Presidential candidate Senator Panfilo Lacson (right) and his running mate Senate President Vicente Sotto III hold a news conference as they answer questions from reporters during their campaign sortie in Nueva Ecija province on Sunday, Feb. 20. (Photo by Armand Galang)
SANTA ROSA, Nueva Ecija– There is no more time for the Senate to pass new taxes to pay for the government’s debts as the Duterte administration winds down, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said on Sunday (Feb. 20) during a campaign sortie here with presidential candidate Senator Panfilo Lacson.
Sotto was reacting to a pitch recently made by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez for new fiscal packages that would increase or introduce new taxes to make up for substantially high foreign obligations, including a combined $2 billion loan to buy vaccines.
“Paano nila gagawin iyon? Baka nakalimutan nila na may 6 days na lang ang Congress (How will they do that? They may have forgotten that there are six more days left before the present Congress adjourns),” Sotto said.
Lacson said the process requires the House of Representatives to sponsor then pass the new tax measure along with a counterpart bill from the Senate.
Dominguez’s suggestion, however, was intended for the winning candidate who would shoulder the impact of the pandemic on government resources. INQ
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