Bayanihan Law implementers should be summoned before Congress, says solon

The implementers of the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act should now be called to appear before Congress to "hold them accountable" over their actions related to the government's response to the COVID-19 crisis, Bagong Henerasyon party-list Representative Bernadette Herrera said Thursday.

In a statement, Herrera said enough time has already passed since Congress approved the law back in March, and its implementers should appear before the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee created under the law soon.

"The written reports are not enough. Congressional oversight is a constitutional way to hold the officials and agencies accountable. This is best exercised through public hearings and plenary sessions," she said.

Herrera said that before President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his State of the Nation Address on July 26, Congress must know from the implementers of the Bayanihan Law as well as COVID-19 response agencies the state of health of the Filipino people.

She also expressed concern that quarantine measures "are not completely containing the spread of the coronavirus," as shown by the continued rise in cases.

"Although the death toll has subsided and there are much fewer critical cases and severe cases, we still have thousands of new confirmed cases every week. The curative side is working, but the preventive dimension is full of holes," Herrera said.

"Clearly, most of the new cases involve the adults who are allowed to go out of their homes to work. They get infected while at work or while commuting to and from work. There is a gap that is not being addressed. Minimum health standards at workplaces are inadequate. Infections from outside the home are brought home," she added.

Herrera urged workers and COVID-19 implementers alike to take more aggressive steps to keep the disease out of their homes and workplaces.

The Bayanihan to Heal As One Act only has a three-month validity from the time that it was enacted on March 24.

There was an attempt in Congress to approve a supplemental measure to law, called the proposed Bayanihan to Recover As One Act, but lawmakers were not able to do so before they adjourned sine die earlier this month. — BM, GMA News