‘Very strong lobby’ seeks to scrap tax on cosmetic procedures, says Drilon

Sen. Franklin Drilon (File photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

There’s a “very strong lobby” to scrap the proposed 10 percent vanity tax contained in the tax reform measure, Senate Minority Franklin Drilon disclosed on Wednesday.

“Certainly, yes, may nagla-lobby. There’s a very strong lobby,” Drilon told reporters at the Senate.

In fact, he said, he was also approached, but he stood by his position that tax should be imposed on cosmetic procedures.

“Ang sabi ko ay as a matter of principle, we should impose the cosmetic tax because we are increasing the excise tax on fuel, which affects everybody,” he said. “Yung pangunahing bilihin, tataas dahil dito. Yung mga magsasaka, yung mga mangingsida – the poorer sector of the society will be affected. So why can we not impose a tax on an activity which is purely luxury?”

During plenary debates at the Senate, the minority leader strongly opposed moves to remove the proposed 20 percent vanity tax from the approved measure of  the Committee on Ways and Means.

To break the impasse, Drilon proposed to cut by half the 20 percent vanity tax.

Until now, he said, the bicameral conference committee has not reached an agreement yet whether or not to retain the 10-percent vanity tax.

“The House has taken a position that a cosmetic tax should not be imposed,” Drilon said. /atm

READ: Senators agree on 10 percent vanity tax