Two weeks before he steps down from office, President Aquino has vetoed two bills, the condonation of unpaid taxes of local water districts and the comprehensive nursing law.
Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said Aquino has vetoed consolidated House Bill No. 3675 and Senate Bill No. 2518 which seeks to remove conditions for the condonation of all unpaid income taxes of local water districts.
Coloma said Aquino has informed both the Senate and the House of Representatives that he has vetoed the bill on the condonation of unpaid taxes of local water districts, specifically the proof of financial incapacity as determined by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and a program of internal reforms as submitted to Congress. The veto message was transmitted to the Senate and the House of Representatives last June 6.
“In his message, President Aquino said the bill will remove the laudable intent of Republic Act (RA) No. 10026 which is to grant tax reprieve only to LWDs which are financially incapable and committed to instituting fiscal reforms,” Coloma said.
“Moreover, the President said the bill sends a message to errant taxpayers that delinquency is acceptable since amnesty or condonation may be given anyway, even without benefit of proper documentation,” he said.
Coloma also noted that the President had seen the proposed bill as disadvantageous and can undermine the government’s strict tax collection efforts.
He said the President has also vetoed consolidated House Bill No. 6411 and Senate Bill No. 2720 which seeks the enactment of a comprehensive nursing law.
“In his message, President Aquino noted that the minimum base pay for entry-level nurses has already been increased through Executive Order (EO) No. 201, Series of 2016, which raised their total guaranteed annual compensation from R228,924 to R344,074, apart from other benefits and allowances they receive, such as under the Magna Carta of Public Health,” Coloma said. (Madel S. Namit)