Senate President Vicente Sotto III presides over the hybrid Committee of the Whole hearing on the national COVID-19 vaccination program, Monday, January 11, 2021. Senate PRIB file photo / Henzberg Austria
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� There is no longer a necessity for a third Bayanihan law, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said, citing the extension of the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act.
Currently, the Senate is 鈥渘ot discussing鈥� the passage of a 鈥淏ayanihan 3,鈥� Sotto said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not discussing it because we extended Bayanihan 2 [Bayanihan to Recover as One Act],鈥� he said.
鈥淏ecause we extended Bayanihan 2, I don鈥檛 think there is a necessity for Bayanihan 3,鈥� he added.
Congress earlier extended the availability of appropriations under the Bayanihan 2 until the end of June 2021. The said law was initially supposed to lapse last December.
鈥�Bayanihan 2 is still in progress and I think they鈥檙e [the executive department] doing well, They鈥檙e doing fine, I can鈥檛 say it鈥檚 bad,鈥� Sotto said of the law鈥檚 implementation.
In the Senate, there are at least two bills seeking a third Bayanihan law.
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto filed Senate Bill No. 1953 or the proposed Bayanihan to Rebuild as One Act 鈥渁s a continuing response to soften the impact of an economic downturn, accelerate the economic recovery of the country and respond to the urgent needs of areas battered by the recent typhoons.鈥�
Under the bill, the P485-billion allocation will be聽 used to fund several COVID-19 recovery efforts.
The other bill was filed by Senator Christopher 鈥淏ong鈥� Go.