Netizens, among them celebrities, have been asking where did the P 275 billion additional funds that the government will access go or how has it been spent so far?
On March 25, the Bayanihan Act to Heal As One Act or RA 11469 was passed into law granting additional powers to President Rodrigo Duterte. Among those powers is to use the savings from the national budget for addressing the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. Rep. LRay Villafuerte said around P 275 billion pesos can be allotted.
On the first week after the approval, when Duterte was due to report to Congress, his eight hours delayed address to the public did not disclose the plans pursuant of the act nor the report or breakdown on the allocations of the budget, failing to comply to the Section 5 of Bayanihan Act.
Khalil Ramos, an actor and singer, urged the masses to stay vigilant as to where the budget will be utilized. He said, “Two hundred seventy-five billion. We have all the right to know how every single centavo will be spent. Wag niyong palusutin, Pilipinas!”
[Don’t let this out of your sight, Philippines!]
Gretchen Ho, an athlete and TV host, questioned the lack of the government’s concrete plan in response to the pandemic. “Virus pa rin ba ang kalaban dito? Nasaan na ang konkretong plano?”
[Is the virus still the public enemy? Where are the concrete plans?]
“We need plans. We need the mass testing. We need the breakdown. Not threats” Jane Oineza said in her tweet.
Let’s go friends hanapin natin ang 275B! pic.twitter.com/BVD8aPxSpC
— MAJA (@dprincessmaja) April 2, 2020
Investigate your own minions Mr. Duterte. 275B someone is set for life FO SHO ? https://t.co/F94KqheE7D
— Enchong Dee (@enchongdee777) April 2, 2020
Let’s not forget the 275B please
— Dan Villegas (@danvillegas) April 1, 2020
This government is distracting us by going after public servants that people trust. The very ones doing something to help alleviate this crisis. They’re up to something.
STAY VIGILANT! Eyes on the 275B!
— sibey??? (@crimson_styx) April 2, 2020
It is now March 30. Duterte is compelled by the law to report on the whereabouts of the 275B that came with his emergency powers. Why do doctors have to be on social media to ask for PPEs? What's with garbage bags as protective gear? That's not safe. What happened to the money? pic.twitter.com/JWWOkdY4Ya
— Kristine Ong Muslim (@kristinemuslim) March 30, 2020
Kung may allocation na yung 275B, bigyan dapat tayo ng calendar.
❗️Day of purchasing
❗️Target day of arrival of goods
❗️Target day of repacking
❗️Target day of distribution and arrival to Cities
❗️Mayors now do their job to distribute— James Burn (@iamJAMESBURN) April 2, 2020
The government said that P 200 billion will be used up for social amelioration fund only for low-income families “badly affected” by the current COVID-19 outbreak and total lockdown implemented in Luzon and other parts of the country.
“Meron tayong ₱200 billion na ibinigay sa akin ng Kongreso para gastusin ko. Iyon naman ho ang ginagamit kong pakalat ngayon na pera para mabigyan ang lahat. Galing doon sa walang trabaho, may trabaho, kalahating trabaho. Ang mga mayaman, hindi na kasali,” Duterte said in his public address on March 30.
[We have P200 billion given to me by Congress to spend. That is the money I will use to give to everyone. I will use the money to benefit everyone, those who have no job, who has part-time job. The rich will be excluded.]
On April 2, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Wendel Avisado told media that it has so far released 100 billion or half of the amount allotted to social amelioration program.
Duterte is required to report to Congress on the exercise of his additional powers every Monday.
FACTS ONLY: Senator Risa Hontiveros warned us of the possible abuse and corruption if the President were granted special powers.
Walang plano, walang baseline. #FactGanern
Source: https://www.facebook.com/factganernpokemon/photos/a.1219613084765479/3131938600199575/?type=3&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARC02U87JqhOVyuFYGGl_BQ6JncKRDjxUJeTj0TCkEolDhHarnHbGhKtPy0Hy2MRdFevB6BLzW0JPpzYWCT-acN5vjaLLBLxfWG9MXe39KmZbCXNYOr8xaitWKEl_zz-zxIaQKsFvqlNI9SxdkDIkMamUcmJPjBlVLN6zoL4281gC-fHv973LqeM2QrzrwZgRAc01pLLKjmHgXV-rxQtg0mdnGZ94lSWq1nsTm-GucJ6ExzsR8JGTjuZPFTwPNfGESLvYPu5y-TyOCq90sqXv9LJ0vONPlC53eOW0f9D-ny66nGvvrqvaKApOhQhOUYXTrFivK4QwAIUVgD_bIWptWDC5kpN&__tn__=-R
“The President should at least have provided the people w/ concrete plans to address the COVID-19 crisis. But after an almost 8-hour delay, his late night talk show was a prelude to bad sleep.
The Quarantine is essential at this time to slow the spread of the virus. But it cannot stand alone. For it to be effective, it should be backed up by intensified actions to increase the capacity of our health system, conduct mass testing, & protect our health workers.
What are the steps being taken to enhance our capacity for mass testing? How do we ensure that there are enough PPEs for our frontline health workers? How do we get the funds to the most vulnerable as soon as possible? We need to mobilize the funds now. Kailangan na ito ng taumbayan.
To defeat COVID, a sense of urgency is needed.”
From Risa Hontiveros ?
Source: https://www.facebook.com/hontiverosrisa/photos/a.244112475656/10163728939920657/?type=3&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARB2Y0ibmUZ_A7FLsAqi9M6vYupcGwgmQYtk8djceA5pr_4ddNfmZ8mjRgoss4NoeX05OKA8Xwf_J3H95w2yAwO-h9cHIixOckZsTQVS-HkNjqu_BmL3kIstvWmyDiGtfgUzqiQFq7GYqzIgTE3HRWc6YN3Q_-JMr_fLLNjIvBRiMkYH4oRyv8oOwEF-9iDSdM8CLgYONrZ0ONN6aukUze0CZxeNRbAq_ryGThx4WrBk0WsnsHDkNLdPityIw-sBD-_uD-crKOjamQL_3r7gdtAhFKO3eI7fEz3Ew0DvcVijZ6K1UchmHSjxxVO64oZF0HVQ3YHCIlrc7AgYDWLk&__tn__=-R
“Hindi po ‘swerte’ ang mga health workers na namatay dahil sa COVID-19.
Our health workers should not have been dying in the first place if they had been given ample PPEs & access to testing.
Ngayong may special powers and funds, no more excuses.”
From Risa Hontiveros
Source: https://www.facebook.com/hontiverosrisa/posts/10163728094775657?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARBbz8wBcAi4UF55k87S5kw21K4cMokmuQF–v3ai9SRmc8vCqxuHnde48fkKJOwmAh4q1sKg6bFB0-TKe2qXjBw0rfKw3v2htMJxnVxiMpGeG6vNeogxFSpsHeFMLjpxSIPSr65xrYAUhBM9u1n9QZtW53mVPAlHyirX6fqR6kSML7ml2bSwYuJ5I7cat0bZbedWmBEwPdAWK8K_h6mI4ZiF6IDnvLfWPFC2ZwHLhjaF5hBTwYJblRlVe8tSykeN5TibQXBkdk43lELnx_B-os04Wzbufgh2dwuKwBZGIifI0mZdR-efsvfkkNffh9F6pBX4ISTpOoVaNBS&__tn__=-R
“Ang mga senior citizens, mga buntis at sanggol, at ang mga may kondisyong medikal tulad ng hypertension, diabetes, asthma, at iba pa, ay kailangang MAG-DOBLE INGAT!
Kung meron kayong kasama sa bahay na immunocompromised, siguraduhing hindi na sila umaalis ng bahay at dapat nadidisinfect ng madalas ang mga kagamitan sa inyong tahanan.
Ingat palagi, mga mahal!”
From Risa Hontiveros
https://www.facebook.com/hontiverosrisa/photos/a.244112475656/10163688235435657/?type=3&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCYHu6EDUMcVtssbqXQnV0EWMwExp8hdzKriAnCUx7pREPlvjiZq-tpcN413YHBFnP0QFbi1S6gWZRrNkM2MVuuk8OFg-WCifDRYhtzXDYB0UkRHbefE0yrpPYn8E8YtmTCBWkemUfRz0wWKFZ7RCQBLE9KYHll20SPczZVf5-oF4NRzT0qXC1xdewBEQpIXEnhOONmdI-OzCk8HwqMIHwgYfIEY3jX9Pfyp2FAMZfTiEbBgbpoVZyuTqW5HV1grh49ahFB1PU4CCEfENS3lu2SxRLe2zDQp4Q7tMkCzp-6ExK_eBX1d5VBZ5VvJxRa6AbSbqBqkOTlq3bjz-eu&__tn__=-R
“I voted “NO” to the special powers because it grants the President unchecked powers that are open to abuse and corruption. It also gives the President a virtual blank check with no clear plan nor strategy to defeat COVID-19.
Paano natin masisigurado na mapupunta ang pondo sa taumbayan?
In the measure, the President has near-absolute control over public funds in national government agencies and even government-owned and controlled corporations. The President’s new powers would authorize him to now stop altogether important government projects and divert their funding to other uses, with little check and balances in place. Paano ngayon mamomonitor ng taumbayan ang paggamit ng napakalaking mga pondo na ito, at paano tayo makakasiguro na ito nga ay napupunta sa paglaban sa COVID-19? Ano ang garantiya na hindi mapupunta ang kaban ng bayan sa mga negosyante o Chinese companies na malapit sa administrasyon?
We cannot and should not blindly trust the use of these important funds to a government, which during this health crisis, has chosen to spend P14 billion on tourism projects, but has been unable to immediately and sufficiently deliver PPEs to our doctors, health workers, law enforcement agents and other frontliners.
The Executive Branch does not need special powers for it to act urgently and decisively in meeting the immediate needs of the people amid the COVID-19 outbreak. While I am grateful that my amendment for the provision of cash transfers to poor Filipino families was included in the bill, even this provision does not require the grant of new powers. Our arsenal of readily-available laws and policies, notably the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184), the Price Act (RA 7582) and the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act (RA 11332), has not been fully utilized in the fight versus COVID-19.
These laws, if partnered with a supplemental budget, already authorize the government to purchase ample personal protective equipment (PPEs), medical supplies, relief packages and other needed items, secure that prices of basic goods will remain affordable, and impose preventive community-wide measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, among others.
I know because these were part of my proposals during the start of this crisis – a crisis that the government underestimated at the beginning.
Hindi special powers ang sagot sa pandemic na ito, kundi political will para isulong ang mass-testing, ibigay ang PPEs at hazard pay sa mga frontliners, at ihatid ang cash assistance sa mga mahihirap na pamilya at nawalan ng kita. Bakit special powers na ang hinihingi habang hindi pa tuluyang nagamit ang kasalukuyang mandato at kapangyarihan na mayroon ang Pangulo?
Ang hinihingi ng publiko ay klarong programa laban sa krisis na dulot ng COVID-19. Sana ay iwasan natin ang isa pang krisis na maaring dalhin sa taumbayan ng korapsyon at pang-aabuso sa kapangyarihan ng pamahalaan.
Moving forward, we will closely watch the exercise of these additional powers by Malacañang to protect the public against abusive and ineffective policies. These expanded powers should translate to actual help to our vulnerable sectors, such as cash assistance to poor families and hazard pay to frontliners. With these new powers at Malacañang’s command, they have no excuse to let our people down. #”
From Risa Hontiveros
Source: https://www.facebook.com/hontiverosrisa/photos/a.10153527894430657/10163682274665657/?type=3&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARBhB1LGxzG6N7kYPTIouJIGKvIP_dJ7SS5jLZh1FVvAHRuEoA4uy5QJOpOL6CaxBNNZ1Xpr4ymyfq-t5_UhKbH8X-KYpJiHeA96yNpZokQAGHkyETFqQxwKm8_Esmbj5zR8_DzHP-l0-pIMefHiDZaPug1adbc1O7VJzXLRau7VaNHA2aakhFz749GPC1TQujDWRrwExFhnKYo39vxq1WL2gEjYfYi4nCdnyF-CUXqRE-ZExbuRxJB_GJ0EFvLAHobizIrde-ONIzyaL3tGthQBm1l1kA9vxLgEIVCX_UyhvO8NL_5DoiW6FDHdnDRyCgNJ6CWHnq2o0TSPu69X&__tn__=-R
“Urgency is needed for us to defeat the COVID-19 crisis. Mass testing means:
✅ I-test lahat ng may sintomas;
✅ I-test ang mga health workers,frontliners;
✅ I-test ang mga komunidad/bgy na may kaso,especially ang mga delikado (lolo’t lola,atbp).
Mass testing will save lives.”
From Risa Hontiveros
Source: https://www.facebook.com/hontiverosrisa/posts/10163722742230657?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARABLTqxqJqOBjTbzga07466K4XSaLarMq7Hj9m-Yo92xg7q_sK57yjaxJlxJKFVyLvCpK5QwYYel4Xr1m5hngNrreUdd7UIULXcaWKyBhWRK7UA_DrRzf_Pi3yyY-qQhQu_eGDrr9n4OvfY5pMbo-syaehtdxuQqahu69c3P6_lvezq9oklK1pBwAx4QF9SlcyrqdPY7owmfj9nNul3BN4EVGiZm-eHfyH4uEu1dcY4TFp8O2hfVdXvVe_GHA9rKMXDuVXIkOFaeemD_4EuuIsuaHGCdTQcAOWIgcliho26BGkok3spfOWcpXyDWlxCI8fnleSyCvVW7w1k&__tn__=-R