House Minority Leader Benny Abante Jr. is urging the government to properly monitor the use of funds Congress has allocated for the country’s coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response, as he stressed that monitoring, and the passage of a freedom of information (FOI) measure, will help prevent the misuse and abuse of these funds.
Speaking to reporters at the Minority Bloc’s weekly press briefing on Wednesday, Abante said that with the passage of the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act, or Bayanihan 2, Congress has given the government “additional resources in its battle against COVID-19, more ammunition in its war against this dreaded virus.”
“We hope they properly monitor the use of these funds and come down hard on misuse, misappropriation, and corruption.”
“We urge our coworkers in the Executive to make the most of these funds. Bantayan sana nila ng masinsinan upang magamit ang pondo ng maayos.”
The lawmaker pointed out that even the President had revealed that the government’s financial resources were insufficient, “so we hope they properly monitor the use of these funds and come down hard on misuse, misappropriation, and corruption.”
According to the Manila solon, this would be an opportune time to revisit the FOI measures, as an FOI act would guarantee more transparency in the disbursement and use of public funds, especially those being mobilized to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“At this point, this pandemic has really exacted a heavy toll on our country.”
A former Chairperson of the House Committee on Public Information, Abante is a longtime advocate of FOI legislation.
In the same press briefing, Abante also extended his sympathies to two officials who recently passed away because of COVID-19, House Senior Affairs Chairperson and Senior Citizens Partylist Rep. Francisco “Jun” Datol and former Commission on Elections Chairperson Sixto Brillantes.
“At this point, this pandemic has really exacted a heavy toll on our country,” lamented the legislator.
“Nakakalungkot po, at nakikiramay po kami sa pamilya nina Rep. Datol at Chairman Brillantes. Alam po natin na napaka-vulnerable ang ating mga senior citizens sa virus na ito, and their passing serves to remind us that we all have to work together to protect our loved ones––especially those in the twilight of their lives––from this disease.”