Exactly a year after filing the 10K Ayuda Bill, former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday challenged his fellow lawmakers to prioritize bills intended to support the livelihoods of Filipinos instead of promoting vices that do “more harm than good.”
“Hindi naka-pause ang COVID (The pandemic has not been put on pause). We really need to have better programs… We can do something about it now before session adjourns, ” Cayetano said on February 1, 2022.
The former Speaker said the Senate, for instance, can give importance and attention to Senate Bill No. 2486 or the proposed Bangon Pamilyang Pilipino (BPP) Assistance Program Act of 2022 which Senator Joel Villanueva filed on January 24,2022.
The bill adopts the 10K Ayuda Bill which the former Speaker and his allies filed in the House of Representatives on February 1, 2021.
Exactly a year after filing the bill, Cayetano said there is still a “real need” for direct financial aid which the Congress has to address as more families and businesses suffer from the effects of the pandemic.
He also raised fears that in the last few session days, Congress could set aside the 10K Ayuda Bill in favor of the granting of franchises to operators of e-sabong, a vice that he said could destroy the future of those who become addicted to it.
Cayetano said Congress still has enough time to set its priorities straight before the session’s adjournment on Friday, February 4.
“Parang basketball din ‘yan, y’ung last two minutes. Alam naman natin na ‘pag pinush talaga ng Speaker, ng Senate President, at lalo na ng Malacañang, maipapasa ‘yan,” Cayetano said.
(Just like a game of basketball wherein the last two minutes of the game is the most crucial, if the Speaker, the Senate President, and the Malacañang push for this, surely this can be enacted into law.)
