Bongbong Marcos vetoes transport safety board, tax-free poll workers’ honoraria bills

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. vetoed two measures seeking the tax exemption of poll workers’ honoraria, and the creation of a transportation safety board.

Marcos made his decision known through two separate letters addressed to the Congress, — both the Senate and House of Representatives.

According to Marcos’ letter, House Bill No. 9652 or Senate Bill No. 2520 entitled “runs counter to the objective of the government’s Comprehensive Tax Reform Program to correct the inequity in the country’s tax system and negate the progressivity of the reforms introduced under RA 10963 or the TRAIN law.”

“Moreover, the studies of pertinent government agencies on the revenue loss is too substantial an impact to be foregone,” he said.

HB No. 9652 was known as “An act exempting from income taxation the honoraria, allowances, and other financial benefits of persons rendering service during an election period.”

Meanwhile, Marcos said the creation of a transportation safety board proposed under House Bill No. 9030 and Senate Bill No. 1077 has functions that are already being “undertaken by the different agencies” under the Department of Transportation, the Philippine National Police, and the National Bureau of Investigation.

“Creating a new body will only create functional duplication, confusion as to authority, ineffectiveness, and deficiency in the performance of the responsibilities,” he said.

Marcos then encouraged Congress to enact measures that are consistent with the administration’s commitment towards national economic recovery.

“In view of these considerations, I am constrained to veto the above mentioned Enrolled Bill,” Marcos said in both letters.

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/MUF