Senators want Duterte to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in 5th SONA

Lawmakers expressed on Saturday what they want to hear from President Rodrigo Duterte at his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.

Senator Sonny Angara and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri both said they want the President to reveal the government's roadmap and action plan with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As we open up from various stages of quarantine I would like to hear more on the new normal or next normal in terms of our children’s education since we have over 20 million of our children in schools,” Angara said in a statement.

Classes are set to open on August 24 for school year 2020-2021 via a mix of face-to-face and distant learning. The face-to-face classes will be held in schools meeting the minimum health standards located in areas considered as having low risk for COVID-19.

Angara however said the Department of Education (DepEd) should exercise "extreme caution". He said that in China and France, “there was a second wave and the schools were one of the super spreaders of the virus.”

As for distance or hybrid learning, the senator said he supports it but added that the entire student population should have reliable internet and access to all digital tools needed.

Angara also said he wants Duterte to expound on the government's plans on how to improve the health system in light of the pandemic.

“I would also like to hear if we have improved (or plan to improve) our health systems to have better testing, contact tracing and quarantine facilities nationwide,” he said. 

Angara said he believes contact tracing needs to be improved.

“I think it is something we don’t do very well yet—to trace and to limit the spread of COVID. This should all be done in real time so that government is able to react faster. They can contact certain people and make sure they are isolated in quarantine,” the senator said.

As for labor, Angara said he is hoping Duterte would discuss a concrete plan to address joblessness and the pandemic's effect on businesses.

“I want to hear how government can help those  in the informal sector, employees of badly affected businesses and in poorer areas/regions. Bold steps would go a long way in restoring hope and optimism going forward,” he said.

Angara, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, said the proposed Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) is already up for approval on third reading.

Bayanihan 2 will allow Duterte to realign funds in budgets of different agencies to address challenges from the pandemic.

Some P140 billion has been allocated under Bayanihan 2 for fiscal stimulus and relief.

Next steps

Meanwhile, Zubiri said he is looking to Duterte to reveal the next crucial steps in the fight against COVID-19.

"This is a crucial period — we're easing community quarantines across the country but we're still battling the rapid spread of the virus. So the SONA is very timely, and I'm hoping the President will spell out the next crucial steps for us," he said in a statement.

Zubiri mentioned the COVID-19 vaccine, Bayanihan 2, economic stimulus, tax incentives, and education as topics he hopes the President would discuss.

"It would be great to hear about the government's procurement plans for it [vaccine], and perhaps a timeline of when we should expect the vaccine to be made available to our hospitals and our people," he said.

Zubiri said the Senate is "ready to include the budget for the vaccination program in the Bayanihan II bill, or maybe the 2021 national budget."

The lawmaker said senators are also hoping to pass the Bayanihan 2 bill on third reading right after the SONA.

"We're still at something of an impasse for the economic stimulus package provided in that bill, and it's been difficult getting the House, the Senate, and the Department of Finance on the same page regarding the amount. I'm hoping to get some guidance from the President, so we can move forward," Zubiri said.

The senator is also counting on Duterte to make the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) bill urgent so it can be passed soon. The bill will "help businesses rebuild, recover, and retain jobs for their employees," he said, citing the 5% corporate tax cut provided in the proposed legislation.

Zubiri said he also hopes Duterte would talk about the plans for the coming school year given that internet connection remains a challenge in remote areas, and the importance of good manners and right conduct, after the GMRC and Values Education Act was signed a month ago.

Crucial

Senate President Vicente Sotto III in a radio interview on Saturday said Duterte will be discussing crucial important matters during his SONA.

"Oo, tingin ko napakahalaga ng mga bibitiwan ng Presidente na mga kataga diyan. Kasi 'yung mga pangamba, makakabawas ng pangamba ng mga kababayan natin kung makikita natin na dokumentado ang babanggitin at kung ano ang plano at programa o kung ang plano at programa noong mga nakaraang buwan ay nagampanan," he said. 

Malacañang has said Duterte will push through with his plan to be physically present at the Batasang Pambansa on Monday to deliver his fifth SONA despite COVID-19 cases in the Palace and the House of Representatives.

"'Yun ang option 1," Sotto said.

He said there were two other options should a change in plans be warranted. These are to have Duterte deliver the SONA at the Palace and have Sotto and House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano go there, or have Duterte stay at the Palace and Sotto and Cayetano will be at the Senate and the Batasang Pambansa, respectively.

"'Pag magkaroon ng pagbabago, magbibigay ng advisory — two or three options. One is sa Malacañang gagawin, kaming dalawa ni Speaker ang papupuntahin. Other option sa Malacañang si Presidente, sa Senate ako, sa Congress si House Speaker," Sotto said.

Palace spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte will present the country’s COVID-19 recovery plan during the address. —KG, GMA News