Palace denies Bongbong Marcos is on a vetoing spree
MANILA, Philippines — Even with the latest veto of a bill granting tax exemptions to the honoraria, allowances, and other benefits given to election workers, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos is not on a vetoing spree, Malacañang said Wednesday.
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said that Marcos has only so far vetoed five proposed laws while 41 other bills have lapsed into law.
She added that the President is only fine-tuning the country’s laws, especially those giving tax exemptions, for the government’s tax reform.
“Hindi nagkaroon ng veto spree ang ating Pangulo. Forty-one bills lapsed into law and only five were vetoed – hindi kasama doon sa 41. So it’s not a spree,” Cruz-Angeles said in a Palace briefing.
(The President is not vetoing everything. Forty-one bills lapsed into law, and only five were vetoed, which are not included in the 41. So it’s not a spree.)
“Tinotono lang naman ng ating Pangulo doon sa mga sistema ‘yung mga batas natin. So lalung-lalo na ‘yung mga batas that involves some kind of tax breaks and tax benefits, itotono mo doon sa ating polisiya of tax reform,” she added.
(The President is just fine-tuning the laws into the system. Especially the laws that involve some tax breaks and tax benefits should be fine-tuned to our tax reform policy.)
FILE PHOTO: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Image from PCOO / Facebook
With the veto of the bill seeking tax exemptions for poll workers, Cruz-Angeles clarified that other benefits will remain.
Marcos has so far vetoed five bills in his first month in office. He justified four of which were either potential revenue losses or unnecessary government expenses.
On his first day in office, Marcos vetoed the bill creating the Bulacan Airport City Special Ecozone, saying that granting tax perks to a proposed special economic zone would “significantly narrow our tax base” which was not “aligned with the government’s objective to develop a tax system with a broad base and low rates.”
Marcos later vetoed the bill on strengthening the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel because of “overbearing” provisions, particularly the excessive grant of remuneration, incentives, benefits, and allowances and honoraria “that violates the principles of equity and standardization.”
The bill would have given the government corporate counsel the same salary as his boss, Marcos’s secretary of justice said.
The President also vetoed the bill creating the Philippine Transportation Safety Board (PTSB) and the measure expanding the franchise area of the Aboitiz-owned Davao Light and Power Co. — Christine Annie Asistio, INQUIRER.net intern
