House willing to hold special session during break – Cayetano

MANILA, Philippines — As the country faces several concerns, such as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said Wednesday that the lower chamber would be willing to hold special sessions during its Lenten break.

“I would like to address the Office of the President and the Senate, the House of Representatives is willing to work,” Cayetano said n his speech right before the House adjourned its session before its nearly two-month break:

So if you want to change the legislative calendar and [in] the next few weeks you want to hold sessions and change the calendar, we are OK with that,” Cayetano said, speaking partly in Filipino.

In an interview with reporters following the session, Cayetano said lawmakers were discussing various issues related to COVID-19 which prompted them to decide that it would be better “to continue talking to the executive, to health experts, to look into the budget, to look into the releases rather than do constituency work.”

Another reason for holding special sessions is practicality, Cayetano said.

He said many lawmakers could not travel to their respective areas due to the threat of COVID-19.

“No one can travel whether it’s going back and forth to their areas because if you ride a plane you’ll be in crowded areas or even international commitments. They usually happen this time, but no one wants to travel,” Cayetano said.

Today is the last session day of the House before its Lenten break. It will resume regular sessions on May 4.

But if the Senate would not like to hold special hearings, Cayetano said his fellow congressmen could instead hold committee hearings and roundtables.

Cayetano said representatives should no longer wait for the COVID-19 situation to worsen, saying the House should be proactive in coming up with possible solutions in coordination with the executive department.

“Let’s come up with executive-legislative solutions. Let’s meet with the private sector and businesses on how we can help. Let’s meet with our constituents and let’s ask the government to release the funds that are needed,” Cayetano said.

/atm