Senatorial bets call for review of TRAIN Law
Published Feb 18, 2019 08:43 am
By Hannah Torregoza
Senatorial candidates running in the May 2019 midterm elections expressed their belief the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law should be reviewed for its adverse effects on inflation last year.
PHOTO BY RIO DELUVIO/ MANILA BULLETIN
Civic society leader Samira Gutoc said the excise tax on fuels should be reviewed or even suspended.
“Any form of taxation is a burden. It is important that the excise tax on TRAIN law has to be reviewed, even suspended,” Gutoc said, during the Harapan 2019: the ABS-CBN Senatorial Town Hall Debates.
“Why do we need to impose tax on gasoline that affects everything else and has a domino effect on everything else?
“It’s important to review, if not revoke the fuel excise tax, as well as the imposition of the Value Added Tax (VAT),” she further said.
Sen. Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV, who is running for re-election, echoed Guto’s position. He also reminded that he was one of the senators who voted against the tax reform program which has been touted by the Duterte administration as the key to its ambitious infrastructure projects dubbed as “Build, Build, Build” program.
“I hope that in the 2019 elections we will vote for senators who are willing to commit to amend the TRAIN law and remove provisions that add to the cost of basic goods and services,” Aquino stressed.
Former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay said lawmakers "failed" in their duty when they passed the TRAIN law.
Hilbay pointed out that the 1987 Constitution mandates a "progressive system of taxation” that is based on the people’s capacity to pay.
“Hindi nagampanan ng gobyerno ang tungkulin nila (The government failed in that respect),” Hilbay pointed out.
On the other hand, human rights lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno called the fuel excise taxes really “unjustifiable.”
“Hindi talaga makatarungan, at yan ang dahilan bakit nagmahal ang presyo ng langis at nagsunuran na yung ibang mga bagay, (That is really unjustifiable, and that is why the price of gasoline shot up and the rest also increased),” Diokno said.
Diokno agreed that the TRAIN Law, as well as the VAT exemptions, should be reviewed. #MatalinongBoto2019
PHOTO BY RIO DELUVIO/ MANILA BULLETIN
Civic society leader Samira Gutoc said the excise tax on fuels should be reviewed or even suspended.
“Any form of taxation is a burden. It is important that the excise tax on TRAIN law has to be reviewed, even suspended,” Gutoc said, during the Harapan 2019: the ABS-CBN Senatorial Town Hall Debates.
“Why do we need to impose tax on gasoline that affects everything else and has a domino effect on everything else?
“It’s important to review, if not revoke the fuel excise tax, as well as the imposition of the Value Added Tax (VAT),” she further said.
Sen. Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV, who is running for re-election, echoed Guto’s position. He also reminded that he was one of the senators who voted against the tax reform program which has been touted by the Duterte administration as the key to its ambitious infrastructure projects dubbed as “Build, Build, Build” program.
“I hope that in the 2019 elections we will vote for senators who are willing to commit to amend the TRAIN law and remove provisions that add to the cost of basic goods and services,” Aquino stressed.
Former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay said lawmakers "failed" in their duty when they passed the TRAIN law.
Hilbay pointed out that the 1987 Constitution mandates a "progressive system of taxation” that is based on the people’s capacity to pay.
“Hindi nagampanan ng gobyerno ang tungkulin nila (The government failed in that respect),” Hilbay pointed out.
On the other hand, human rights lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno called the fuel excise taxes really “unjustifiable.”
“Hindi talaga makatarungan, at yan ang dahilan bakit nagmahal ang presyo ng langis at nagsunuran na yung ibang mga bagay, (That is really unjustifiable, and that is why the price of gasoline shot up and the rest also increased),” Diokno said.
Diokno agreed that the TRAIN Law, as well as the VAT exemptions, should be reviewed. #MatalinongBoto2019