Solons to bring ‘anti-poor’ TRAIN before SC

FILE: Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate. (Photo: Bayan Muna/Facebook)

Some lawmakers from the lower chamber bared plans of filing a case before the Supreme Court (SC) to block the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law for lacking in proper procedure.

“We will challenge the legality of this runaway TRAIN as it was railroaded in the House without the required quorum and distribution of approved copies to the members,” Makabayan bloc member and Bayan Muna party list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said.

Apart from this lack in procedure that Zarate is claiming, he also mentioned that the said law is anti-poor affecting “15.2 million poor families.”

“A majority of our poor people will suffer more and would be mired further into poverty with the expected spike in the prices of major basic commodities and services beginning this month,” he said.

“These would have a severe domino effect on the prices of other products and services, which is further aggravated by the VAT increases on these products themselves,” the Bayan Muna Representative said.

Representing the other six Makabayan bloc members, Zarate added that they are “carefully studying” the filing of the case.

Republic Act 10963 or TRAIN law, implemented on January 1, imposed taxes on kerosene and oil products while exempting raw materials, sugar-sweetened beverages, vehicles, coal, and rates of estates.

In exchange for the price hike on daily commodities, those earning 250,000 below annually are exempted from income tax.

In relation to this, Zarate said, “While Filipino families certainly deserve income tax cuts to cope with rising costs of living, it is misleading to claim that 6.8 million Filipinos will benefit from TRAIN as this figure includes millions of minimum wage earners already exempted by law.”

Some lawmakers from the House of Representatives are also calling for an interagency committee that would keep an eye on the oil prices, assuring that the price hikes will not be abused by companies.

“I call on the ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission) to make sure that this kind of front-loading is not abused,” Former chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means and current Deputy Speaker of the House Romero Quimbo of the Second District of Marikina said.

Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations Luis Villafuerte of the Second District of Camarines Sur seconded, saying, “The excise tax is paid at the point of importation or refinery, thus, the traders couldn’t jack up prices last January 1 on their old stocks – to the detriment of Filipino consumers – using the new excise rates as an excuse.”

President Rodrigo Duterte signed TRAIN on December 19, 2017.