Senate cannot push lower income tax without House — Angara

Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara FILE PHOTO

Without the House of Representatives, the Senate cannot pass the proposed bill that seeks to lower income tax rates, Senator Sonny Angara said on Wednesday, noting that the Constitution provides that all revenue measures should emanate from the lower chamber.

Angara, chair of the Senate committee on ways and means and one of the principal authors for the measure, issued this statement following Speaker Feliciano Belmonte’s statement that it was no use to take it up if it did not have the support of President Benigno Aquino III.

READ: No use pushing for income tax cut without Aquino support

“Sa akin, iniiwan ko sa Kamara ‘yan dahil ‘yan ay isang independent branch, co-equal branch namin at rerespetuhin natin yung desisyon nila. Pero ‘yun nga, itutuloy pa rin natin yung laban,” Angara said in an interview over dzMM.

(For me, I’ll leave it to the House of Representatives because it’s an independent branch, co-equal and we’ll respect their decision. But as I said we’ll continue the fight)

“As for the Senate hindi namin maipapasa ‘yan, dahil sa ilalim ng Saligang Batas, kung hindi ipinasa ng Kamara ay hindi maipapasa ‘yan ng Senado. Pero as a personal advocacy tuloy pa rin ang laban,” he further said.

(As for the Senate, we can’t pass that because under the Constitution, if it’s not passed in the House of Representatives, then you can’t pass it in the Senate. But as a personal advocacy, of course the fight continues)

Angara said his committee was already prepared to come up with a report but he could not bring it to the plenary since the Constitution was clear that all revenue bills must originate from the House.

“Kailangan magmula sa Kamara. Yon ‘yung limitasyon namin. Parang iyong budget, maghehearing kami pero hindi namin mailabas yuong committee report which is inisponsor ‘nung chairman kapag wala pa ‘yung ipinasang version ng Kamara,” he said.

(It has to come from the House of Representatives. It’s like the budget, we’ll hear it but we can’t come up with a report that will be sponsored by the chairman without the approved version of the House of Representatives.)

While he said he respected Belmonte’s statement, Angara said he would not give up on the bill.

He urged the public not to give up on the measure and to convince their representatives in Congress to push for it.

But asked if the passage of the bill was still doable given the limited time before Congress goes on sine die adjournment, Angara said: “Palagay ko the window is shrinking as we speak, as the days go by.”

“Sapagkat kami sa Senate, this week tatapusin na namin yung budget and then we’ll have about two to three weeks to tackle the BBL (Bangsamoro Basic Law). Pero kung ma-tackle naman ng House yan before the year ends, palagay ko may pag-asa pa kahit maliit ang tyansa,” he said.

(Because we in the Senate, we will finish this week the budget and we’ll have two to three weeks to tackle the BBL. But if the House can tackle that before the year ends, I think there’s still a chance, even a small chance)