing or physical presence with the proper safety protocols," Poe said in a statement on Thursday.
Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III on Thursday night also said he is "ready" to attend a special session.
But he said the Department of Social Welfare and Development "should start moving now."
Sen. Panfilo Lacson earlier expressed backing for the recommendations for the holding of a special session. Senate President Vicente Sotto III said "most" of his fellow senators support his call.
Minority Senators Franklin Drilon, Risa Hontiveros, Leila de Lima, and Francis Pangilinan had also issued the same appeal to President Duterte.
House heeds call
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday said the House of Representatives will heed the call of President Duterte for a special session and will take all necessary measures to strictly observe “necessary social distancing protocols.”
He gave the assurance despite confirmed reports that two Lower House employees have tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19. One of the two, a 41-year-old male, had already died.
Lawmakers who attended the Committee on Health hearing on COVID-19 early this month have put themselves on 14-day self-quarantine.
Minority Leader and Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. said the minority bloc supports the “special joint session of Congress” sought by the executive department.
Cayetano said the Lower House is ready to hold a special session in which it is expected to pass the supplemental budget to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.