Bayanihan 3 budget realignment urged
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Sunday recommended anew the realignment of several items in the national budget in order to augment the funds needed for the stimulus packages under Bayanihan 3.
This comes following his call for President Rodrigo Duterte last week to convene the Congress for a special session and discuss the passage of the third Bayanihan measure.
He said it is vital for the government to provide another round of cash assistance to low-income families and businesses that were affected by the imposed enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in greater Manila area.
If the lack of budget is the problem, Drilon said the government can source it by realigning funds allocated for intelligence and the fight against anti-insurgency.
“I don’t think it is enough to say that the government does not have enough money. We have a lot of funds, we just need to utilize it correctly,” Drilon said.
“We want to discuss Bayanihan 3 and the transfer of funds from allocated items that are not needed (intelligence and anti-insurgency) to the assistance programs that will help thousands of workers who lost their source of income,” he added.
Filed by House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, the proposed measure aims to provide subsidies for displaced workers and workers of small businesses amid the ongoing pandemic.
It also targets to provide P1,000 cash assistance to all Filipinos regardless of their income tax classification.
Velasco earlier said that it is now being studied by the House Committee on Economic Affairs and Social Services and is expected to be finished at the committee level before the resumption of session.
President Rodrigo Duterte has approved earlier a P1,000 worth of ayuda or subsidy to affected individuals with a maximum of P4,000 assistance to every family in ECQ areas.
The Palace, however, said it is not keen on extending the ECQ set to expire on 11 April since it can no longer provide cash assistance to the affected residents.