Tag: crisis

Posted on

Lacson Cites Constitutional Path for Using BSKE Funds for Crisis Response Amid Comelec Chairman’s Concerns

Realigning the Commission on Elections (Comelec)’s budget for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) to agencies outside the Comelec may be unconstitutional, but a constitutional path exists to channel the funds for crisis response, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Monday.

Lacson thus allayed the concerns of Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia on proposals to postpone the BSKE and use some P16 billion in unspent funds allocated to it to address the fuel crisis stemming from the conflict in the Middle East.

“What the Chairman says is true. Funds allocated to the Comelec cannot be realigned to items outside it because that would be unconstitutional. But the allocations can still be treated as savings – Comelec may opt not to spend the funds for the BSKE and declare them as savings to be returned to the Treasury,” he said.

In Filipino: Lacson, Itinuro ang Konstitusyunal na Paraan Para sa BSKE Funds sa Gitna ng Pangamba ng Comelec

Continue reading “Lacson Cites Constitutional Path for Using BSKE Funds for Crisis Response Amid Comelec Chairman’s Concerns”

Posted on

On the State of Calamity Over the Entire Philippines Due to COVID-19

Placing the entire country under a state of calamity is timely and rational, and thus deserves the support of the Filipino people. For one, it will allow the local government units as well as the national government agencies to utilize their calamity funds and Quick Response Fund, in accordance with Republic Act 10121 and other pertinent laws.

Having said that, I cannot imagine that concerned local government officials in charge of dispensing those funds can still have gall and malevolent intention of stealing the monies under their control, considering the seriousness of this unprecedented crisis that we are all facing.

Further, the government, for all its disaster preparedness and response efforts, cannot overcome the threat by itself. We must all do our part, whether as workers rendering frontline services, scientists developing ways to deal with the problem, or responsible Filipinos giving support to them while showing understanding and cooperation with measures from the national government and local government units.

There is no doubt we will survive this, as we have done in so many crises before.

*****