Business as usual in the Senate despite community quarantine -- Sotto
Published Mar 13, 2020 12:00 am
By Vanne Elaine Terrazola
It will still be business as usual for the Philippine Senate despite President Duterte's order to place the entire Metro Manila under community quarantine.
Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III
(Ali Vicoy / MANILA BULLETIN) Senate President Vicente Sotto III said on Friday that work shall continue in the Upper Chamber, although employees will be on skeletal schedule. "I wish to assure our people that the Senate will continue to function and there will be no disruption in our mandate as public officials,” Sotto said. He ordered the heads of departments to ensure the continued operations of their respective offices and finish all pending works at "the fastest time." Sotto said Senate employees will have to strictly comply with the precautionary measures set in place to ensure that their premises will stay COVID-19-free. He added that committee hearings will remain suspended until Metro Manila restrictions are lifted. President Duterte on Thursday night said local land, sea, and air travel to and from the National Capital Region shall be suspended starting March 15 to April 14 due to the local transmission of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and the increasing number of positive cases and deaths due to the disease. The interagency task force formed by the government shall conduct a review of the lockdown on a daily basis. While saying he respects Duterte's decision, Sotto admitted not being in favor of implementing a lockdown to address the COVID-19. "Preventing travel to and from Metro Manila with only 52 cases as this point is a textbook case of overreaction. This drastic measure will only result in panic and hoarding of goods," Sotto said in a statement issued while the IATF was meeting Duterte Thursday night. "The poor and the vulnerable sectors will be heavily-disadvantaged under this scenario, as they don’t have the resources to cope with any shortage of food and other necessities, and the resulting inflation, if any," he added.
Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III(Ali Vicoy / MANILA BULLETIN) Senate President Vicente Sotto III said on Friday that work shall continue in the Upper Chamber, although employees will be on skeletal schedule. "I wish to assure our people that the Senate will continue to function and there will be no disruption in our mandate as public officials,” Sotto said. He ordered the heads of departments to ensure the continued operations of their respective offices and finish all pending works at "the fastest time." Sotto said Senate employees will have to strictly comply with the precautionary measures set in place to ensure that their premises will stay COVID-19-free. He added that committee hearings will remain suspended until Metro Manila restrictions are lifted. President Duterte on Thursday night said local land, sea, and air travel to and from the National Capital Region shall be suspended starting March 15 to April 14 due to the local transmission of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and the increasing number of positive cases and deaths due to the disease. The interagency task force formed by the government shall conduct a review of the lockdown on a daily basis. While saying he respects Duterte's decision, Sotto admitted not being in favor of implementing a lockdown to address the COVID-19. "Preventing travel to and from Metro Manila with only 52 cases as this point is a textbook case of overreaction. This drastic measure will only result in panic and hoarding of goods," Sotto said in a statement issued while the IATF was meeting Duterte Thursday night. "The poor and the vulnerable sectors will be heavily-disadvantaged under this scenario, as they don’t have the resources to cope with any shortage of food and other necessities, and the resulting inflation, if any," he added.