Solicitor General Jose Calida mocked the opposition lawmakers from the lower house after they filed a petition ‘challenging the legalities’ of the tax reform law on Thursday.
“’Lack of quorum of Congress.’ Is that all you have to nullify the TRAIN (Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion) Law?” Calida stated on Twitter, mentioning the accounts of the petitioners.
“Thank you, your honors, for making my job easier,” he tauntingly added.
Lawmakers from Makabayan bloc in a 33-page petition asked the Supreme Court for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the TRAIN law, for the grounds of being unconstitutional by having no “quorum” after the Congress leadership succeeded in ratifying it in the last three minutes of the session.
“TRAIN nevertheless rammed through major procedural requirements set by the Rules of the Lower House, and by no less than the fundamental law of the land – the 1987 Constitution,” part of the petition read.
(Read: Leftist solons file petition vs TRAIN before SC)
ACT Teachers Representative Antonio Tinio, Bayan Muna Party-list Representative Carlos Zarate, and Anakpawis Representative Ariel “Ka Ayik” Casilao filed the petition.
Tinio responded to Calida’s tweet by tweeting, “Why am I not surprised at your blatant disrespect for basic democratic principles, Mr. Solicitor-General?”
As of writing, Calida has yet to make a response to Tinio’s reaction to his tweet.
Republic Act 10963 or TRAIN law was implemented in January, which critics not only from the House of Representatives but even from the Senate branded as ‘anti-poor.’
Meanwhile, Malacañang is set on defending the tax reform law.
“The power of taxation is one of those three that cannot be denied as among the State’s power, including the eminent domain and police power,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in a televised press briefing on Thursday. He made the statement in regards to the petition filed before the SC.