MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Ralph Recto on Monday said he is resigning as chairman of the Senate Committee on Way and Means and withdrew the much-questioned committee report on sin taxes.
Recto cited the disapproval of Malaca?ang of the Senate Bill No. 3299, which proposes to collect P15-billion from excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco products.
President Benigno Aquino III, with the Department of Finance (DOF) and the Department of Health, immediately thumbed down Recto's proposal on October 10 saying that it falls short from the government's expected P60 billion income from sin taxes on the first year alone.
"Sa ganito pong sitwasyon, then my only recourse is to irrevocably resign the chairmanship of the committee... I am stepping aside and relinquish my position to a senator who can better fight for what the Department of Finance wants," Recto said.
He also said that he is "withdrawing my committee report to give the incoming chairman a free hand in drafting a new one."
Ideally, the crafting of taxes is done with the Senate ways and means and committee and the DOF working side by side, and positions are supposed to be similar, he said.
"In crafting tax laws, there is one support mechanism [a ways and means committee chair] can't live without - and that is the backing of the executive," Recto said.
Recto, however, clarified that he is not altogether withdrawing his involvement in the crafting of the said law, but that he chose to give the new chair to start the report on a clean slate.
"DOH and DOF are dismayed with my report and many have said that I am an obstacle, but I will continue to participate in the discussion," Recto added.
Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=859820&publicationSubCategoryId=200
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