Duterte mulls selling government properties to raise COVID-19 funds

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is considering selling government properties to raise funds in preparation for a possible deterioration of the pandemic situation in the country due to more infectious COVID-19 variants

The President said the detection of more transmissible COVID-19 variants from India, the United Kingdom and South Africa poses a serious threat, compounded by the delayed arrival of vaccines.

Duterte said he is ready to sell government properties to fund pandemic-related expenses.

“My (plan to) sell the properties of the government might come true because our funds are being spent,” he said.

“We have spent maybe…on the final counting, almost a trillion, and there’s no… end in sight,” he added.

Duterte said it would be better if government has excess COVID-19 vaccines and if building infrastructure for the COVID-19 response system continues to combat the transmission of the more aggressive variants.

“It is good to prepare for a more serious attack,” he said, noting how some areas like Taiwan have reimposed lockdowns.

So far, P21.18 billion has been distributed to beneficiaries of the government’s “ayuda” or cash assistance in the National Capital Region (NCR) and the provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna (NCR Plus).

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said the amount represents 92.45% of the P22.9 billion allocated for poor households in NCR Plus areas.

He said of the 100 local government units (LGUs) in NCR Plus, 44 have completed the distribution of the cash aid, including the cities of Manila, Caloocan and Pasay in Metro Manila, and Biñan, San Pedro, Cabuyao and Sta. Rosa in Laguna.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) recently completed about P323.3 million in payouts to drivers under the service contracting program (SCP).