DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Saying the new tax law violated the Constitution, the militant Makabayan bloc lawmakers challenged the government’s Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) in a petition filed today at the Supreme Court.
The passage of the TRAIN Law was “without a quorum and a vote” according to the Makabayan bloc lawmakers.
“Our petition is premised on the fact that the House blatantly violated the Constitution and its own rules in ratifying the Bicameral Conference Committee Report of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) bill without a quorum and without a vote,” the bloc said in a statement on Thursday.
The petitioners were two Davao-based lawmakers—Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, and Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao, including ACT Teachers Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio.
The petitioners said they would raise ”procedural and substantive” issues of the newly-implemented tax reform law of the Duterte administration.
Petitioners sought SC’s intervention to send a strong message to Congress that they could not violate the
Constitution, in particular, the rules on ratification to favor the passage of the tax reform bill.
“We ask the Supreme Court to void the invalid House ratification and the overwhelmingly regressive Train law,” they said.
“The success of this petition will delay the implementation of the TRAIN and give more time for the people to protest and exert pressure against the TRAIN’s anti-poor regressive taxes,” the militant lawmakers said.
The Makabayan bloc lawmakers vowed to pursue the fight for substantial and bigger income tax reduction for the workers and employees.
“While we file this petition today questioning the procedural infirmities of TRAIN, we will continue to seriously study the filing of another petition against the regressive and burdensome new tax impositions of the Train,” the bloc said. (davaotoday.com)
Makabayan Bloc's petition on TRAIN by Davao Today on Scribd
