Drilon urges Duterte to call for special session to pass Bayanihan 3

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Tuesday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to call for a special session of Congress to allow for the immediate passage of the third Bayanihan Law that will provide assistance to individuals affected by stricter COVID-19 protocols.

Drilon made the remark after Malacañang said there will be no additional aid for low-income households despite the extension of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the NCR Plus bubble for at least another week.

In a radio interview, Drilon said affected individuals should continuously be given assistance due to the difficulties they may experience while there is an ECQ.

"Kailangang tumawag ng special session ang Pangulo para po matugunan ito. Mag-realign ng mga items na hindi kailangan," he said.

(The President should call for a special session to address this. We should realign items in the budget if needed.)

"Kung kailangang tumawag ng special session para maipasa ang bagong budget para sa ayuda, handa naman kami sa Senado na talakayin ito para naman sa ating mga naghihirap na kababayan," he added.

(If there is a need to call for a special session to pass a new budget for the assistance, the Senate is ready to discuss it for the benefit of individuals needing help.)

Drilon said the passage of the Bayanihan 3 would allow for additional funding to provide assistance to millions of employees who lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

He, however, could not say yet where the funding for the proposed law could come from.

"It's not so difficult to look for a possible fund source. What's important is that there should be a special session to address the people's hunger," Drilon said in Filipino.

Congress is currently on session break and will resume on May 17.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto in December filed the Bayanihan to Rebuild As One bill, his proposed third part of the Bayanihan Law, which comes with a P485-billion appropriation for various government interventions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senator Manny Pacquiao also filed the proposed Expanded Stimulus Act of 2021, proposing for a P335-billion stimulus package to further help the Philippine economy to recover from the negative impact of the health crisis.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III, in a text message to reporters, said he has no problem with conducting a special session if needed, "unless the DBM (Department of Budget and Management) can find other sources available.)

For his part, Senator Panfilo Lacson said that while the intention of conducting a special session is good, it is better to take a look at the situation first.

"Since DBM already said that the government coffers have dried up, hence funds are no longer available, the bigger question remains - can we still afford more borrowings intended for dole-outs instead of for other productive purposes to boost our economy? The last thing we need is ending up in a ‘Sisyphean’ situation," he said.

In the House of the Representatives, the proposed Bayanihan 3 as well as other related measures are being studied in the Committee on Economic Affairs and Social Services, according to Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.

He said if President Rodrigo Duterte would certify the bill as urgent, they would comply.

Velasco said it is okay for him if a special session will be conducted.

"Yes, if need be," he said.

The President earlier approved the assistance program that would cover some 22.9 million beneficiaries in Metro Manila and adjacent provinces amid the ECQ.

In Duterte's weekly talk to the people last week, Budget Secretary Wendell Avisado said a total of 22.9 million low-income individuals would receive P1,000 in kind under the assistance program.

Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya later on said it is the discretion of the local government units (LGU) if the assistance they will give to their constituents will be in cash or in kind.

Malaya said the financial aid will be given once for a maximum of P4,000 per low-income family. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ/AOL, GMA News