Lawmakers are proposing a special session at the Senate to be recommended to President Rodrigo Duterte in relation to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the move aims to address problems in public order and financial crisis amid the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.
Sotto’s proposal for a food subsidy budget for workers amounting to Php 27 billion will be discussed if the session takes place.
“I suggest for Congress to pass a food subsidy budget in order to provide for the daily wage earners who lost their income… While a Php 500 per day per family would be the ideal subsidy, a Php 300 per family day assistance will have to do, considering the financial constraint that such an additional expenditure would cause the national treasury,” Sotto said.
“The proposed Php 300 per family per day subsidy for 30 days in the NCR will amount to about Php 27 billion. The experts can extrapolate depending on the number of poor,” he added.
Workers covered by “No work, no pay” policy will be included as recipients of the subsidy.
Sotto said the session will not require the entire attendance of lawmakers and it might be conducted through a skeletal work force.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson Sr. has supported the move and is positive President Duterte will approve.
“The senators, initiated by SP Sotto are in discussion as we speak, to suggest to the President to call for a special session of Congress with the purpose of passing a supplemental budget to support some specific items primarily to respond to the COVID 19 crisis. The plight of the senior citizens’ monthly subsidy even for a limited time I’m sure will be considered,” Lacson said.
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go also joined Sotto on the special session move and assured the legislative department is ready to coordinate with the chief executive.
Go said the government has sufficient funds but warned to not be complacent as the problem is evolving.
“Isipin din natin (We should think of) what happens in the coming days, what happens after the quarantine, and let us think of all possible scenarios,” Go said.
The special session is being eyed to be conducted via teleconferencing as social distancing measures are being observed. – Report from Eunice Samonte
