Lacson: Next admin should continue giving out ‘ayuda’ amid fuel crisis

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The next administration should continue giving out financial assistance to poor Filipino households as long as the fuel crisis persists, presidential candidate and Senator Panfilo Lacson said Thursday.

Lacson issued the remark when asked about the Executive department's move to shorten the period of giving out "ayuda" from one year to three months.

"Kung patuloy pa rin 'yung fuel crisis dahil 'yung [conflict] sa Ukraine hindi pa natatapos at kailangan ng mga kababayan natin ng ayuda, 'yung susunod na administration dapat ituloy ang pagbibigay ng ayuda," Lacson said at a press conference here.

(If the fuel crisis persists because of the conflict in Ukraine and our countrymen need assistance, the next administration should continue giving out financial aid.)

"Kasi gugutumin mo ba 'yung mga kababayan natin? Kulang na nga 'yung P200 buti dinagdagan ng pangulo naging P500," he added.

(Will you let them go hungry? It's a good thing that the president increased the assistance to P500.)

Senate President Vicente Sotto III, on the other hand, said the financial assistance was limited to three months because the Duterte administration is set to end in June.

"Siguro naisip nila, kaya naisip ng [Department of Budget and Management] 'yan, problema na ng susunod na administrasyon ['yan]. Kaya three months pagdating ng June, July, 'di na sila yung nakaupo e. Kaya 'yung sinasagot nila 'yung hanggang nakaupo sila," Sotto noted.

(Maybe the DBM considered that the current administration is about to end and they will just pass the burden of funding the financial assistance to the next administration. They will just give ayuda until the end of their term.)

Sotto's observation was echoed by Lacson.

"Pero 'yun nga tama 'yung sinabi ni Tito Sen, kasi hanggang June 30 sila. So parang ang message nila ipaubaya na lang ito sa susunod na administrasyon," Lacson said.

(I think Tito Sen's observation is right. Their term is just until June 30. So their message is to pass the obligation to the next administration.)

"And the next administration should address that. Sa amin, ang tingin namin kung ganyan pa rin kahirap ang buhay e dapat ituloy lang," he added.

(If this situation will persist, I think, we should continue giving out financial assistance.)

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday ordered that the monthly financial assistance be increased from P200 to P500 as the country has recorded successive hikes in the pump prices of petroleum products and other basic commodities.

Prices of petroleum products have been on an increase in 11 of the last 12 weeks due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has affected global prices. 

The Lacson and Sotto tandem visited this city to complete their campaign in the province of Cotabato.

They held another town hall meeting in Barangay Calumpang to consult various sectors about the issues that confront them.

Prior to this, they visited a fish port and a market in General Santos City.

Presidential candidate Ping Lacson and VP bet Tito Sotto are in General Santos City today to hold a townhall meeting with various sectors. They started their day visiting the GenSan Fish Port. @gmanewsbreaking @gmanews pic.twitter.com/zkFzyg71AS

— Hana Bordey (@HanaBordey) March 24, 2022

They were also endorsed by the Maranao Employee Business Association—a group of Muslim traders who relocated here after the Marawi Siege.

According to the data of the Commission on Elections, General Santos City has 360,232 registered voters for Eleksyon 2022. — RSJ, GMA News