The Philippines: Senate approves Bayanihan II on final reading

• The Senate on 28 Jul 20 approved on third and final reading a measure touted as part of the government’s economic recovery plan.
• With 22 affirmative votes and one negative, the chamber approved Senate Bill No. 1564 or the “Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan II) which extends certain powers to President Rodrigo R. Duterte to deal with the pandemic and allocates PHP140bn for recovery efforts.
• The Senate’s final approval comes a day after Mr. Duterte asked Congress to pass Bayanihan II, among other measures, during 27 Jul 20’s State of the Nation Address.
• Senator Francis N. Pangilinan cited the alleged rampant corruption within the Department of Health (DoH) as one of the reasons why he voted against Bayanihan II’s passage.
• He pointed out that nearly five months since the implementation of the Luzon-wide lockdown in Mar 20, the government has failed to contain the spread of COVID-19.

External Link : https://www.bworldonline.com/senate-approves-bayanihan-ii-on-final-reading/