Malacañang on Friday clarified that President Duterte wants to get rid of the graft-ridden Road Board to put an end to the Road User’s Tax which is being used as a milking cow by corrupt politicians.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo belied House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. who said that Duterte has agreed to keep the Road Board, contradicting Panelo and Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno.
Panelo said that Duterte told him that he does not like the Road Users’ Tax and wants it abolished.
“I will quote him exact words. He said: ‘Day One I was already against this Road Users’ Tax because ginagamit lang ‘yan, ginagawa lang gatasan ng mga corrupt na mga pulitiko’,” Panelo said.
“So that’s the position of the President. He doesn’t like it. He wants it abolished,” he added.
Panelo said Duterte might sign the Senate resolution proposing the abolition of the Road Board to put an end to the Road Users’ Tax.
“Siguro if the President really wants to end this, he will sign it,” he said, adding that he will ask Duterte when he will sign the resolution.
Panelo also said that Duterte may sign the House Bill No. 7436 abolishing the Road Board into law even without the signature of House Speaker Gloria M. Arroyo, saying it would only be ministerial.
“Since the House has already submitted to us, they have lost jurisdiction over the same. So they cannot be rescinding what they have already submitted to us. And we have already adopted their position,” he said.
“Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea was saying that that’s ministerial. Still, they can say, ‘But we did not sign it.’ There may be a legal question on whether or not that is, from the point of view of the law, is indeed an enrolled bill ready for signing,” he added.
Panelo said House members should just go to the courts and question the legality of the bill after Duterte signs it into law.
“They will go to the court. Those from the House, they may question it,” he said.
Panelo also said that Andaya may have misunderstood what the President said when they discussed the fate of the Road Board.
“He said that Secretary Diokno and I were out of touch with the President regarding the position of the President. I think he was referring to himself,” Panelo said of Andaya.
“He was mentioning that there was a dinner between the President, the Speaker and him, and on that dinner in September, the President, according to him, wanted the release of the funds. But either he was not listening to the President closely, or he misunderstood what the President said,” he added.
Andaya said he had dinner with Duterte and Arroyo in Malacanang at about one to two days before the House rescinded approval of the bill last September. He said it was during this dinner that Duterte told them he wants fund releases from the Road User’s Tax to be continued. (Argyll Geducos)
