MANILA — The Senate and the House of Representatives are convene a special session to pass a P54-billion budget for the country[s response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III said yesterday lawmakers were just waiting for President Rodrigo Duterte’s letter of request to formalize the special session, which could happen as early as today.
“I have the assurance of both the majority and minority groups that most of them, if not all of them, will be attending kung iko-convene ko bukas. Oras na lang ang pinag-uusapan, ang sulat na lang ng Pangulo ang hinihintay ko,” Sotto said.
He added that he made the request for the special session through Finance secretary Carlos Dominguez III.
House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano is also ready to do the session via teleconferencing, according to Sotto.
“The funds are readily available but would need special authority from Congress — which has the sole power to allocate where government money is spent — to be used for COVID-19 response and relief efforts,” Sotto said.
Right now, he added, “Ang nakikita namin is a bill or a law that will allow the President to realign and to use the unused funds na available sa gobyerno ngayon, na ibigay ng cash diretso sa mga kababayan natin strictly for the COVID-19 crisis,” he added.
There is P18 billion unreleased for unconditional cash transfers under the 2019 budget and P36 billion in the current spending plan which could be used to test patients, contain the spread of the disease, and compensate displaced workers, according to Sotto./PN
