Recto challenges oppositors to write their own committee report

Let them write their own report. This was the challenge made Wednesday by Senator Ralph Recto to his oppositors as he insisted on withdrawing his committee report on the sin tax bill after his version of the measure was criticized as being “watered down.” "I labored two weeks to write that report. Intellectual property ko yun. No one can say that I did not write that report," he said. He said the senators can use the version of the sin tax bill that they want. "One click lang pwede na sila magprint nung bill ni Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago o nung bill ni Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya," he said, adding that these proposals are closer to Malacañang’s own proposal, which he thinks is unrealistic. Recto, as head of the Senate ways and means committee, recommended last week a measure that would raise P15 billion to P20 billion in additional tax revenues per year.   The House of Representatives approved its sin tax bill in June, which is expected to raise P31.35 billion in the first year of implementation.   Malacañang's proposed version, however, pegged the amount at P60 billion per year. Recto received flak, not only from the private sector but also from government officials, for his version of the bill. This prompted the senator to resign as head of the ways and means panel. He was replaced by Senator Franklin Drilon. Drilon wanted to keep Recto's version and use it as basis of the deliberations on the plenary, but added that it would be up to the committee members whether to use it or adopt a new version. Recto was cold on the idea. "Why plagiarize my report? Why use my report if they think that it was so bad. Isn't that the reason I was criticized," he said. "Sabi nila kaya ang P60 billion, let them use the report that says like that. Let them stand by what they said," he added. He said he will sign the new committee report that will be crafted. He further said that he will provide details to the new version of the bill and will let the Senate decide on it. Recto also made the assurance that his relationship with President Benigno Aquino III is good. "I intend to support him until the end of his term and beyond. I fully respect the President and support his initiatives. I don't have any problem with the President," he said. Meanwhile, civil society groups see Recto's resignation and Drilon's appointment as a victory, but have vowed to remain vigilant and monitor the procedures in the Senate. “We are closely watching their every move. We expect our senators to move without delay because the longer we fail to reform our sin tax for tobacco the heavier the burden we carry as we lose our people from smoking," said Dr. Maricar Limpin, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines (FCAP) executive director. She said sin tax supporters should not be complacent even after Recto’s resignation. “We expect the tobacco industry not to take this sitting down. If they were able to hold and delay sin tax reforms for the last 15 years, they will surely do everything to dilute if not crush a pending senate bill,” Limpin said. FCAP also called on civil society groups to continue pushing for the passage of the sin tax bill to make sure that solons will be prompted to pass it before the year ends. — BM, GMA News