Dispatch from Crame No. 975:
Sen. Leila M. de Lima On the Underspending of the ₱165.5-B Bayanihan 2 Funds

11/19/20

I have repeatedly pointed out the need to efficiently spend the funds to help the severely affected sectors of this pandemic and the poorest of the poor - the farmers, the jobless and unemployed, and our frontline health workers. Words that have largely been ignored.

Contrary to the claim of the Duterte administration, the funds have been available for almost 3 months now, waiting to be spent to help our countrymen in cushioning the crippling effects of this global pandemic which is worsened by President Duterte's laziness and gross incompetence.

Perhaps he has to be reminded that public office is a 24/7 job that has no weekends or holidays, especially in times of disasters or emergencies. He shouldn't have that luxury - not while he remains in office, and especially not while our own people are dying and some are suffering from illness, hunger and joblessness.

It's as if he feeds on the people's miseries - watching from the comfort of leather seats in aerial rides while the Filipinos are waiting to be rescued and rehabilitated. We don't need you to be using taxpayers' money to feed your ego with your aerial inspections and publicity stunts. Tapos palalabasin mo pa na ang ating #BusyPresidente pa ang walang nagagawa?! Wow ha! Tamad ka na nga, sinungaling ka pa!

If Duterte's billion-peso underspending nightmare continues, every single peso intended to support vital public services such as healthcare and education, as well as government aid to help poor households, not only deprives Filipinos their fighting chance to get through this pandemic but also causes death to our economy as well. Level-up na ang EJK ni Duterte sa nakaraang mga taon. The recent admission that the ₱82.4 billion was only just released confirms the lousy, if not unimaginative kind of response the executive branch is doing.

Duterte's work "ethic" led to this grisly situation we are in. At saksakan pa ng bastos! Your time is almost up, and you know it. Bahala na bang mamatay na lang ang mga tao dahil wala ka nang pakialam? Matapos mong paasahin at mapakinabangan? Stop ghosting the people! Show up, step up!

The government has to speed up spending on essential programs and projects outlined in the Bayanihan 2 Law as prospects for our economic recovery get dim.

One more failure after another and the country might just end up in its death bed with Duterte and his men's consistent ineptitude and inability to guide us through this crisis. Sa akin naman, kung hindi na talaga kaya, #LetLeniLead

Access the handwritten copy of Dispatch from Crame No. 975, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_975