Bato dela Rosa: Ayuda for middle-income families okay if gov't has funds

Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa on Thursday said he was open to supporting the distribution of financial aid to families belonging to the middle class as long as the government had the funds to cover it.

The lawmaker made the remark as he said all sectors had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the consecutive increases in fuel cost.

"Dapat mayroon tayong graduation. Calibrated dapat 'yan. Kung kakaunti ang pondo, doon tayo sa pinakamababa pero kung kaya pa i-cover ng pondo natin ang middle class, isama natin sila," Dela Rosa told reporters.

"Kasi sa totoo nga, they are the ones feeding our economy. 'Yung middle class, sila 'yung nagbabayad ng taxes, sila 'yung nagtatrabaho. Kung mapapansin mo 'yung mga nasa pinakababa, 'yung iba d'yan ay hindi nagtatrabaho. So, rational tayo when it comes to giving ayuda," he added.

The senator further stated that the government should give the middle class what is due to them.

Asked on the proposal of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano to distribute one-time cash aid worth P10,000 to each Filipino family, Dela Rosa said it has a "very noble intention" but the funding for this should be consulted with the economic managers.

"The intention of Senator Alan Cayetano ay napakaganda... Ako rin mismo, kung kaya natin ibigay yan, ibigay natin pero pag sinabi ng economic managers ng gobyerno na hindi kaya, then do'n ako kakampi sa kanila kasi anong gagawin natin kung hindi kaya 'di ba?" Dela Rosa said.

"So maging praktikal tayo pagdating d'yan pero kung tanungin natin 'yung rationale behind that panukalang batas ni Senator Cayetano, napakaganda po niyan. Very noble ang intention niya sana matutupad yan," he added.

In June, Bagong Henerasyon Partylist Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy said the government should consider providing rice subsidies for poor to middle-income households amid the soaring prices of fuel and other basic products. —NB, GMA News