Angara willing to quit ways and means panel over tax reform proposal

Senator Sonny Angara on Tuesday said he is willing to quit the chairmanship of the Senate ways and means panel if he fails to get the support of his colleagues on his  handling of discussions on the tax reform proposal.

"Sa 'kin kasi, you serve at the pleasure of your colleagues... I will consult my colleagues kung happy ba sila sa version ko kasi at the end of the day, kailangan mo ng majority of senators to support the committee report," Angara said.

"Kung hindi natin makuha ang suporta nila, then we might as well resign," he added.

Angara said he aims to come out with a committee report on the government’s tax reform package by September.

Several senators have already expressed their apprehension in supporting the package in its totality, cautious about the impact on the poor and vulnerable sectors.

During his state address on Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte singled out Angara for not clapping when he appealed to the Senate to pass the tax reform proposal "in full" and with "haste."

Duterte even made an apparent threat to Angara’s re-election bid in 2019, saying: "Bantay ka lang sa eleksyon, tingnan mo."

Angara said his committee is doing its best in scrutinizing the proposal. The panel even held day-long hearings during the session break.

"Hindi madali itong pinapagawa sa 'tin at ang ginagawa natin so sana ma-appreciate din," he told reporters.

"Katulad nung sinabi ko kanina, may mga aspeto na magiging kontrobersyal, pag-uusapan at pagde-debatehan. I’m just a chairman so may version tayo but at the end of the day, ang magde-desisyon diyan majority of the senators, kung ano tingin nila ang tama," Angara said.

For instance, Angara said one of the contentious issues in the tax reform program is the proposed excise tax on oil, citing its impact on the prices of goods and services, and on transportation.

Angara said he intends to invite economic managers to explain how the government plans to spend the revenues to be earned from the tax reform package.

"Kasi baka naman overambitious, so gusto natin malaman kung kaya gastusin ng gobyerno. Baka naman, nagi-ipon lang tayo," he said. —KBK/KVD, GMA News