BY Jocelyn Montemayor and Wendell Vigilia
PRESIDENTIAL spokesman Harry Roque on Thursday said President Duterte is not certifying as urgent the extension of the Bayanihan We Heal as One Act, “for now.”
Roque did not give a reason why but prior to his statement, he said in a briefing that the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives had already committed to approve law before they adjourn Thursday.
The Bayanihan Act 2 aims to extend the validity of the law until September 30.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has begun plenary deliberations on a bill extending the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act and setting aside P162 billion for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response measures.
The plenary convened into the committee of the whole late Wednesday night and approved the “Bayanihan to Recover as One Act” under House Bill 6953.
The House then opened plenary deliberations on the measure so it could be approved on second reading but the Senate adjourned sine die yesterday without approving the measure on final reading.
On Wednesday night, the Senate passed on second reading SB 1564. Under the rules, the senators cannot immediately pass it on third and final reading without a “certification as urgent bill” from President Duterte.
Before the adjournment, Senate President Vicente Sotto III presided over the last session of the 1st regular session of the 18th Congress where he temporarily suspended the session to wait for Malacanang’s decision whether to certify SB 1564 as urgent.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson, in a virtual interview before yesterday’s last regular session, said the emergency powers of the President to readily respond to the COVID-19 pandemic will be lost upon the expiration of Bayanihan Act on June 5 when Congress is on a sine die adjournment.
House leaders met last night and decided to resume session this morning to resume deliberations and approve the bill on second reading. Today is the last day of the session under the legislative calendar.
A source said lawmakers may just wait for the Executive to call for a special session during the break to allow them to approve the measure.
Deputy speaker for finance Luis Raymund Villafuerte, a principal author of the bill, said that while the measure has similar provisions in the Bayanihan To Heal As One Act which is set to expire on June 24, the new measure is an “enhanced version.”
“It encompasses subsidies for displaced workers from regular employees to contract workers, displaced OFWs, students both in public and private institutions, (micro, small, medium enterprises) as well as farmers and fisherfolk,” Villafuerte said.
The Senate has already approved its version of the bill on second reading.
The measure also provides for the grant of P5,000 to P8,000 subsidy which no covers “all affected” Filipinos such as low-income families, those are in the informal employment sector, and households who have OFWs who have recently gone home.
Sen. Grace Poe said funding for protected bicycle lanes and sidewalks is ensured under SB 1564 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act that was passed on second reading at the Senate on Wednesday night.
Poe made the assurance in anticipation of the use of bicycles as one of the main means of transportation under the “new normal” as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Poe, Senate public services committee chair, said the allocation for protected bicycles lanes and sidewalks form part of the P17 billion proposed budget for the Department of Transportation programs to assist the critically-impacted sectors in the transport industry which was included in SB 1564.
Also included in the DOTr budget is the purchase of bicycles, bicycle racks and other safety equipment for bicycle-sharing programs under SB 1564. — With Raymond Africa
