Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 16) – House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano wants to hold a small hearing this Wednesday, March 18, to tackle the COVID-19 situation in the country.
In a briefing on Monday, Cayetano said he is considering doing a “roundtable discussion” with over five lawmakers, one government agency at a time, starting with the Department of Health.
“We will be holding hearing but not the usual hearings na napapanood niyo, it will be more round table style, we will only have four upmost five members of Congress present, we will only have one department at a time and we will start with the Department of Health next Wednesday,” he said.
Unlike previous hearings that would sometimes accommodate up to 200 people, this time, deliberations will be held with over 30 to 50 individuals at a time. Media coverage will also be limited during this time.
The lower chamber will also be creating a “Defeat COVID-19 Committee” which will serve as an advisory and coordinating panel to the national government inter-agency committee amid the virus threats.
This will be composed of key members of select House committees that could better address the issue such as the committees on health, tourism, labor and employment, banks and financial intermediaries, and appropriations among others.
Meanwhile, electronic deliberations are also being considered during the congressional break once President Rodrigo Duterte decides to call for a special session.
“Kung kailangan ng special session, kung magpapatawag ang Pangulo, we will amend our rules na pwedeng Speaker and Majority, Minority Leader ang nasa Congress, then ang botohan ay electronic and through Facebook transmissions and through media na lang yung discussions if and when may urgent bills na ipapasa,” the Speaker said.
[Translation: If we need a special session, if the President calls for one, we will amend our rules wherein the Speaker and the Majority Leader, the Minority Leader are only the ones in Congress. And then, voting will be done via electronic and through Facebook transmissions and discussions will be made through the media and if there are bills to be passed.]
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Monday that President Rodrigo Duterte will have another televised address to the nation in the afternoon after a meeting with the government’s Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Panelo said a total lockdown will be recommended to the President during the meeting.
The Philippines has so far recorded 140 COVID-19 cases, with 12 fatalities. Two have already recovered, while the rest are admitted at various hospitals in the country.
