Sotto: Congress could hold special session for food subsidy budget on Saturday

MANILA, Philippines — Congress could start tackling a possible food subsidy budget for those affected by the month-long enhanced community quarantine being enforced in  Luzon to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In a text message to INQUIRER.net, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Congress could convene in a special session on Saturday if they can receive a letter from Malacañang on Friday.

“Yes if we receive the President’s letter today,” Sotto said when asked if Congress would hold its special session on Saturday.

The Senate president along with other senators earlier pushed for a special session, which is a period where Congress convenes outside of the normal legislative session, to approve additional funding to extend assistance to those affected by the month-long quarantine.

In an interview on radio station dzMM, Sotto said Congress could pass a bill that would allow the President to use unspent funds to ensure food security amid the health crisis, among others.

“Di ko pa sigurado kung tatawaging supplemental budget pero parang it will be a bill or a law allowing the President to use unused funds for this particular…para sa COVID-19,” he said.

(I’m not sure if we would call it a supplemental budget but it would be like a bill or a law allowing the President to use unused funds for this particular..for COVID-19)

Sotto said his recommendation to hold a special session comes after high-level economists raised the possibility that the funds of local government units (LGUs) would run out by early next week from providing food for its constituents.

“Tinawagan ako ng isa, dalawang mga high-level na mga ekonomista natin, mga malalaking businessmen, ang kinakabahan nila ay by Monday Tuesday, kakapusin na yung mga LGUs at saka mahirap kasi yung puro food distribution e. Bibili kang pagkain, ipe-prepare mo, ibabalot mo, idi-distribute mo,” he said.

(At least two high-level economists, big businessmen, what they’re worried about, by Monday, Tuesday, the funds of LGUs may run out and it’s hard to always resort to food distributions. You will buy the food, prepare it, you will pack it, and then distribute it)

“So ang sinasuggest nila—pinarating ko kagad sa Malacañang, tinawagan ko si Sec. Dominguez—sinasuggest nila, dapat daw cash ang ibigay because economic stimulus pa ‘yon. So, pagka ganon medyo malaki-laki ang involved hindi pwedeng basta supplemental budget lang pero maraming available na budget GAA (General Appropriations Act) nung 2019 at 2020 na alam kong magagamit para diyan because emergency to e, ibang klaseng krisis ito e, baka wala na tayong bansa pag hindi (tayo) kumilos ngayon e,” he added.

(What they are suggesting—I relayed to Malacañang right away, I called Sec. Dominguez—they were suggesting that we should give families cash to buy food because that could also be an economic stimulus. So, if that would be the case, we are talking about a significant amount of money so a mere supplemental budget may not suffice but there is a lot of available budget from the 2019 and 2020 GAA that we can use because this is an emergency, this is a different kind of crisis, e may no longer have a country if we don;t act now)

Sotto said he received word from long-time presidential aide and now Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Thursday that President Rodrigo Duterte has agreed to call for a special session.

“Finoformulate pa namin ngayon, hinihintay ko yung (ipapadala) ng DOF (Department of Finance) sa akin na porma nung magiging bill na paguusapan namin,” he said.

(We are now formulating, I’m waiting for the submission of the DOF on the format of the bill we are talking about)

‘Fastbreak bill’

“Ito fast break na bill ito. Pag finirst reading sa umaga, sinecond reading sa tanghali, thinird reading namin sa hapon dapat,” Sotto said.  (This should be a fastbreak bill. First reading should be done in the morning, second reading in the afternoon and third reading in the late afternoon)

Once approved, the subsidy would be distributed to families, especially to those whose jobs were compromised by the Luzon-wide quarantine.

“Ang involved dito medyo malaki-laking amount na dapat hindi naman ilalabas kundi available sa president agad at available na ilalabas idi-distrubute sa mga kababayan natin, lalu-long na dun sa mga nawalan ng trabaho na walan ng, yung mga ‘no work no pay,’ iyung mga kapos talaga at saka diretso sakanila imbes na yung nangyayari ngaon sa mga LGUs nagkukumahog sila sa pagpe-prepare,” he added.

(This will involve a significant amount of money that would not be immediately released but would be available for the President to distribute to Filipino families, especially to those who lost their jobs, those who are ‘no work, no pay,’ and those whose budget is scarce, the subsidy will be distributed to them instead of LGUs scrambling to prepare food packs).

Luzon is currently placed under an enhanced community quarantine as the number of COVID-19 cases in the country continue to rise.

/MUF