Cebu solons back Duterte special powers

CEBU, Philippines —  Cebu representatives in the lower house voted yes in support of House Bill No. 6616 or "An Act to declare the existence of a national emergency arising from the Corona Virus 2019 (COVID-19) situation.

The bill authorizes President Rodrigo Duterte to exercise powers necessary and proper to carry out the declared national policy and for other purposes at a limited period and subject to restrictions.

Cebu City North District Rep. Raul del Mar said the danger of COVID-19 to the nation and the rest of the world is clear and present. 

"We should have acted boldly and drastically not yesterday, not a month ago, but months ago when the facts were clear enough to tell us of the hugeness of the crisis," he said.

"I vote for giving the President all the tools and devices, all the weapons he says he needs to beat to the ground the coronavirus and to help the nation get back on its feet. I vote for helping our constituents, more urgently the less privileged Filipinos who cannot work from home and must risk their lives to earn daily wage for their family and the doctors and nurses and health workers who brave the frontline of the battle against the disease.  I vote for rescuing our economy and society from the shambles caused by the crisis. On the wing of the nation’s hope and prayer, I vote for Yes," Del Mar added.

Cebu City South District Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa, meanwhile, said the government should not be hindered by bureaucracy in the war against COVID-19.

Lapu-Lapu City Lone District Rep. Paz Radaza said she voted yes to the bill because "To say that this is of utmost urgency and necessity, is an understatement. We need extraordinary measures not just to address extraordinary concerns, but precisely to overpower this pandemic."

"With sufficient limitations and check mechanisms in place, we badly need the bill," Radaza added.

For his part, Third District Rep. Pablo John Garcia: "I believe I speak on behalf of a great majority of the members from the Visayas region when we manifest our firm and full support to House Bill No. 6616. Just as forcefully as we demand swift, decisive and comprehensive action from the Executive, so must we be swift and decisive today in providing the Executive with the ample powers and resources it urgently needs to defeat the Covid-19 menace, and to alleviate the sufferings of our people in its wake."

Garcia said it was crucial for them to act swiftly and with decisiveness on behalf of the “health frontliners in the Visayas who need immediate relief and reinforcement; for the freelancers and daily wage earners, our workers in the transport sector who have been deprived by this virus of their livelihoods; small retailers and small and medium sized enterprises who are taking a beating; our brothers and sisters who have been laid off by businesses, especially in tourism and travel sectors; and so many others.”

"We believe House Bill No. 6616 provides just this swift and decisive action, while ensuring that the measure is limited in scope and limited in duration to prevent executive abuse," Garcia added.

Fifth District Rep. Duke Frasco said “The clear and present danger that this virus poses calls for extraordinary measures for the protection of our people. I have full trust and confidence in President Duterte."

Fourth District Rep. Janice Salimbangon and Sixth District Rep. Emmarie Ouano Dizon also support the bill.

Dizon said the threat of the virus is real that even advanced countries like the US, China, Italy, Spain and many others have been brought down to their knees working triple time to address the pandemic.

"This is a most challenging time in the history of the human race, and we need swift and decisive action if we are to win this war against the spread of the virus," she said.

Like Abellanosa, Dizon said the President and government instrumentalities should not be hampered by bureaucratic processes in addressing the threat.

First District Rep. Eduardo Gullas said he trusts that Duterte only wants what is good for the country and the Filipinos.

House

Voting 284-9, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading in a historic online special session the Palace-backed measure giving Duterte additional powers to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Administration lawmakers held a nearly 14-hour session that was attended physically in the plenary with 20 House officials led by Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, where at least 267 other House members participated remotely via social media platform Zoom.

A Committee of the Whole presided by House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez approved early in the day House Bill 6616 declaring a national emergency borne out of the outbreak, allowing government some powers “for a limited time and subject to restrictions.”

The measure entitled “Bayanihan Act of 2020” authorizes the executive department to “realign, reallocate and reprogram” about P275 billion in this year’s national budget for purposes of combatting the bronchial disease that has become so widespread.

Among those who opposed were from the six-man Makabayan Bloc, along with independent Reps. Edcel Lagman of Albay and Manuel Cabochan III of party-list Magdalo whose titular head was former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a critic of Duterte.

Insiders and sources said it took the House a long time to vote on second reading primarily because the senators wanted to “adopt” the congressmen’s version, which delayed the proceedings in the plenary, thus prolonging even more the voting for the final reading. Philippine Star News Service, JMO (FREEMAN)