The lone
dissenter in the approval in the third and final reading of the “Bayanihan to
Heal as One Act,”
She asks
the question if the people will really receive as beneficiary the allocation of
the government to fight the novel coronavirus 2019 or COVID-19.
She
questions the law that grants the President “near-absolute control over public
funds in national government agencies and even government-owned and controlled
corporations,” that may be subject to abuse and corruption.
 |
| opposition senator Rissa Hontiveros (photo credit to owner) |
“The President’s new powers
would authorize him to now stop altogether important government projects and
divert their funding to other uses, with little check and balances in place.
Paano ngayon mamomonitor ng taumbayan ang paggamit ng napakalaking mga pondo na
ito, at paano tayo makakasiguro na ito nga ay napupunta sa paglaban sa
COVID-19? Ano ang garantiya na hindi mapupunta ang kaban ng bayan sa mga
negosyante o Chinese companies na malapit sa administrasyon?” Hontiveros
said.
“We cannot and should not
blindly trust the use of these important funds to a government, which during
this health crisis, has chosen to spend P14 billion on tourism projects, but
has been unable to immediately and sufficiently deliver PPEs to our doctors,
health workers, law enforcement agents, and other frontliners,” she adds.
Hontiveros
is of the opinion that there are already existing laws that would answer the
needs of the present situation.
“The Executive Branch
does not need special powers for it to act urgently and decisively in meeting
the immediate needs of the people amid the COVID-19 outbreak. While I am
grateful that my amendment for the provision of cash transfers to poor Filipino
families was included in the bill, even this provision does not require the
grant of new powers. Our arsenal of readily-available laws and policies,
notably the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184), the Price Act (RA
7582) and the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of
Public Health Concern Act (RA 11332), has not been fully utilized in the fight
versus COVID-19.” she said.
“These
laws, if partnered with a supplemental budget, already authorize the government
to purchase ample personal protective equipment (PPEs), medical supplies,
relief packages, and other needed items, secure that prices of basic goods will
remain affordable, and impose preventive community-wide measures to prevent the
spread of COVID-19, among others. I know because these were part of my
proposals during the start of this crisis – a crisis that the government
underestimated at the beginning,” she added.
The opposition
senator also reasons out that mass COVID-19 testing, giving PPEs and hazard pay
to the frontliners is already enough to address the crisis and not the special
powers that was granted to President Duterte.
“Hindi
special powers ang sagot sa pandemic na ito, kundi political will para isulong
ang mass-testing, ibigay ang PPEs at hazard pay sa mga frontliners, at ihatid
ang cash assistance sa mga mahihirap na pamilya at nawalan ng kita. Bakit
special powers na ang hinihingi habang hindi pa tuluyang nagamit ang
kasalukuyang mandato at kapangyarihan na mayroon ang Pangulo?” she stated.
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