Special Congress session for COVID pushed

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go will push for a special session of Congress to approve a supplemental budget and provide maximum flexibility to President Duterte and concerned agencies to reallocate and utilize funds to combat the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19.

Go said the Executive branch, led by the President and concerned agencies, is doing everything it can to resolve this issue.

Like Go, Senate President Vicente Sotto III wants a special session for Congress to address the crisis brought by the pandemic.

Sotto said the special session would cover all possible assistance to be extended to those affected by the crisis.

But Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said it would not be prudent for the bicameral Congress to convene a special session primarily because concerned agencies still have their budgets to spend and combat COVID-19. 

“It’s not prudent at this point for us to have a special session because we will have to do it creatively. We have things like social distancing and we have health concerns,” Cayetano told journalists on Monday.  

“We, at the Legislative branch, are ready to do what we can to help, especially through much needed legislative action, such as appropriating necessary funds to solve the crisis,” Go said.

Currently, a stimulus package and additional funding from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and contingency fund sources are available for the government to respond to the COVID-19 situation.

Go said the legislative branch could step in and convene for the passage of a supplemental budget to ensure flexibility in the access to funds during this time.

“If the sources prove insufficient, I will recommend to the President that he may call for a special session so that Congress can deliberate on the need to approve a supplemental budget,” Go said.

He said additional funds could be allocated so the government can deliver more financial and food assistance to Filipinos, particularly the vulnerable sectors. 

“At present, there are still enough funds to assist those in need, but we should not be too confident since the problem continues to evolve. Let us anticipate what will happen in the coming days, what happens after the quarantine,” he said  – With Delon Porcalla