Bam Aquino pushes for bill letting taxpayers give 5% of taxes to CHR

Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV on Thursday pushed for the approval of his bill that would allow taxpayers to allocate five percent of their taxes to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).

This, after the House of Representatives slashed the proposed P678-million 2018 budget for CHR to a measly P1,000.

Several netizens have expressed willingness to donate funds to the CHR.

Aquino said his Senate Bill No. 699 or the People’s Fund Bill gives taxpayers a chance to decide to which agency a portion of their taxes will go.

“Galing sa pinaghirapan ng taumbayan ang ginagamit na pondo ng pamahalaan kaya nararapat lang natin silang konsultahin kung paano ito gagamitin,” Aquino said.

The bill creates mechanisms for an individual taxpayer to allocate five percent of his or her income tax for any of the following: (1) an accredited charity or civil society organization; (2) a priority national or local government project; or (3) a legitimate political party.

Under this bill, the Bureau of Internal Revenue shall establish the mechanism that would enable individual taxpayers to select beneficiaries upon filing of their annual income tax returns.

“Kapag ito’y naisabatas, may kapangyarihan na ang taxpayer na piliin kung saan pupunta ang porsyento ng perang ito. Ginagawa na ito sa ibang mga bansa at panahon nang gawin ito sa Pilipinas,” Aquino said.

Aquino and other senators have vowed to fight for the restoration of the CHR budget in full. —KG, GMA News