By Ben Rosario A senior administration congressman yesterday said a special session of Congress has become inevitable as the nation continues to grapple with the serious public health effects of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Albay Representative Joey Salceda (ALI VICOY/ MANILA BULLETIN) Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda urged President Duterte and the leadership of the House of Representatives to convene a special session of Congress to take up urgent legislative measures tackling the socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 threat. In an aide memoire sent to Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, Salceda, chairman of the House committee on ways and means, said the special session will be dedicated to the enactment of bills that would grant President Duterte special powers and pass supplemental appropriation as the country grapples with the serious effects of the disease. In the aide memoire, a copy of which was also sent to Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Salceda said the special session would help ensure that “policy action including funding adjustments” may be made to effectively address the COVID-19 situation. Salceda, also senior vice chairman of the House committee on appropriations, urged Cayetano to form a small group of legislators to come up, in consultation with public health experts and economists, with legislative measures to prevent mass transmission, contain the disease, and mitigate its socioeconomic impacts. The economic expert said Congress should not continue its current break while the nation is facing a public health crisis. “There are policy levers that are within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress, such as appropriations and granting special powers to the President,” he pointed out. He reckoned that unless swift legislative measures are passed and if no lockdown is declared by the President, the current 52 positive COVID-19 cases will balloon to 50,300 when the Lower House resumes session on May 4. “Apart from those recommendations, I am filing a supplemental appropriations bill that will prioritize Filipino workers and families in responding to the economic impacts of COVID-19,” Salceda said. Fake news Meanwhile, House Secretary General Jose Luis Montales denied as “fake news” reports that Lower House personnel have been found positive for COVID-19. “To date, the House of Representatives (HRep) remains COVID-19 free,” Montales said. “As part of our immediate measures to protect everyone against COVID-19, the HRep premises shall undergo thorough cleaning and disinfection tomorrow Friday until Sunday,” the Lower House official said. Meanwhile, Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas batted for homeschooling through online-education for children, especially those who are more susceptible to infection. “The most important thing is to minimize the risk of the virus spreading throughout the community, especially among those of us who are vulnerable due to our age or prior health issues,” Vargas said. The administration solon called on education authorities to conduct a thorough study of the homeschooling proposal so that this may be implemented as part of the solutions in preventing the spread of COVID-19. “All our efforts combined will help prevent COVID-19 from entering our homes, and protect our families from acquiring the disease,” Vargas said.