Govt may not need to sell assets for COVID-19 response – Sotto

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III believes the country’s battle with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will not come to a point where the government would have to sell its assets to fund its response to the pandemic.

“I do not think it will get to that point considering the serious ways we are undertaking to address the disease,” Sotto said in a message to reporters on Thursday.

During President Rodrigo Duterte’s televised addressed late Wednesday night, he raised the possibility of selling assets of the government as a last resort should funds for the COVID-19 response run out.

But Sotto said Duterte’s pronouncement may just be an assurance from the chief executive that all efforts will be exhausted in the country’s fight against the pandemic,

“I believe the President is merely giving us the assurance that he will do whatever it takes to fund the health and recovery of the entire country,” Sotto said.

Several senators have already earlier assured that the government has enough sources to tap funds from for its response against the pandemic.

This was after Duterte earlier told Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III to source more funds for the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that the around P270 billion already allotted was “not enough.”

The Philippins, so far, has 3,870 confirmed COVID-19 cases.

One hundred eighty two patients have died  while 96 have managed to recover from the illness.

GSG