President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. on Monday, August 1, explained why he vetoed House Bill (HB) 9652 or the bill granting tax exemptions to the honoraria, allowances and other benefits given to election workers.
“Vineto ko because as I have always said hindi ko, halimbawa, dun sa VAT (Value Added Tax) ng gasolina, sinabi ko kaagad, hindi ko babawasan ‘yung VAT ng gasolina pero ‘yung mga tinamaan ng pagtaas ng gasolina bibigyan natin kaagad ng ayuda (I vetoed the bill because as I have always said I will not, for example, when it come to VAT of gasoline, but those who have been affected by the high prices of gasoline will be given immediate aid),” he said when asked by the media during a visit in a vaccination site in Pasig City.
“So ganun din ang iniisip namin, kasi isipinin ninyo, we are planning to simplify ‘yung payment ng BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue), ngayon kung lalagyan natin ng bagong kategorya ‘yan, and there will be more chance of leakage, the confusion, mas mahirap gawin, ay mas magkakaproblema, baka ‘yung iba, the red tape makakain lang ng red tape yan, so that’s one reason why we didn’t do it. But as a matter of principle ang sinasabi ko hindi kasi, pagka gumawa ka ng tax subsidy hindi mo alam kung sino ang makakakuha dahil kahit yung hindi nangangailangan ay nakakakuha ng subsidy, hindi naman dapat sila bigyan ( So that’s what we are thinking, if you think about it, we are planning to simplify the payment of the BIR, now if we will put another category, and there will be a more chance of leakage, the confusion, it’s harder to do, we will have more problems, others might, the red tape will consume it, so that’s one reason we didn’t do it. But as a matter or principle what I’m saying is that once you create a tax subsidy you do not know who will get the subsidy, even those who do not need it might get it, they should not even get it),” he continued.
Marcos said this does not mean that the government is not acknowledging election workers.
“Babalikan natin sila pagkanagka-eleksyon, eh di titingnan natin kung sino talaga ang nagtrabahao, ilang oras, ilang araw sila nagtrabaho dito, ano ang kanilang posisyon, sila’y nagaano dun sa makina whatever it is and then dun tayo magdadagdag ng ayuda (We’ll get back to them during election time, then we will assess if who were ones who truly rendered service, how long, how many days they worked, what their positions, are they the ones manning the machine, whatever it is then we will add more aid),” the chief executive said.
“We don't have to put a new section, a new category sa pagbayad ng tax dahil ang sa pagbigay ng ayuda, ‘yung buong ng makinarya ng pagbigay ng ayuda ay nandyan na, sasabihin na lang natin okay isama natin dun sa mga magiging beneficiary ang mga election workers, ‘yun ang gagawin namin para mas maging maayos ang pagbigay, pati na ng ayuda, ‘yung national ID we are counting on the national ID to help with that, kung sakali hawak na nila ang national id wala na hindi na sila magaaply, kahit anong gagawin basta papadala na lang namin ang ayuda (We don't have to put a new section, a new category in tax payment because the aid giving, the whole aid giving machinery is already there, we'll just say okay let's include it in the beneficiaries the election workers, that's what we're going to do to make the giving more smooth, including the aid, the national ID we are counting on the national ID to help with that, if they already have the national ID, it's gone they can apply, no matter what we do as long as we send the aid).”
On Saturday, July 20, Malacañang announced that Marcos vetoed HB 9652.
In his letter to Congress, the President said the measure “runs counter” to the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, and “negates the progressivity of the reforms introduced under the Republic Act No. 10963 or TRAIN Law.”
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) condemned the decision of the chief executive, calling it “callous and shameless.”