Senators call for swift release of emergency aid: ‘Aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo?’

Lawmakers in the Senate on Monday urged the executive leaders to fast-track the distribution of P5,000 to P8,000 emergency subsidies to poor Filipino families on the verge of starving as the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine enters its third week of implementation.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the release of the aid should be "immediate" after Congress granted additional powers to President Rodrigo Duterte for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response.

"We have incorporated into the Bayanihan Act everything needed by the people. It's now in the hands of the executive department and the local government units. The President is empowered to suspend or remove any local official who is not responding properly," he said in a message to reporters.

Senator Panfilo Lacson also underscored that timeliness is an important aspect in responding to this health emergency.

"The old Filipino adage, 'Aanhin pa ang damo, kung patay na ang kabayo' should be repeatedly reminded to the officials in charge of implementing the distribution of the cash dole-outs to the 18 million families," Lacson said.

"At this time when daily wage earners must have exhausted whatever limited savings and personal loans they subsist on, every meal missed by their children means desperation," he added.

He also stressed that a hungry stomach knows no law.

"We know what desperation can drive a head of the family to do when he sees his family starving," he said.

As of Monday afternoon, Congress was still awaiting the submission of Duterte's first report on the actions he has taken in the past week after he was granted additional powers through the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.

"We want to see the specific mechanisms on how our government operationalized the release of the emergency subsidy worth P5,000 to P8,000, the implementation of the expanded 4Ps, as well as the additional allocation for our emergency employment programs like CAMP (COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program) and TUPAD (Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers)," Senator Joel Villanueva said.

Signed into law last week, the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act grants additional powers to Duterte to address the COVID-19 threats with flexibility. He was authorized to provide P5,000 to P8,000 assistance to around 18 million poor families in the informal sector.

Senators added that the subsidy should be in cash as goods are more prone to abuse and corruption.

Section 5 of the newly-enacted law states that: "The President, during Monday of every week, shall submit a weekly report to Congress of all acts performed pursuant to this Act during the immediately preceding week."

The weekly report shall include the amount and corresponding utilization of the funds that were used, augmented, reprogrammed, reallocated, and realigned for COVID-19 response. — RSJ, GMA News