Senator and vice presidential candidate Francis Pangilinan voted in favor of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act in 2020, contrary to claims on social media that he did not.
His tweet on July 28, 2020, however, states that he voted for Senate Bill No. 1418 seeking to grant President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with “serious reservations” and “with both a warning and an admonition to the implementors of the law.”
The Senate unanimously passed the bill on March 24, 2020. Duterte signed the law, Republic Act No. 11469, the same day. The law took effect the day after.
Facebook page “Support President Rodrigo Duterte All The Way Movement - Sprdatwm,” however, said in a post on May 5 that Pangilinan was the only senator who didn’t vote for the law.
Its caption accompanying a News5 quote card of Pangilinan reads:
Kailangan ay makabayan at makatao, hindi maka-Sharon. Di ba ito lang ang katangi-tanging di bumoto sa Bayanihan We Heal As One Act (We need someone nationalistic and humane, not pro-Sharon. Isn’t this the only one who didn’t vote for the Bayanihan We Heal As One Act)!
The page was referring to Pangilinan’s wife, actor-singer Sharon Cuneta. It also misstated the law’s name as Bayanihan We Heal as One Act.
It was RA 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act that Pangilinan voted against, citing news of alleged corruption in the state health insurer, Philhealth, according to a July 28, 2020 press release.
The post has received 311 reactions and 317 comments, with some comments saying they would “also vote no” for Pangilinan. (CC)