THE validity of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan Act) needs to be extended to give the national government more leeway to implement programs to contain the spread of the contagious novel coronavirus, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said on Thursday.
Lacson, in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel, pointed out that the validity of the Bayanihan Act, which was signed into law by President Duterte on March 24, has a three-month effectivity ending on June 24.
“I think it’s necessary. At the rate we’re going, we cannot be out of this problem by June 24,” Lacson said as he noted that the COVID-19 pandemic is still far from being contained as medical and pharmaceutical experts have yet to find a cure or develop a vaccine.
“The Bayanihan Act will expire in June 24 and I assume Malacañang and the executive branch, they are already preparing a draft legislation to allow the President to continue enjoying the powers of realigning the budget and all other powers we gave him under the Bayanihan Act, including exemptions from RA 9184 or the Government Procurement Act,” Lacson said.
The Bayanihan Act, which was approved by Congress in a special session on March 23, granted the President special powers to realign funds from the 2019 and 2020 General Appropriations Act to fund the government’s campaign against COVID-19, including the Special Amelioration Program (SAP) which sought to provide financial assistance to an estimated 18 million low income earners and members of vulnerable sectors.
The last day of congressional sessions will be on June 4. Lawmakers will reconvene in July after the sine die adjournment.
