House confirmed that President Rodrigo Duterte already submitted his first weekly report on how he used the additional power given to him to fight the pandemic crisis in the country.
Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. and Deputy Speaker Luis Raymond “LRay” Villafuerte confirmed the report to INQUIRER.net on Tuesday.
“Meron [nang nai-submit na report], but I have not seen it [yet] (A report has been submitted, but I have not seen it yet),” Villafuerte said in a text message. The congressman sponsored the passage of Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan To Heal As One Act in the lower chamber.
R.A. 11469 is “an act declaring the existence of a national emergency arising from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation and a national policy in connection therewith, and authorizing the president of the Republic of the Philippines for a limited period and subject to restrictions, to exercise powers necessary and proper to carry out the declared national policy and for other purposes.”
Duterte submits 1st weekly report of additional power use
Section 5 of the Republic act stipulates Duterte should submit a weekly report to Congress “of all acts performed pursuant to this Act” every Monday of every week.
“The report shall likewise include the amount and corresponding utilization of the funds used, augmented, reprogrammed, reallocated and realigned pursuant to this Act,” the Bayanihan To Heal As One Act states.
A Joint Congressional Oversight Committee, which includes four members of the Senate and four members of the House, shall check if actions taken by the President are “within the restrictions” provided by the law.
President Rodrigo Duterte announced Monday the national government allotted ₱200-billion-worth of aid for low-income families affected by the COVID-19 crisis. He described it as the “largest and widest social protection program in the country’s history.”
As Tuesday morning, March 31, the country has 1,546 cases of COVID-19.