House to vote on measure vs COVID-19 using text, online tech

For the first time in the chamber's history, members of the House of Representatives will be using telecommunications and online technology to vote on a measure that seeks to address the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the country.

The Lower House will hold a special session on Monday at 10 a.m. to grant President Rodrigo Duterte the authority to realign funds to respond to the COVID-19 situation, but voting for some lawmakers will be done through instant messaging.

According to a notice given to the lawmakers, only 20 members will be allowed to physically attend the special session to observe social distancing, while others are encouraged to participate through "telecommunications and online technologies."

The 20 members who will be attending the session at the Batasang Pambansa complex will be notified in advance, and they will come from all the major parties, including party-lists and the minority bloc, and from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

All in all, there will be no more than 50 people present on the floor during the special session, the notice said.

"This is in line with health and safety protocols during this time of enhanced quarantine and National public health emergency. We all have to adjust including congress on how best we can function but keeping in mind protocols set by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF)," said Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte.

"We should be an example to our people that while we continue to work we as members of congress will strictly follow safety and health protocols. If we do the normal session. We will not be able to fit in the plenary as per social distancing guidelines," he added.

Villafuerte added that it will be very difficult to require the physical presence of lawmakers in the special session since most of them are in their respective districts while an enhanced community quarantine is being implemented in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon.

"Thus, we are using digital technology to do online/digital session which will be the first time in history that will be done," he added.

In a post on its official Instagram account on Sunday, the House showed the setup at the plenary hall during the special session, where tables are placed far from each other.

The House of Representatives will observe social distancing during the special session it will hold on Monday to approve measures to respond to the COVID-19 situation.

???? HRep Instagram @gmanews pic.twitter.com/agn84wOE2k

— Erwin Colcol (@erwincolcol) March 22, 2020

House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez urged his fellow lawmakers to actively participate in the deliberations during the special session even as most of them will be viewing proceedings online.

"We appeal to our fellow congressmen, both from the majority and the minority, to participate actively in the deliberations, whether in the session hall or through teleconference. Due to urgency of the situation, we urge our fellow House Members to observe the time limit to be imposed by the Rules Committee for the floor deliberation," he said.

"As much as possible, we intend to wrap up the deliberation and approve the measures proposed by the Executive Department within the day," he added.

The Senate will also concurrently hold its special session on Monday, but Senate President Vicente Sotto III wants all senators to be physically present in their plenary hall at least for the roll call. — DVM, GMA News