“Put The Interest of Filipinos First” — Angara

After the Palace rejected the proposal to lower income tax rates, Senator Sonny Angara is still urging the Aquino administration to put the interest and needs of the Filipino people first instead of focusing on how to generate more revenue for the government.

“I don’t think the government has no fiscal capacity to lower taxes given that the Department of Finance (DOF) is asking for a budget increase that is bigger than the P30-billion projected revenue loss once we lower our income tax,” said Angara, chairman of the ways and means committee and the leading proponent of a bill seeking to lower income tax rates.

From P15 billion this year, the proposed budget of the DOF, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs jumped to P50 billion next year.

“Lumalabas po sa ating pagtatanong na tumalon ng 224 porsyento ang hinihinging pondo ng mga kagawarang ito. Kung sa tingin nila ay kakayanin ng gobyerno ang ganito kalaking pondo, bakit hindi nila kayang ibigay ang kakarampot na balik-kita sa tao sa pamamagitan ng mababang tax?” Angara said.

The senator pointed out that the Congress has even expressed its openness to compromise by simply adjusting for inflation the present tax brackets, which were left unchanged since 1997, instead of reducing the prevailing tax rates.

“Indexation na nga lamang ang hinihingi natin kung ayaw nilang babaan ang tax. Ayaw pa rin. Pero ang nakakapagtaka, itong mga mismong ahensya na tumututol sa ating panukala, sila pa ang nangunguna sa paghingi ng napakalaking pondo para sa kani-kanilang tanggapan,” he added.

Among the agencies with proposed budget hike is the Office of the Secretary, whose P900-million budget this year jumped to P2.6 billion next year, while the BIR’s present P7.9-billion budget will be increased to P11.3 billion next year.

“Ang pinag-uusapan natin dito, bilyon-bilyon. Pero tignan naman natin, ang ibabalik lang naman nating pera halimbawa sa isang public school teacher ay P800 kada buwan. Bakit kailangan nating pagdamutan? Kailangan daw ng BIR ng bagong gusali. Paano mo gagastusan ang pagpapatayo ng bagong gusali? Ang gagamitin mo dyan, pera ng tao na pinagdadamutan mo,” Angara said.

The lawmaker also questioned the proposed P30-billion budgetary support next year for the Land Bank and Development Bank of the Philippines, saying the budgetary support for the two banks, which are obviously posting profit, is not urgent.

“Unahin natin ang tao. Huwag muna nating isipin ang kapakanan ng iba lalo na ang mga kumikitang ahensya; huwag muna nating isipin ang credit rating. Gawin nating prayoridad ang kapakanan ng ating mga kababayan. Pag may perang panggastos ang tao, naturalmente, babalik din ang kita sa gobyerno,” Angara said.

senate.gov.ph