Palace says proposed Bayanihan 3 still ‘premature’

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. Screenshot from PCOO Facebook video

MANILA, Philippines — Calls for a third Bayanihan law is still “premature”  pending the passage of the proposed national budget for 2021, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto raised the possibility of passing a “Bayanihan 3” measure to help calamity-stricken provinces following the recent typhoons.

“Tignan po muna natin, gaya ng sinabi ni [Finance] Secretary [Sonny] Dominguez, kung ano ang lalabas dito sa binubuong budget ng Kongreso. Kung meron pong kakulangan, puwede naman po magpapasa uli ng Bayanihan 3,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online briefing.

(Let see first, like what Secretary Dominguez said, what will come out of the budget Congress is crafting. If it is still lacking, that’s the time for a Bayanihan 3 to be passed.)

“Pero sa ngayon po, parang premature pa yan dahil hindi pa nakikita kung ano magiging anyo at ano mangyayari doon sa proposed budget for 2021. Baka naman po kung napaloob na yan sa 2021 budget, e hindi na po kakailangan ng Bayanihan 3. Tignan po muna natin,” he added.

(But for now, it’s still premature because we have yet to see what will happen with the proposed budget for 2021. If it’s already in the 2021 budget, a Bayanihan 3 will no longer be needed. Let’s see.)

Congress earlier passed measures to aid the government in its COVID-19 response— the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act or “Bayanihan 1” and the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or “Bayanihan 2.”

JPV