MANILA – If the Bayanihan Law will expire, there will be no more arrest for fake news, curfew and mass gathering, according to senate minority leader Senator Franklin Drilon in a live TV-radio interview on Sunday, June 7.
“Hindi na pwedeng manghuli ang pulis for violation of gathering, or curfew and fake news dahil na-expire na ang batas ngayong Hunyo 25,” (the police could not anymore arrest violators of gathering, curfew, and fake news the law would expire on June 25), Drilon said.
Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act was signed into law by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on March 25 giving extra-ordinary power to the president to respond to the national emergency wrought by coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. As of June 7, 2020 the country had 21,340 Covid-19 cases and nearly 1,000 Covid-related deaths.
He lamented that the proposed “Bayanihan Law 2” was not passed before congress adjourned on June 4 because that would have provided more relief assistance to the poor who were still suffering hardship because of the pandemic.
“Sa akin dapat ipagpatuloy sana ang pagbigay ng Social Amelioration Program (SAP), ngunit parang hindi naman interesado ang palasyo kaya walang ibinigay na sertipikasyon na urgent bill ito ang presidente,” (On my part I want the government continue the Social Amelioration Program but it seems the palace is not interested because the bill was not certified urgent by the president), Drilon continued.
Sen. Drilon also stressed that even without a new law, palace has the power to appropriate funds from other sources like the budget of various departments and the president’s intelligence fund, which are approved in the General Appropriations Act, and given to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for disbursement to the needy.
The government is yet to distributed the second tranche of the SAP for more than 18 million poorest of the poor beneficiaries and those families who were excluded in the list of the first SAP distribution.
He also clarified that the temporary relief from bank loans during the effectivity of the Bayanihan Law is deemed suspended. “Dapat seguro ang Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas bantayan na hindi abusohin ng mga bank ang tao ngayon na wala na ang Bayanihan Law,” (It may be prudent for the Central Bank of the Philippines to watch the banks so that they will not abuse their clients now that Bayanihan Law has expired), he continued. “I’m sure they (banks) are liberal in their treatment of their creditors,” Drilon said.
