Senate bill seeks to scrap 'useless' cedulas

A bill was filed in the Senate on Wednesday seeking to stop the use of community tax certificates, commonly known as "cedulas."

In filing Senate Bill 1082, Sen. Francis Escudero proposed the scrapping of "cedulas" since there are "more competent" proofs of identification available to the public such as passports and drivers' licenses.

“The cedula now proves to be an unnecessary burden imposed on our people who are required to present it when doing public transactions. It was deemed useless by our forebears during the colonial times, it is more so today," Escudero said in a statement.

The measure seeks to repeal provisions of Republic Act No. 7160, the Local Government Code of 1991, which authorizes local government units to impose residence tax.

The "cedula" currently serves as proof that a resident paid community tax.

Escudero said these Spanish-era documents only serve as "a relic of our colonial past."

"The cedula is a thing of the past that should already be buried for its obsolescence," he said.

Last April, Internal Revenue chief Kim Henares also proposed the scrapping of "cedulas," saying the government spends on printing and distributing these documents but gains no earnings in return. — Andreo Calonzo/KBK, GMA News