Manila Bulletin
Two admin solons not keen on 'unlimited' emergency powers for PRRD
Two administration lawmakers expressed reservations about House Bill (HB) No. 6616, also known as the Bayanihan Act of 2020, specifically regarding the duration and scope of the proposed emergency powers for President Duterte to address the COVID-19 crisis.
AKO-Bicol Party-List Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. and Cagayan de Oro 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez support the bill's passage as a means to combat the pandemic.
However, Garbin raised constitutional concerns, particularly about budget realignment and the potential takeover of private utilities, emphasizing that these actions must adhere to the Constitution.
Garbin also questioned the indefinite effectivity clause of the emergency powers and how congressional oversight could be exercised during such a period.
He specifically pointed to a constitutional provision suggesting that emergency powers granted to the President should automatically cease upon the next adjournment of Congress.
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Congress has passed a bill granting President Rodrigo Duterte 30 special powers to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
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President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act of 2020 on Wednesday, March 25, granting him 30 special powers to address the novel coronavirus outbreak.
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The National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL) is opposing the proposal to grant emergency powers to President Duterte to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, citing constitutional concerns.
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The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives considers the grant of emergency powers to President Duterte more dangerous than the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Malacañang assured the public that President Duterte's standby powers, granted by the newly passed 'Bayanihan to Heal as One Act,' will be exercised strictly in accordance with the Constitution.
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