By Genalyn Kabiling President Duterte may ask Congress to pass a supplemental budget to augment the government's resources in fighting the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Malacañang said Friday. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte
(ACE MORANDANTE/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO/ MANILA BULLETIN) After the President admitted the government's dwindling funds, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said they hope Congress will cooperate in case Duterte requests for an additional budget to augment the resources needed for responding to the national health emergency. The latest Palace announcement was made shortly after the President extended until mid-May the enforcement of enhanced community quarantine measures in Metro Manila and other high-risk regions, provinces and cities. "Para sa second part ng ating ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) may pondo naman tayo. May pondo po tayo, ang problema po kinakailangan siguro talagang mag-enact ng supplemental budget ang Kongreso kasi hindi namin magagastos iyong iba pang mga pondo na walang mandato ng ating mga mambabatas (For the second part of the ECQ, we have funds. We have funds but the problem is there may be a need for Congress to enact a supplemental budget because we cannot spend the funds without the mandate of our lawmakers)," Roque said in a radio interview. "So kung darating po tayo na kinakailangang mag-special session, bagama’t babalik naman po sa session ang Kongreso sa Mayo 4, eh hihingi po tayo ng ganyang authority from Congress ((So if we reach the point that a special session is needed, although Congress is expected to return to session on May 4, we will ask for such authority from Congress)," he said. In a later Palace press briefing, Roque said lawmakers have shown solidarity with the government in the past and are expected to demonstrate the same resolve if needed. “Kampante naman kami dahil sa napatunayan na kooperasyon ng Kongreso na kung ano ang kinakailangan natin para labanan ang COVID-19 ay ibibigay naman ng Kongreso (We are confident that because Congress has proven cooperation, they will give whatever we need to fight COVID-190)," he said. Addressing the nation on Friday morning, the President admitted that the government was "running low" on funds for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic but promised to boost resources to sustain ongoing containment and mitigation measures. To augment resources for the COVID-19 response, Duterte raised the possibility of borrowing funds, selling government assets, and dropping some infrastructure projects. The government has so far spent P353.7 billion for the coronavirus measures, according to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III. “So far ho, supisyente po ‘yung cash natin pero naiipit na po tayo sa budget allowance natin (So far, we have sufficient cash but we are held back by budget allowance),” Dominguez said in the meeting with the President. "So ‘yan po ang problema natin ngayon. May cash ho tayo pero may --- wala ho tayong authority gumastos ng ganun kalaki (That’s our problem now. We have cash but we don’t have authority to spend that much),” he added.