Biz groups want limits to Duterte's 'special powers' to address COVID-19 outbreak
MANILA, Philippines — Business groups on Monday threw their support behind moves to grant President Rodrigo Duterte special powers to fight the coronavirus pandemic and soften the economic blow of the health crisis, but stressed that such powers must have limits.
Duterte on Monday asked Congress to give him sweeping powers to stem the contagion rate and mitigate the damage.
More than a week into the month-long Luzon lockdown, the president said he wants powers to take over private companies when the crisis “reaches its worst” and realign funds in the national budget to fund a fiscal stimulus, among others. If the additional powers were granted, it would set the stage for one of the most far-reaching measures in the world to arrest the spread of the virus.
While there’s a need to “aggressively” combat the pandemic, any law granting the president emergency powers should “not be overly broad and over-reaching,” the Makati Business Club and 21 other business groups said in a statement.
The Department of Health on Monday afternoon reported 82 new COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, the highest daily jump for the country so far, which brought the national tally to 462. Of those, 33 died due to infection complications while 18 recovered.
The drastic containment measures imposed by the government highlights the Philippines’ struggle to arrest the spread of the disease, worsened by limited supply of test kits and the country’s weak health infrastructure.
In their statement, the 22 business groups said lawmakers must tread lightly and ensure that the Supreme Court’s guidelines on budget realignments and nationalization of private enterprises will be followed to avoid “constitutional challenges”.
The businessmen also said Duterte’s special powers should only last for two months and any requests for extension must be acted on by Congress to keep the system of checks and balances in the government.
“In order to minimize the damage of COVID-19 to the people and the economy, we urge Congress to pass quickly the special law at the earliest possible time,” they said.
At Duterte’s request, some of the country’s powerful companies have been moving to help blunt the economic pain from the pandemic.
On Monday, a band of tycoons that include ABS-CBN Corp., San Miguel Corp. and Jollibee Foods Corp. announced they raised over P1.5 billion to help poor households in the capital weather the health crisis.
Some companies have also vowed to keep their employees paid for the duration of the lockdown. Meanwhile, banks granted reprieve to borrowers who might not be able to pay their loans in time.
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