Manila Bulletin
Bayanihan to Heal as One act needs only to be tweaked to replenish depleted COVID-19 budget
Senate President Vicente Sotto III stated that President Rodrigo Duterte does not need a supplemental budget for the COVID-19 response, as the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act already grants him the authority to realign funds.
Sotto, a principal author of the Bayanihan Law, explained that no specific amount was set in the legislation, allowing for greater flexibility in fund allocation.
He clarified that Congress may amend the law's three-month sunset provision to allow the national government more time to allocate funds.
The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act authorized the President to realign and use unused appropriations and savings in the executive branch for COVID-19 response programs.
President Duterte had previously asked Congress for additional funds, citing the depletion of the COVID-19 budget.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III confirmed that the government has sufficient cash but lacks the authority to use it for the pandemic, having already spent P352.7 billion on COVID-19 response.
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