(Eagle News)–Congress will hold a special session on Monday, March 23, to pass a bill that would allow President Rodrigo Duterte to realign national budget funds that are available to address issues stemming from the coronavirus disease 2019.
According to Senate President Tito Sotto, who met with Palace representatives, Senator Bong Go and Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, among others, in Malacañang on Saturday, the session would be held at 10 a.m.
It was still unclear how the session would be held but it was possible it would be done via video conferencing.
Sotto said there was still no specific amount but that the money would come from “government-owned and -controlled corporations” probably amounting to P200 billion.
He said with the passage of the bill, 16.5 million families affected by COVID-19 will benefit.
The Philippines is in a state of calamity to allow the government to mobilize its resources against COVID-19.
So far, cases have breached the 200 mark and continue to rise. With a report from Meanne Corvera
