Sotto to DOF: Convince senators on TRAIN 2 benefits if you want it pushed

Senate President Vicente “”Tito”” Sotto III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

Senate President Vicente Sotto III urged on Saturday the Department of Finance (DOF) to convince senators of the benefits of the proposed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) 2 if its officials really want it pushed.

According to Sotto, no senator want to file the bill after seeing the consequences or effects of the current TRAIN law 1. He said there are also two measures that could also complement the target benefits of TRAIN 2.

“Imbis na tawagin mong TRAIN 2, bakit hindi mo tawaging measure sa amin na nakafile, ‘yung rationalization of tax incentives at tsaka ‘yung rice tarrification bill. Pwedeng ‘yun,” Sotto told dwIZ on Saturday.

(Instead of calling it TRAIN 2, why not call it the measures filed in the Senate, the rationalization of tax incentives and the rice tariffication bill? It could also compensate.)

“Ang Department of Finance muna kailangan kumbinsihin sila [of the two measures], o kaya ang Department of Finance officials kumbinsihin kami,” he told dwIZ on Saturday.

(We should first convince the Department of Finance, or officials of the Department of Finance should convince us.)

Sotto said senators are “afraid” to support the proposed second TRAIN but could change minds if “proven that TRAIN 2 is beneficial.”

“Ang namamayani na mentality sa mga senador ay yung parang napaso sa TRAIN 1 [The prevailing mentality among senators now is they have been burned by TRAIN 1],” said Sotto.

“Kung ang sinasabi nila ay totoo na makakabuti […]. Tingnan nating mabuti. We have a few months to study it well,” he said.

(If what they say is true that it will do good […]. Let’s see. We have a few months to study it well.) /jpv

RELATED STORIES:

DOF: Halt TRAIN Law? No funds for free tuition, salary hike of uniformed personnel

More senators join calls to suspend excise tax