SENATORS are seriously considering options on the plea of the country’s 30 medical societies to promptly pass pending legislation imposing a higher tobacco tax rate of P90.
This was confirmed over the weekend by Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee tasked to review revenue-related bills submitted for early approval.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Sunday also signaled his inclination to support the remedial legislation, when asked if he would back the medical societies’ appeal, but preached caution.
“I wish I could immediately, but we have to hear and balance the problem being encountered by government with the illegal tobacco trade that is now lording it over since additional taxes have been enforced on the legitimate industry,” Sotto said in a text message to the BusinessMirror.
Angara admitted he was also inclined to back the bill.
“Yes,” Angara told the BusinessMirror when asked on Sunday if they are heeding the medical societies’ appeal. “That is why we scheduled a hearing as soon as we could.”
Concerned medical societies earlier sent signals they would campaign against lawmakers who will block passage of the remedial legislation intended to discourage smoking habits that have been blamed for the high incidence of cancer.
However, Sen. Aquilino L. Pimentel III clarified that senators would still need to go over the anticipated impact of the proposed remedial legislation seen to deliver a direct hit on the multibillion-peso tobacco industry.
“Let us look at all their studies. How much would it [higher tax rate] raise?” he said.
Pimentel said senators would also be keen to find out “how many are expected not to turn out to be smokers because of the measure?”
Moreover, the former Senate President indicated the lawmakers would also want to hear from revenue officials on “what is the performance of the current ‘sin’ tax law?”
Reacting to the medical societies’ reported threat to campaign against those delaying passage of the higher tobacco tax imposition, Sen. Gregorio B. Honasan II said he has a “hearing problem” when threatened.
“I have a congenital hearing problem when I am threatened,” Honasan said in a text message to the BusinessMirror. “My hearing is only restored when the data and facts allow reason for us to make informed intelligent rational long-term policy decisions on any issue.”