On Bayanihan 1 and 2 spending
The combined budget allocated to the Bayanihan 1 and 2 laws last year amounted to a whopping ₱440.5 billion. The amounts involved are shocking, but arguably essential to help Filipinos respond to this public health economic crisis. More shocking, however, and far less defensible, is the clear lack of transparency in how these billions in taxpayer pesos were released, spent, and accounted for.
As the country continue to be one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, despite being home to one of the longest lockdowns in the world, Congress is eyeing the passage of Bayanihan 3. If passed into law, this third iteration will push the combined allocation of the Bayanihan packages up to over ₱846 billion.
It is only appropriate that we, as Filipinos, demand an intensive audit of the billions that have been spent. We must also demand for more transparency and better accountability mechanisms for any forthcoming pandemic response funds.