Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo has responded to the claim of Senator Franklin Drilon that the ₱72.5 billion budget of the government for the purchase of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) vaccines is an “unfunded check.”
“Bakit naman hindi malinaw? Malinaw nga roon kung magkano ang ibibigay sa COVID-19 response, ‘di ba? Nakalagay naman na COVID. Ganoon pa rin ‘yun… Ang importante roon, naka-program iyan sa COVID-19 response (It is already clear how much will be allocated for COVID-19 response… What is important is it is already programmed for the COVID-19 response),” Panelo pointed out.
Drilon recently questioned “how the government can raise at least ₱70 billion next year” for vaccine procurement “as only ₱2.5 billion would be guaranteed under the 2021 spending outlay.”
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque has earlier emphasized that the procurement of vaccines will not depend entirely on the national budget.
“Nandiyan pa rin po iyong mga pwede nating utangin, na napakaliit naman ng interest rates sa mga multilateral lending agency kagaya ng ADB [Asian Development Bank] at ng World Bank, at saka doon sa mga bansa mismo na nagma-manufacture ng bakuna (We can borrow money with low interest rates from multilateral lending agencies like the ADB and World Bank and countries that manufacture vaccines),” he explained.
As for the suggestion of Senator Ping Lacson to review the proposed national budget for next year amid “dubious items in the Department of Public Works and Highways’ allocation for 2021,” Panelo assured that President Duterte is a lawyer who “knows his law” and will veto unconstitutional portions.
Aside from the passage of the national budget, the chief executive’s other activities include leading the meeting with the National Peace and Order Council and Regional Peace and Order Council Clusters through video conferencing. He also conferred the Order of Sikatuna with the rank of Datu on outgoing South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Han Dong-man. – Report from Mela Lesmoras
