The House of Representatives approved on third and final reading House Bill 6953 or the “Bayanihan to Recover as One” pandemic response law, with 242 affirmative votes, six negative votes, and zero abstentions on Aug. 10, Monday.
The negative votes on “Bayanihan 2” came from House Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Carlos Zarate, Alliance of Concerned Teachers Rep. France Castro, Bayan Muna Representatives Eufemia Cullamat, and Ferdinand Gaite, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan Partylist Rep. Sarah Elago, all members of the militant Makabayan bloc.
According to Castro, Congress will once again give “tremendous powers” to President Rodrigo Duterte despite his supposed failure to show he had used his previous powers under the “Bayanihan 1” law to address the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and alleviate the suffering of the people.
Despite the bill indicating the country’s shift to “recovery” from the Covid-19 pandemic, Gaite said recovery was still far from reality.
“Patuloy pa ring tumataas ang mga kaso ng Covid-19 sa ating bansa sa kabila ng militarized lockdown na hindi lamang kumitil sa kabuhayan ng mga manggagawang Pilipino, kundi nilabag pa ang ating mga karapatang pantao,” Gaite said.
Castro said the government not only failed to deliver urgent financial, food, and non-food aid to millions of families who struggled for over five months, it also used penal provisions of the law to stifle public discourse and dissent.
“Imbis na doktor at mga eksperto ang nangunguna sa pagtugon sa national health crisis, pinagpupugaran ng mga dating militar ang Inter-Agency Task Force at mga ahensya ng gobyerno,” Zarate said during his vote explanation.
The lawmakers called for a full accounting of the expenses and debt incurred as a result of Republic Act 11469 or Bayanihan 1, the “Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.”
They also called for sufficient mass testing and more financial aid, increased capacity of the healthcare system, and more attention to unemployment benefits of Filipino workers.
“Ang kailangan nating tugunan ay ang pangangailangang pangkalusugan, ayuda at kabuhayan, at pagtanggol hindi ang pagyurak sa karapatan,” Brosas said. Isabel S. Macaraeg