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May 22, 2022 People's Tonight 378 views

A MONTH before new President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. assumes office, allies are busy looking for money to fund “priority projects” for the first six months of his administration.

Reports said that due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the government has already disbursed 90 percent of this year’s national budget to meet the many needs of the Filipino people.

No less than House Majority Leader Martin G. Romualdez, a first cousin of the incoming President, floated the idea of postponing the December 5 barangay and youth elections.

But some quarters said that it will be a different story if the Senate and the House of Reresentatives, meeting as a constituent assembly, succeed in amending the Constitution before said date.

“Kung matuloy ang constituent assembly, baka isabay na lang ang plebisito para i-ratify ang bagong Saligang Batas sa naka-schedule na barangay at SK polls,” a charter change proponent said.

Postponing the two polls will translate to P8.141 billion in savings, according to Congressman Romualdez, who will likely be the new speaker of the House of Representatives.

Romualdez said BBM’s stimulus bill and the postponement of the village and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls are likely to be part of the congressmen’s priority measures.

Dubbed Bayan Bangon Muli (BBM), the stimulus bill is seen to help the Marcos government in addressing the impact of the still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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