Stimulus package complete, but Palace undecided on special session

The proposed stimulus package intended to revive the pandemic-battered economy has been completed, but the executive branch is still studying whether to ask Congress to hold special sessions to pass the measure, Malacañang said yesterday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque noted that Congress would start a new regular session soon.

“On the matter of special sessions, the opening (of regular session) will happen soon so we’ll see what will happen. What is important is the legislative and the executive branches have agreed on the extension of emergency powers and the stimulus package, which has been completed, according to the latest news I heard,” Roque said at a press briefing.

Last week, Roque said Malacañang would ask Congress to hold special sessions to pass the bill extending President Duterte’s emergency powers to respond to the pandemic and allocating funds to a stimulus package.

The Bayanihan law, which provided Duterte additional powers to fight the coronavirus disease 2019, expired last June 25.

Roque previously said the government can only afford to allot P140 billion for a stimulus package as it faces decreasing tax revenues because of lockdown restrictions. Congress will start a new regular session on July 27.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III, meanwhile, said yesterday a special session for Congress to pass Bayanihan 2 extending the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, which gave President Duterte the power to realign budget to help address COVID-19, will not have a huge impact anymore.

Sotto said Congress will resume session in two weeks, alongside President Duterte’s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA).

“We have barely a few days before July 27. A special session will not have a big effect at this point. It should have been called a month ago or two weeks ago,” Sotto said.

Sotto said the proposals in the Bayanihan 2 from the executive department and the House of Representatives can be done through different legislative measures.

In another development, four more Senate staff members tested positive for COVID-19, bringing to nearly 20 the total individuals infected with the virus in the Senate, prompting a call for a lockdown of the legislative building for disinfection, Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said.