Newsbriefs
BILL INCREASING IRA SHARE GETS SUPPORT
Cebu City Councilor Edgar Labella filed a resolution supporting Senate Bill 2987 which would increase to 50 percent from 40 percent the share of local government units (LGU) from the internal revenue taxes and enhance the taxation power of barangay councils.
The proposed law authored by Sen. Koko Pimentel seeks to boost income of local government units for development projects.
SB 2987 also seeks to give power to barangay councils to directly collect business tax from businesses with annual sales not exceeding P5 million.
Pimentel said the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of LGUs is based on the “national internal revenue taxes” collected by the BIR. But the Constitution states that the LGUs shall have a just share, as determined by law, in the national taxes which shall be automatically released to them.
The resolution will be tackled in today’s session. /Correspondent Tweeny M. Malinao
COUNCILOR HITS RAMA FOR ‘INHABITABLE’ RELOCATION
Cebu City Councilor Alvin Dizon chided the haste in transferring settlers of block 27 to the city’s relocation site in barangay Budlaan for being inhuman.
Dizon said, the City Hall should have waited at least two weeks while making necessary preparations in the relocation site before bringing in about 30 families from block 27 of the North Reclamation Area to sitio Kapasar in Budlaan.
The councilor regretted why Mayor Michael Rama ignored the request of the urban poor families.
The urban poor families requested that City Hall at least clear and flatten their mountainous resettlement site before they are brought there.
Dizon challenged the mayor and concerned City Hall department heads “to stay for just one night in Budlaan relocation site for them to feel the situation of the settlers.”
“There’s no reason that the city cannot provide habitable relocation site, because it can use the P25 million budget for such.”
He said that while it’s good that the “bayanihan” spirit was promoted in the transfer “the city government should be at the front line in providing the settlers “habitable” relocation sites. Dizon said the Budlaan relocation site is dangerous since it is located in the edge of a cliff. /Correspondent Tweeny M. Malinao
