By Ken Bornilla
Senate President Vicente Sotto III has confirmed in today’s Laging Handa Public Briefing that Sen. Manny Pacquiao has filed Senate Bill 2123 or the Expanded Stimulus Package Act of 2021 that would provide ₱335 billion stimulus package to several sectors greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Sotto, the Senate Bill has only four to five provisions which are different from that of Bayanihan 3. This is yet to be studied and scrutinized by the Upper Chamber.
Sotto assured that that once passed, Bayanihan 3 will be funded to help alleviate the Filipino’s situation in these trying times.
Sotto said, “I’m confident na ito’y kayang pondohan ng gobyerno. Marami tayong unused budget every year. Ilagay lang sa lugar, kayang pondohan yan sa kasalukuyang appropriation o sa parating na appropriation para sa 2022 (I’m confident that this can be funded by the government We have so much unused budget every year. Just put it in the right place, this can be funded by the current appropriation or the upcoming appropriation for 2022)”.
Meanwhile, Sotto announced that the Senate Building is still on lockdown due to the rising number of Coronavirus Disease cases among its employees which prompted the Senators to procure about 5,000 doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccines. This will be given first to medical frontliners working at the Senate.
He also stressed that there is no need for the Inter Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to be disbanded. Instead, he proposed that more medical experts should be added to the policy-making body.
On the issue of high pork prices, amidst the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak, Sotto expressed the Senate’s full support for the declaration of national calamity if in case it will be needed.
He also weighed in on the issue of lowering tariff rates on imported pork. Tariffs should not be lowered since it will not only be the cause for loss of income of the government, but also to local hog raisers who are now struggling to survive.
