Sotto wants auditing procedures for emergency cash aid relaxed

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Sunday urged authorities to relax the auditing process for the emergency cash subsidy given to poor families affected by the COVID-19 health crisis, and distribute some amount even to those who are not on the list.

Sotto made the remark amid growing complaints from the ground on the delay of the distribution of the P5,000 to P8,000 cash aid to qualified household beneficiaries as mandated by the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act.

In a Dobol B sa News TV interview, Sotto said he believes that the distribution for the second tranche of the emergency cash subsidy this month would be much faster than it was in April.

He noted that the distribution of the first tranche has lagged behind the April 30 deadline.

"Itong first tranche, ang suggestion ko lang, kahit lampas na ibigay lang nila nang ibigay. Kahit mali, basta ibigay nang ibigay." 

"Kunwari yung mga pamilyang hindi nakalista, ibigay na rin kahit hindi nakalista kasi nga kulang yung listahan. That's what I mean. Yung mga hindi nakalista doon, kasi nga nagrereklamo sa baba," he added.

Sotto said that he had asked the executive department from the very beginning not to be too strict with its rules and regulations considering that many people are starving.

"Sabi ko throw the rules out of the window kapag ganito na nagugutom yung mga kababayan natin. Tapos sabi ko kausapin niyo muna si Chairman [Michael] Aguinaldo ng COA [Commission on Audit], huwag muna higpitan ang mga LGU," he said.

"Kumbaga sa giyera, ang Pilipino handang magpakamatay para sa bansa. Pero itong giyerang ito, baliktad, mamamatay yung bansa, hindi baleng mamatay ang bansa para sa Pilipino," he added.

Under the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act, around 18 million low-income households belonging to the informal sector will be targeted to receive monthly emergency subsidies amounting to P5,000 to P8,000 for April and May.

However, according to the most recent report of President Rodrigo Duterte to Congress, only about 6.2 million families have received their cash assistance from the government as of April 24.

Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista said the delay of the distribution of emergency cash subsidies may be attributed to various factors, including logistical and security ones

Sotto, however, said the distribution could have been much easier had the National ID System been fully rolled out before the crisis struck.

"Ang pangako sa amin ilang buwan lang yung IRR (implementing rules and regulations) pagkatapos implementasyon na. Natapos naman nila ang IRR. Dapat sa August or September of 2019, yun ang pangako. Hindi natupad, naging January 2020. Pwede na yun kung umabot sila doon pero hindi pa rin," he said.

"ASAP dapat yan kasi yan ang makaka-solve ng database ng mga tao. Mas malaganap yun kesa doon sa per family. Ito, per person," he added.

Sotto said he has already filed a resolution seeking an inquiry into the implementation of the National ID System, particularly on why it was delayed.

The Senate will resume its session on Monday, with Sotto requiring the senator's physical presence at the plenary.

He, however, said teleconferencing may be conducted but they still need to amend their rules before it could happen.

"Pwedeng gawin yun pero pagkatapos naming mag-convene at mag-approve ng rules namin na papayagan na namin yun," Sotto said.

"Kailangan muna tawagin ko ito, ico-convene ko ito ng a kwatro pagkatapos ay ia-approve namin yung baguhin yung rules namin na payagan ang teleconferencing," he added.

Among the measures that will be tackled once the Senate's session resumes are the important provisions in the proposed Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Reform Act (CITIRA), Sotto said.

"Yung mga mahahalagang provision doon sa CITIRA, yung hindi naman makakaapekto sa tao pero makakatulong sa executive department doon sa mga pangangailangan nila, siguradong mapag-uusapan yan," he said.

The CITIRA bill essentially aims to encourage investments in the country by reducing corporate income tax rate from 30% to 20% over a period of 10 years and rationalize fiscal incentives given to firms to make these “performance-based, time-bound, targeted, and transparent.”

Duterte certified the measure as urgent in March before the enhanced community quarantine was put in place. —LBG, GMA News