Palace: Duterte will exercise additional powers ‘in

accordance with Constitution’

MDM

P3thursday | MARCH 26, 2020

By JON JOAQUIN

Go to monitor implementationof Bayanihan to Heal as One Act

President Rodrigo Duterte signs Republic Act No. 11469 or the “Bayanihan to Heal as One Act” with Senator Christopher Lawrence Go looking on. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Senator Christopher Lawrence Go on Wednesday said as the country undergoes strict quar-antine measures to combat the spread of COVID-19, he will ensure that the govern-ment cash aid provided under Republic Act No. 11469 or the “Bayanihan to Heal as One Act” reaches the poorest Fili-pinos and those who are most in need of assistance.

In an interview with radio host Ted Failon, Go said as a legislator, he will closely mon-itor the provision of the cash and food aid to low-income Filipino families.

"Cash po ang dapat ibi-gay sa kanila para magamit po kaagad. Good for 2 months po ito... For low-income families, depende po sa minimum wage sa lugar ninyo. Halimbawa, sa Metro Manila, kung mas malaki ‘yung ating daily wage, ‘yung sweldo po dito sa Maynila, so P8,000. Pag sa mga probin-sya naman po ay P5,000," he said.

Go also gave assurance that poor families who are not under the government's con-ditional cash transfer program may still receive cash aid as

long as local government units identify them as indigent fam-ilies.

The law provides that in the grant of the P5,000 to P8,000 cash subsidy, the cur-rent Conditional Cash Trans-fer program and rice subsidy of the government shall be taken into account.

So, if a CCT beneficiary presently receives P1,500 from the program, the emergency subsidy will provide P6,500 to reach the P8,000 maximum amount.

According to the 2020 pro-jections based on the Fam-ily Income and Expenditure Survey, there are 18 million low-income households in the Philippines now. The law also authorizes the President to expand and enhance the exist-ing Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program of the government.

“Ako naman po ay nasa legislative po ako, isa po akong mambabatas. Nakatutok po kami rito at magre-report po ang Executive sa Kongreso kada linggo. Ang amin po rito ay siguradong dapat makarat-ing po doon sa pinaka infor-mal sector natin, ‘yung mga

nangangailangan po ng tulong … pinilit nating manatili sa ka-nilang mga pamamahay para po maging safe dahil mayroon tayong lockdown nga sa pana-hong ito at huwag natin silang pabayaan," Go said.

Go said the assistance will be given directly to the target beneficiary as will be provided for by the Implementing Rules and Regulations which is cur-rently in the works.

As for apartment renters and tenants who may need ad-ditional time to pay for their rent falling due during the quarantine period, Go said that the recently enacted law will also allow them a 30-day grace period without incurring interests, penalties, fees or other charges.

"Sabi ko nga, ‘wag natin pa-hirapan ang lahat, trabahante pati negosyante. Kailangan po maging flexible po tayo," he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed the landmark law on Tuesday, March 24, which grants him additional pow-ers to implement measures to fight the coronavirus spread. MDM

DAVAO CITY — Presidential Spokesperson and Chief Presi-dential Legal Counsel Sal-vador Panelo on Wednesday gave assurance that President Rodrigo Duterte will exercise the additional powers granted to him by Congress “strictly in accordance with the Constitu-tion.”

This after the President on Tuesday signed into law Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan To Heal As One Act which grants him the exercise of powers that are “necessary and proper to address the pre-sent global health crisis that has engulfed our land.”

In a statement, Panelo said while there are penal provisions found in the law for those who violate its pro-visions, he said the President “shall exercise the said powers strictly in accordance with the Constitution with the end in goal of putting a stop to the spread of the coronavirus and save the Filipino people from imminent death.”

Panelo said RA 11469 is ef-fective immediately upon its publication and will remain in force for three months.

Under this law, the Presi-dent is given the authority to exercise the following:

[1] Implement measures to prevent or suppress the trans-mission and spread of COV-ID-19, including the power to facilitate the immediate test-ing of persons under investi-gation and monitoring, as well as to direct establishments to house health workers, serve as quarantine areas, or relief and aid distribution venues;

[2] Provide assistance to

frontliners and health work-ers, such as giving them finan-cial allowance, hazard pay and compensation or shouldering their medical expenses, and direct public transportation to ferry them to and from their workplaces;

[3] Expedite the procure-ment of personal protective equipment and other medi-cal equipment, exempt the importation of equipment needed to combat the spread of COVID-19 from duties, tax-es and other fees, ensure that there will be no delays in the donation, acceptance and dis-tribution of health items, and liberalize the grant of incen-tives for the manufacture and importation of critical and needed equipment;

[4] Authorize alternative working arrangements for workers, and regulate and lim-it the operation of transporta-tion and traffic, including en-suring that local government units are acting in accordance with the Act;

[5] Provide subsidies to low-income households, im-plement an expanded and enhanced Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program to respond to the needs affected by the community quarantine, en-sure availability of credit to productive sectors, reschedule deadlines for the filing of gov-ernment requirements, and order a grace period on paying residential rents or loans;

[6] Enforce measures against hoarding, price ma-nipulation, combinations in restraint of trade or other per-nicious practices, and ensure the availability of essential

goods, such as food and medi-cine, and adequate supply of power, fuel, energy and water; and

[7] Undertake the procure-ment of particular goods and services, as the need arises, in the most expeditious man-ner, and reallocate or realign from savings to address and respond to the national emer-gency.Salute to doctors and health workers

Panelo said the President is mandated to submit a week-ly report to Congress of all acts he has performed.

Congress will also estab-lish an oversight committee to determine that the Presidents acts are within the restrictions it has imposed, he said.

Panelo expressed the Of-fice of the President (OP)’s ap-preciation to both chambers of Congress for responding to the call of the times.

At the same time, he said the OP also salutes the coun-try’s doctors and health work-ers “who are front liner heroes who have placed their lives on the line, even as we mourn for those who have sacrificed their lives just so they could attend and treat the patients afflicted with COVID-19.”

Panelo urged all Filipinos to “act and move as one na-tion” to “slay this scourge of a dragon that imperils our very existence.”

“As the President aptly said in his televised message, ‘Let us set aside our differences and work in solidarity to overcome this pandemic. We only have one common enemy and that is COVID-19,’” he added.