Pangilinan: Emergency powers moot, already proven ineffective

EMERGENCY powers is not the solution to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, and has been proven ineffective in Marawi and even now during the health crisis, Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said Thursday.

"Marso pa lang binigyan na sila ng emergency powers upang tugunan ang pandemya, pero palpak pa rin ang resulta. Setyembre na, pero lampas na ng 226,000 COVID cases sa bansa. 4.6 milyon ang patuloy na walang trabaho. Wala sa emergency powers ang solusyon," Pangilinan said.

A House of Representatives panel on September 2 said that the granting of emergency powers to the President will be part of their committee report on the PhilHealth corruption scandal.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III welcomed the proposal, saying that additional powers for the President would hasten the much-needed reforms in the PhilHealth.

Pangilinan pointed out that local government units (LGU) are able to do their jobs without needing emergency powers.

"Ang ating mga LGU, bagama't limitado ang resources at walang emergency powers, kinakayang solusyunan ang iba't ibang mga problema. Nariyan ang Pasig na nakakapagbigay ng e-learning kits sa kanilang mga kabataan. Nariyan ang Baguio na pinagtibay ang kanilang contact-tracing. Ang iba, naging strikto sa mga lumalabas pasok sa kanilang mga lugar. Iyong iba, naghanap ng paraan upang mapadami ang testing na ginagawa sa kanilang bayan. Maraming pwedeng ibang solusyon sa mga problema, hindi emergency powers," Pangilinan said.

As early as February, Pangilinan has already called out the health secretary for the glaring lack of leadership crucial to addressing the pandemic. The senator also earlier questioned Duque's lack of active participation as PhilHealth chairman of the board.

"Kung seryoso talaga silang ayusin ang PhilHealth at tugunan ang COVID, sibakin nila si Duque at sampahan ng kaso ang mga nasa likod ng overpricing ng test kits, testing machines, at ng bilyong binulsa sa PhilHealth ng Mindanao mafia. Yan ang solusyon, hindi emergency powers," Pangilinan said.

The Senate Committee of the Whole has recommended the filing of criminal charges against Duque and other individuals implicated in the PhilHealth corruption scandal.