Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — Another solon, Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda, has called on the Senate to pass quickly a bill that would extend the estate tax amnesty deadline to two years, before Congress goes on a sine die adjournment.
In a statement on Monday, Salceda noted that the bill — which would help almost one million Filipino families — would extend the amnesty deadline from the current June 15 to June 14, 2025.
“I urge the Senate, for this and in general, try to match the speed with which the House disposes of urgent measures. For the estate tax amnesty extension, it’s a yes or no question. Not much need for debate here. It’s simply [meant] to extend or not to extend,” Salceda, chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, said.
“Based on our simulations, almost a million Filipino families have estates to settle. That is despite the first Estate Tax Amnesty and its subsequent extension by two years,” he added.
Salceda warned that, if the Senate would not act fast, there might not be enough time to tackle the bill as the 19th Congress’ first regular session would go on sine die adjournment by June 3.
The session is expected to resume on July 23, 2023 — in time for the 2nd State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Salceda said Marcos could also address this by certifying the similar bill that the House passed as urgent. This would allow the Senate to deliberate a similar measure in a single day, instead of waiting for three regular session days as mandated by the rules.
“If the Senate doesn’t do this over the next few days, the amnesty will expire while we are not in session. There will be a window of time, meanwhile, when people are uncertain about what to do next with their estates,” Salceda said.
“ The majority, on both Houses, exists for a reason. We exist because the people want us to get things done fast. This is a yes-or-no question with a clear deadline, and with clear consequences if we miss the deadline,” he added.
Last May 8, Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto, a former senator, also asked his “former classmates” in the Senate to start discussing the estate tax amnesty extension so that Congress could submit the bill to Marcos to sign before the Congress adjournment.
In the House, Salceda’s panel already approved the bill last April 25 — before Congress resumed its session. The House equivalent of the proposal is House Bill No. 7909.