effects of TRAIN Law

Sen. Bam: Pahirap ang TRAIN Law, hindi perpekto

How can you call a law perfect if it burdens the poor?

This was Sen. Bam Aquino’s reaction to Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno’s pronouncement that the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law is a perfect law.

“Paano magiging perpekto ang batas na sumasagasa sa mahihirap na Pilipino?” asked Sen. Bam, one of four senators who voted against the ratification of the TRAIN Law.

“Konting malasakit naman po para sa mahihirap,” Sen. Bam stressed, adding that the government should not ignore the suffering of Filipinos, especially the poor, from high prices of goods.

“Huwag naman ninyong maliitin ang paghihirap ng mga kababayan nating nalulunod sa taas presyo,” said Sen. Bam.

“Tinitiyak ko po sa inyo totoong mabigat ang pinapasan ng taumbayan dahil sa taas presyo na dulot ng TRAIN,” the senator added.

Sen. Bam renewed his call to the President to listen to the cry of Filipinos, who are already burdened by the high prices of goods due to the government’s tax reform program.

“Sana lang marinig ng Pangulo ang hinaing ng mga pamilyang pilipinong nalulunod na sa taas presyo,” said Sen. Bam, adding that he expects the Chief Executive to address the issue during his State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Earlier, Sen. Bam said the government should join hands with the legislative in finding ways to solve the problem to alleviate the plight of Filipinos.

As part of his effort to alleviate the suffering of the Filipinos, Sen. Bam has filed a measure seeking to suspend and roll back the excise tax on fuel under the TRAIN Law once average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target over a three-month period.

Sen. Bam also is pushing for the full implementation of mitigating measures under the TRAIN Law, such as the unconditional cash transfer program for poor families and the Pantawid Pasada for jeepney operators and drivers.

Sen. Bam: Provide enough help to jeepney, tricycle drivers

Senator Bam Aquino reiterated his call to the government to expand the Pantawid Pasada program to include other public transportations to help them shoulder the effects of the administration’s tax reform program.

“Kung tutulong na rin lang tayo, bakit hindi pa natin lubus-lubusin at isama na ang lahat ng uri ng pampublikong transportasyon,” stressed Sen. Bam during his dialogue with members of different transport organizations here.

“Lahat ng kabilang sa sektor ng pampublikong transportasyon, kailangan ng tulong dahil nalulunod rin ang ating mga tsuper sa pagtaas ng presyo ng langis,” added Sen. Bam, referring to the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.

 Sen. Bam is one of four senators who voted against the ratification of the TRAIN Law. Sen. Bam voted against it due to the government’s failure to immediately implement the unconditional cash transfer program and the Pantawid Pasada program.

For 2018, the government has earmarked P977 million for 179,000 jeepney operators under the Pantawid Pasada program. 

 Earlier, Sen. Bam called on the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to expand the Pantawid Pasada program other means of transportation, such as UV Express and tricycles as well.

 During the Senate hearing of the Senate committee on public services in Legazpi, Albay recently, Sen. Bam also urged the DOTr to conduct further study to see if the subsidy is enough to cover the increase in prices of goods due to TRAIN.

 Sen. Bam has been working to alleviate the burden of high prices of goods and services under the TRAIN Law on the Filipino people, especially the poor.

 Sen. Bam has filed a measure that aims to roll back of TRAIN’s excise tax on fuel when average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target over a three-month period.

In addition, Sen. Bam also renewed his call for the full implementation of the unconditional cash transfer program, which will help alleviate the increase in high prices of goods and services caused by the TRAIN Law.

Sen. Bam: Shield farmers and fisherfolk from price surge, suspend TRAIN excise tax

Senator Bam Aquino renewed his push to suspend the excise tax on fuel under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, saying the high prices of fuel also drive up cost of agricultural products. 

Sen. Bam said the government, especially the Department of Agriculture (DA), should recognize fuel increase as one of the main reasons for price increase.

“Kailangan natin tulungan ang mga magsasaka at mangingisda na pababain ang kanilang production at transportation cost para bumaba ang presyo ng agricultural products,” said Sen. Bam, one of four senators who voted against the TRAIN Law.

“Ito ang pinaka-epektibong paraan para maibsan ang hirap ng mga nalulunod sa taas ng presyo ng pagkain,” the senator added.

Sen. Bam insisted that suspending the excise tax on petroleum products could help lower prices of fuel, which in turn, would contribute to the lowering of prices of agricultural products.

“Itong pagsuspinde sa TRAIN sa petrolyo ay malaking tulong sa ating mga magsasaka at sa mga mamimili,” said Sen. Bam, saying that farmers also use diesel for their farm machinery such as tractor.

Sen. Bam has filed a measure seeking to roll back of TRAIN’s excise tax on fuel when average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target over a three-month period.

In addition, Sen. Bam is also pushing for the full implementation of mitigating measures under the TRAIN Law, such as the unconditional cash transfer program for poor families and the Pantawid Pasada for jeepney operators and drivers.

Also, Sen. Bam wants the Pantawid Pasada program expanded to include fishermen, who use unleaded for bancas and diesel for big fishing vessels.

Sen. Bam: Poor Filipinos are collateral damage of TRAIN and Build-Build-Build

Senator Bam Aquino urged the government to put the welfare of poor Filipinos first, instead of letting them become collateral damage of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.

”Hindi puwedeng collateral damage ang ating mga kababayan sa hangarin na magkaroon ng maraming tulay at kalsada sa bansa. Habang mahalaga ang infrastructure projects, huwag nating hayaang magdusa ang mahihirap na kababayan natin,” said Sen. Bam, one of four senators who voted against the ratification of the TRAIN Act.

Sen. Bam was reacting to Department of Finance’s claim that funds for free college education and salary hike of uniformed personnel will be affected if the TRAIN Act is suspended.

The senator said the government should balance statistics with the welfare of Filipino families carrying the burden of high prices of goods and services due to the TRAIN Law.

“Ang problema, kapag puro numero ang tinitingnan, nakakalimutan ang mamamayan. Pakinggan naman natin ang hinaing ng mga nasasagasaan ang TRAIN Law,” said Sen. Bam, also the principal sponsor of the free college law in the Senate.

“Napakatindi na ng pag-aray ng ating mga kababayan sa pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin,” he added.

Sen. Bam said the DOF’s pronouncement was baseless since the government has an unobligated appropriations amounting to P390 billion in the 2017 national budget.

“Malinaw na may pera ang pamahalaan kaya maling sabihin na hindi mapopondohan ang libreng kolehiyo. Huwag ipagkait sa mga estudyante ang libreng kolehiyo,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam recently filed a measure seeking to suspend the TRAIN Law, particularly the excise tax on fuel, once inflation rate breaches the prescribed “target range.”

In Sen. Bam’s Senate Bill No. 1798, the excise tax on fuel under TRAIN will be suspended when the average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target over a three-month period.

During the TRAIN’s deliberation, senators approved Sen. Bam’s amendment to include a safeguard where the implementation of TRAIN Law will be stopped once inflation rate breaches the “target range.”

However, the provision was not included in the bicameral conference committee and the approved version of the measure.

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