Illegal to obligate funds once Bayanihan 2 expires, House leader says

Deputy Speaker and Cagayan de Oro City Representative Rufus Rodriguez on Wednesday underscored that it would be illegal to obligate funds if the Bayanihan 2 law will not be extended.

In a television interview, Rodriguez warned that it would be technical malversation once funds are released after Bayanihan 2, or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, expires. The law is valid until Wednesday, June 30.

“If there will be expenses, it will be given out, that will be technical malversation,” Rodriguez told ANC.

“There is no more law allowing expenditure. All money of the government are through either the General Appropriations act or special laws like Bayanihan 2, which is an appropriations provision and it ends on June 30,” he added.

“Therefore the law itself makes it clear that there can be no further obligations or expense coming from these funds from Bayanihan 2 after midnight of June 30, today.”

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque earlier said the unspent fund under the law is at P9 billion, and expressed confidence that this would all be obligated before the law expires.

If unobligated, the amount will be reverted to the Bureau of Treasury.

Rodriguez is appealing to the Office of the President to call for a special session as he pointed out that lawmakers could still “revive” the funds for Bayanihan 2.

“It will end today, wala pang session, but we can still have a session next week and we will revive it. It’s true, it cuts off today but by law, it can say that the appropriations that were not obligated or released are now by law allowed to be released up to December 30. That is why we are still appealing to the President to call a special session,” he said. —KBK, GMA News