AFTER Speaker Feliciano Belmonte gave up hope of passing an income tax rate cut bill during 16th Congress, opposition leader and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said lawmakers should heed the people’s voice and pass the tax bill even if it means overriding a presidential veto.
“I appeal to the House leadership and my colleagues to continue working for the passage of the proposed tax cuts because Congress has the power to override a presidential veto,” Romualdez said.
“We are the voice of the people [and] this move would show that Congress is a co-equal branch and not Malacañang’s rubber stamp,” Romualdez said.
“Let us show malasakit to our Filipino workers, especially the low income earners by passing the proposed tax cuts, by allowing Congress to fulfill their legislative mandate and let it vetoed by the President,” Romualdez said.
Citing Article VI Section 27 of the Constitution, Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution Association, said Congress should not succumb to pressure from the Palace even if the President threatens to veto the tax reform measure if it is approved by Congress.
Even the House Minority Bloc, led by deputy minority leader and 1-BAP Rep. Silvestre Bello III, a former justice secretary, also backed the passage of the bill, adding Congress can sustain the decision through its override power.
“Congress should show its sincerity by passing this bill on the lowering of income tax rates. Even assuming that the President has already manifested his opposition to this proposal, we can override his veto,” Bello said.
“If President Aquino III vetoes the measure [if and when approved by Congress], I challenge him to face the people. We can override [the President’s veto] if Congress is truly sincere in supporting the measure,” Bello added.
Bello also said it is about time that the House leadership proves that it is not a Palace rubber-stamp by passing the tax cuts bill.
“We have to show our teeth. We are becoming the rubber stamp of the Office of the President. We have to show him that we are the voice of the people. And voice of the people is very clear, they don’t want high taxes,” Bello said.
“So I think Congress should show its sincerity and it conviction and come up with that bill. Let the President vetoes it and we can get back by overriding him,” Bello said, adding he is confident that Congress can override the possible presidential veto.
Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares said there is still time to pass the bill lowering income tax rates in the country.
“We do not need to wait for the position of the President to enable Congress to act on the measure. We, lawmakers, have to assert our power to pass laws under the constitution,” Colmenares said.
Even if the President does not certify the bill as urgent, Colmenares said, Congress has to approve the bill.
On Tuesday, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. admitted that the measure was dead due to lack of material time after President Aquino rejected the proposed bill.
Aquino had consistently been opposed to the proposal, claiming it was designed to get votes, but would reduce government revenues.
Belmonte said there was no more chance to have the bill approved because of lack of material time to debate on the bill and put to a vote on the floor.
Under the measure, lowered income tax rates exempts those earning 180,000 and below annually from paying taxes, while those who annually earn above 180,000 to P500,000 will pay nine percent.
The individuals whose yearly income is above P500,000 to P10 million will pay 17 percent, while those with more than P10 million annual income will have to pay 30 percent.
