MANILA, Philippines — Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos has called on the government to immediately craft a scheme where local government units can get the 40 percent share of national taxes by next year.
This developed after the Supreme Court (SC) upheld a previous decision on the issue.
In a statement Tuesday, Marcos, who is seeking a Senate seat in the May elections, said it is only right that the SC ruled to raise the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of local government units (LGUs) by including all national taxes.
“Our LGUs have been deprived for the longest time of their ‘just share’ on their Internal Revenue Allotment computed based on all national taxes and not just from national internal revenue taxes,” Marcos explained.
Recently, the high court affirmed its 2018 ruling that LGUs should have a share of all national taxes in accordance with R.A. 7160 or the Local Government Code, denying the motion for reconsideration filed by the Office of the Solicitor General.
READ: SC affirms 2018 ruling: LGUs should get share of all national taxes
According to Marcos, she knows the issues facing LGUs as she has served herself as a local official.
“As a candidate coming from the ranks of local government officials, I really know what our local executives feel – the issues that are closest to their hearts. Our budget is sorely lacking when in fact we are at the frontline when it comes to delivering services to our constituents,” she claimed.
“When our kababayans have problems, who do they run to? They go to us, local government officials. More than 50% of the poor are also in the countryside, and LGUs are our frontliners in the fight against poverty. They need all the resources they can muster to address the problem of poverty in rural areas,” she added. /ee