Senate, House suspend sessions amid Metro-wide ECQ

The Senate and House of Representatives on Monday announced that they will not hold plenary sessions from August 6 to August 20 as Metro Manila will be under enhanced community quarantine for the third time.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III in a message to reporters said possible session before August 23 will be held "if it becomes necessary."

Sotto said committee hearings may still proceed via videoconferencing.

"Depende sa chairmen. As long as virtual only so that the employees will not be exposed," he said.

In a separate statement, House Secretary General Mark Mendoza, upon instructions of House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, issued a memorandum suspending office work starting August 5, Thursday.

From August 3 to August 4, office hours in the lower chamber will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. while sessions will begin from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., according to the memorandum.

For the duration of ECQ, the following should be observed to prevent spread of Delta coronavirus variant:

* Plenary session shall be suspended

* All meetings shall be held via videoconferencing only

* Only Secretariat personnel with extremely essential tasks shall be allowed to report physically to the office

* All congressional offices shall be closed

* Antigen testing shall be made available for those reporting physically for work

* Should there be available vaccines, vaccination shall proceed and concerned individuals shall be notified accordingly

* Offices of attached agencies are requested to adopt a lean workforce

Velasco assured the public that they will continue their work remotely despite the suspension of face-to-face hearings.

“Vital measures can still be tackled as committee hearings will still be held via remote," he said in the same statement.

For his part, House Committee on Appropriations chairperson Eric Yap told reporters that the ECQ will not delay the passage of the national budget.

He earlier said that even with Budget chief Wendel Avisado's medical leave, Congress will still be able to continue its deliberations on next year's budget.

The Department of Health has reported that deaths due to the highly infectious Delta variant rose to nine. Delta cases in the country reached 216, which include 17 active ones.—LDF, GMA News