MANILA — The Senate adjourned sine die early Thursday morning without passing the proposed bill seeking a PHP1.16-billion supplemental budget to fund the medical needs of children who were administered the Dengvaxia vaccine due to lack of quorum.
Senator Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, raised the issue around 2 a.m. after the chamber resumed session following its approval of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law.
She insisted that the Senate should pass the bill, stressing that the supplemental budget bill has also been certified urgent by President Rodrigo R. Duterte and that Dengvaxia recipients should not be made to wait until the 3rd Regular Session of the 17th Congress opens on July 23.
The supplemental budget would allow the utilization of around PHP1.16 billion worth of refund from Zuellig Pharma, the local distributor of Sanofi Pasteur, to cover the amount of the unused Dengvaxia vaccines.
The fund intends to address the needs of 870,000 Dengvaxia recipients, which would cover the medical assistance program for hospitalization, as well as the outpatient health services for the vaccinees.
Part of the fund would also be allocated for public health management and for human resource for health deployment.
Legarda also pointed out that the House of Representatives has already approved its version of the supplemental budget measure on Tuesday and only needs the Senate’s approval for it to be submitted to Malacañang for Duterte’s signature.
“I can read my sponsorship speech now. We can pass it,” Legarda pleaded.
However, Senate Minority Franklin Drilon questioned the absence of a quorum on the floor.
“The rule is, we should have a quorum to discuss or take up any business. We’re here, but unfortunately there are not enough of our colleagues in the hall to constitute a quorum and therefore we could not conduct business,” Drilon said.
“We can’t take up anything if we have no quorum, Mr. President,” he added.
Despite Legarda’s pleadings, Drilon’s motion was carried by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senate President Vicente Sotto III. (Jose Cielito Reganit/PNA)
