PWD groups press Aquino to enact law

Organizations of persons with disabilities (PWDs) are asking President Benigno Aquino III to sign the pet bill of senatorial bet Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez and Sen. Sonny Angara granting them tax exemptions, which was approved in Congress two months ago.

Romualdez told a gathering of PWD groups that the bill giving roughly three million disabled Filipinos exemption from the payment of value added taxes (VAT) has already been signed by both Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Senate President Franklin Drilon.

Romualdez said he hoped the bill would be transmitted to the President for his long overdue signature.

The PWD groups were represented by Jocelyn “Joy” Garcia, chief operating officer of Tahanang Walang Hagdanan; lawyer Jessica Magbanua, board secretary of Alyansa ng may Kapansanang Pinoy, and Cancer Alleviation Network on Care Education and Rehabilitation party-list nominee Emer Rojas.

‘Malasakit’

“I am confident that the President will show his malasakit (concern) to our PWDs by signing into law House Bill No. 1039. We do not want to entertain the idea that this bill will be vetoed by the President because we believe the President has a good heart for our PWDs,” Romualdez said.

President Aquino had previously vetoed the P2,000 pension hike for Social Security System members after it was approved by the Senate and the House last December.

Rojas said “Congress should finish the ministerial duty of transmitting the PWD bill to Malacañang and we hope President Aquino will sign the measure immediately.”

Romualdez said the VAT exemption would be a tremendous boost to disabled persons because it would allow them to fully enjoy the benefits of their 20 percent discount on goods and services.

He pointed out that the VAT exemption would merely allow disabled persons to enjoy the same perks given to senior citizens.

“We should have no discrimination in terms of providing benefits to our people, especially those belonging to the marginalized sector,” Romualdez said.

“Granting PWDs the exemption from paying VAT on certain goods and services is one of the productive ways to help them and would surely help their living conditions,” said Romualdez said.