Duterte may still need Bayanihan 2 – Palace

MANILA, Philippines, June 26 ------ Another “Bayanihan” law may have to be enacted to sustain government efforts to address the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) contagion and its impact on livelihood, presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said yesterday. With the Bayanihan Act having expired along with the emergency powers of President Duterte, Roque said the Chief Executive would likely call for a meeting to determine if there is need for a special session of Congress to enact a new measure such as a stimulus package.

“The President will call for a special session once a consensus is reached over how much a stimulus package should be,” Roque said in Filipino. He said the administration was doing a “good job” in dealing with the health crisis, as there are now fewer deaths reported compared to other countries in Southeast Asia. “We’re third in ASEAN, but I think worldwide, we have done a very good job, especially in limiting mortality,” he said. Due to the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, which expired yesterday, Roque said Duterte was able to maximize the use of government resources in the fight against COVID-19. “Because of the special powers given to the President, we had no deficiency in medical supplies which we need in facing COVID-19 because we already acquired it. We were unhindered by stringent procurement rules,” he said.

Roque added that the government was also able to provide assistance to about 12 million to 18 million beneficiaries through a social amelioration program. “And as far as giving assistance to the public is concerned, there are about 12 million beneficiaries; with additional five million. So we benefitted 17 million on assistance alone,” he said. He cited other forms of assistance including salary subsidy scheme under the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Agriculture and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration. “I think we’ve done a fairly good job,” Roque said.

Asked how the Bayanihan Act has exactly helped the government, Roque said it has sped up the procurement process for essential medical equipment. “What is important is we were given leeway to buy what we need, unrestricted by the Government Procurement Act and most importantly the powers of the executive to realign funds within the same executive branch of government without the normal customary restrictions provided by the Constitution,” Roque said. “We complied with constitutional requirements because it is only realignment within the same department but without the usual restrictions of COA rules,” he added, referring to the Commission on Audit.

Secretary Vince Dizon, who has been tasked to oversee the government’s testing capacity, said the Bayanihan Act enabled authorities to provide the much-needed critical response to COVID-19. “I think all the hard decisions the President made way back in February and the execution of interventions in the past few months should prove that we have been effective,” Dizon said in Filipino. “The government, with the help of the private sector, and lawmakers have responded effectively in the fight against COVID-19.”

Source: philstar.com