DOF letter only asked for Road Board restructuring —Andaya

The Duterte administration through the Department of Finance (DOF) never proposed the abolition of the Road Board to Congress, House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. said on Friday.

Citing a letter Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez sent to Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on September 20, Andaya said that the DOF spelled out the legislative measures that the economic managers wanted Congress to prioritize.

These include:

1. Tax Amnesty
2. Increasing the excise tax on alcohol and tobacco products
3. Restructuring and increasing the motor vehicle user charge
4. Rationalizing capital income and financial taxes
5. Reforming property valuation and taxes.

“On item number 3, the stand of the DOF on the road users’ tax is clear: restructure and increase the motor vehicle user charge. The letter does not mention of Road Board abolition,” Andaya said.

“Sa sulat na iyon, malinaw ang gusto ng DOF : taasan ang registration fees ng mga motorsiklo, kotse, truck , jeep, SUV  at lahat ng motor vehicles. 'Ni walang pahapyaw na buwagin ang Road Board,” he added.

Andaya took exception to Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno going “all over town telling our people that [President Rodrigo Duterte] wanted the abolition of the Road Board.”

“We, in Congress, believed that Secretary Dominguez is speaking for the economic managers when he spelled out the government’s economic agenda,” Andaya said.

“Now, who is telling the truth, Secretary Dominguez or Secretary Diokno?” he added

The House leader said that Diokno was giving alternative facts to the President with regards to the House Bill 7436 or the so-called “Road Board Abolition.”

“The bill, I repeat, will not abolish the Road Board. Kahit saan mo tingnan, hindi binabanggit sa bill ang pagbuwag sa Road Board,” Andaya said.

“As I explained earlier, what the bill sought to create is the Three Powerful Road Kings,” he added.

The House leader said the HB 7436 merely conferred to the DPWH, DOTR and DENR secretaries the absolute power to disburse the road users’ tax.

“Derecho ibibigay sa kanila at bahala na sila ang gumasta. Each will have dictatorial powers over the funds. No oversight,” Andaya said.

“Kasing klaro pa ng sikat ng araw na sa ilalim ng HB 7436, ang  pondo ay off-budget, hindi  transparent at idedeposito sa  special trust funds under the control of the Road Board Kings,” he added.

The House leader again challenged Diokno to a public debate.

“So that our people will really know who is telling the truth with regard to HB 7436, I reiterate my challenge to Sec. Diokno to a public debate on the issue. Name the place and date, I will be there,” Andaya said. —NB, GMA News