House leader says Bayanihan 3 to still push through

House Deputy Speaker Michael Romero on Wednesday expressed belief that the passage of the proposed third Bayanihan law would still proceed.

Romero said there has been an agreement between Congress and the country's economic managers to consolidate the P405 billion Bayanihan 3 bill into a smaller amount.

"The (P401) billion Bayanihan 3 is already tapos na sa atin and ang napag-agreehan yata dito between the Senate and the House of Representatives and 'yung grupo ng economic managers is to consolidate it much more to about, if I'm not mistaken, about P140 to P170 billion para liliit kasi hindi nga makahanap ng budget pero so far, nakahanap na raw ng budget. I think magpo-proceed ito," Romero said during the Ugnayan sa Batasan media forum.

(We already passed Bayanihan 3 at the House of Representatives. I think there's already an agreement among the Senate, the House, and the economic managers to consolidate the amount to P140 to P170 billion to easily source its fund. But so far, they already figured out how to fund this. I think this will proceed.)

"I reiterate the call for both the Executive branch of government and the economic managers to pursue itong Bayanihan 3, kahit on a smaller scale. Puwede mo naman i-tier 1, tier 2 funding," he added.

(I reiterate the call for both the Executive branch of government and the economic managers to pursue Bayanihan 3 even on a smaller scale.)

Romero's remark came after Malacañang said there is no need to push for the passage of the Bayanihan 3 bill into law just yet amid the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On June 1, the House passed on third and final reading the Bayanihan 3, which seeks to provide P401 billion worth of interventions to help the country recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the part of the Senate, Senator Sonny Angara said the finance committee will hold hearings on the measure once Congress resumes session.

Meanwhile, Marikina Representative Stella Quimbo, one of the key proponents of Bayanihan 3, said aid must be given immediately.

"The GAA (General Appropriations Act) takes effect on January 2022. We need to give ayuda urgently. Everyday counts," Quimbo told GMA News Online.

"Emergency powers of the President, particularly for health spending such as compensation and protection of health care workers, also need to be extended," she added.

Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate also said the Palace's position that the Bayanihan 3 could just be added to the 2022 budget or the General Appropriations Act is extremely insensitive to the plight of overburdened Filipinos.

"Kung sa GAA, eh di next year pa yun. Ang ayuda is needed NOW kaya need itong ipasa ASAP," Zarate said in a separate statement.

"If Duterte can order to immediately replenish funds for dolomite and give sacks of campaign funds to allies, why not for people's ayuda?" he added. —AOL/RSJ, GMA News