BusinesslVorld
,';ffiffi')l:*g l&onomy
Sotto casts doubt on passing tax
measures; terrorism bill top priority
SENATE President Vicente C. Sotto
III said the bill updating the anti_
terrorism Iaw is the Senate,s top pri_
ority measure when session resumes
on May 20, while expressing doubl
about l.he passage of pending tax
measures for the remaiuder of the
17th Congress.
''Anti-terrorism act is number
one,,,
he told reporters on Thursday,
Asked about the chances of the
Tax Reform for Attracting Better and
Higher-Quality Opportunities (TRA_
BAHO) bill as well as t}te proposed hikes
on tobacco, alcohol, and mining taxes
reaching third reading approval in the
Senate. Mr. So o said in a text message
to Businessworld on Saturday, ..Hear_
ings on those have not beeh completed.
No comm(ittee) reports yel. Doubtfi.rl at
this point."
\ Reform Act; the National Transport
$,/s
Congress is on break between Feb,
9 and May 19 for the 2019 midterm
elections. It will resume on May 2O with
onlynine session days remaining.
Senate Bill No. 220{ seeks to ad-
dress the gaps in Republic Acl No.
9372 or the Human Sedurity Act by
redefining the term terlorist acts and
removing the limitations of law en_
forcement agencies to prevent and to
address tetrorism. It was sponsored
to the plenary on Feb, 6 by Senator
Panfilo M. Lacson, chair of the Sen_
ate committee on public order and
dangerous drugs.
Meanwhile, the TMBAIIO bill and
the proposed hikes in tobacco, alcohol
and miningtaxes remainpending in the
Senale committee on ways and meals.
Committee chair Senator Juen Edgardo
M. Angara conducted hearings on l.he
\\ PAge
bills last year and during the Senatet
Jan. l4-Feb. 8 session.
The House of Representatives
passed on third reading last year House
Bill 8083 or the TMBAHO bill as well
as House Bills. 86j2, A618 and 8400,
which seek to raise tobaccq alcohol alrd
mining taxes, respectively.
Mr. Augara has said the Senate wavs
and mears committee will comeup wiih
its report olt the bill seeking to raise the
excise tax on tobacco products when
Congpess resumes session in May.
Aside from the amendments to the
Human Security Act, Mr, Sotto told re-
porters that the Senate,s other priority
measures include the proposed Medical
Scholarship Act, amendments to the
Public Services Act, the proposed Min-
danao Railways Authority, the Budget
^ytf;"
Act, and tlle bill lowering tire criniinal
age ofresponsibility.
"Some ofthem have been reported to
floorso there's agood chancethat itwill
be passed on second and third reading.
There are one or two of thdm, which
are still being in the comrnittee report
lavel,.. It could still be pass<ld in the first
]
weekofJune,"he said,
The proposed Medical Scholarship
Act and the Mindanao Railways Au_
thority remain pending at committee
level. Meanwhile, Setate Bill No. 1754
or the amendments to the public Ser_
vices Act, Senate Bill No. 176I or the
Budget Reform Act, Senate nill No.
1284 or th.e National Transport Act and
]
Senate Bill No. 2t98 or the lowering
of the age of criminality liability are
awaitiug second reading approval. _
I
Cami[e A, Aguinaldo l