(Eagle News) — A second petition seeking to nullify the implementation of the first package of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law was filed before the Supreme Court on Monday.
Laban Konsyumer Inc. through its president, former Trade Undersecretary Victor Dimagiba, said there was “no hiding that the increase in excise taxes” on coal, LPG, kerosene and diesel under the law would “hit low-income and poor families the hardest.”
“It will not be the companies or private interests who will be taxed as they will surely pass on these impositions as additional charges on the prices of their products and services,” the petitioner said.
The petitioner argued that the law was also “procedurally infirm” as “from the very beginning, the Congress brazenly railroaded the TRAIN and blatantly disregarded even the most minimal standards of democracy.”
“This fact alone, on its face, is grave abuse of discretion on the part of the lawmakers’ is a blatant disregard of the constitutional safeguards on procedure for passing a law to ensure maximum representation of representatives of the people in policy-making,” the petition said.
Named as respondents in the petition were Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, Internal Revenue Commissioner Caesar Dulay, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, and Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III.
The consumer group’s arguments were similar to the arguments raised by Reps. Antonio Tinio of Act Teachers party-list, Ariel Casilao of Anakpawis, and Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna, who filed the first petition against TRAIN on January 11.
The government has said around 6 million Filipinos would enjoy zero personal income tax with this law.