Lacson: No need for law exempting teachers' poll pay from taxes

BOGO CITY, Cebu—There is no need for a law exempting teachers' election pay from taxes, presidential candidate and Senator Panfilo Lacson argued Thursday.

In an ambush interview here, the lawmaker opposed the position of the Department of Education (Deped) that a law should be passed before granting the appeal of the teachers who will serve in the May 9 elections.

"I don't think we need legislation for that. Magkaroon lang ng resolution siguro ang [Commission on Elections] baka puwede na e. Bakit lagi nilang tinuturo 'yung Congress alam naman nilang kaunti na lang ang panahon ng Congress para mag-enact ng batas? If there is a will, there is a way, without violating existing laws," Lacson told reporters.

(I don't think we need legislation for that. I think a Comelec resolution can do. Why do they always point their fingers to Congress when they know that we only have limited time to enact a law? If there is a will, there is a way without violating existing laws.)

"I am all for that [exemption] kasi once every three years lang naman 'yung teachers nagsa-sacrifice sa kanilang Comelec duties. Kaunti lang naman 'yung hinihingi nila na i-exempt na sila doon sa tax sa kanilang pag-perform. So why not?" he added.

In a separate statement, Lacson said the honoraria for the teachers is "the least that the government can give them as incentive for the extra and thankless— yet patriotic—duty."

"There is no time to lose for the agencies concerned to act on the matter. Our teachers who are going on election duty deserve no less," he added.

In a public briefing Wednesday, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said the department has appealed for the removal of the 20% tax on election service honoraria, so teachers will get the pay in full. However, she added the decision is not theirs to make.

“Nasa atin ‘yang Internal Revenue Code na lahat ng mga incomes, kailangan may tax. So, ang magre-recommend niyan ay ang Department of Finance kung ano ang kanilang rekomendasyon. Pero dinulog namin ‘yung request kung pwedeng gawing tax-exempt itong mga increase in allowances,” she said.

(The Internal Revenue Code states that all incomes must have tax. The Department of Finance should be the one recommending it. But, we filed a request to have the increases in allowances be exempted from tax.)

DepEd Undersecretary Alain Pascua stressed that the law needs to be amended to allow such tax exemption.

“‘Yang amendment sa batas ay hindi po nagawa ng Kongreso kaya hanggang ngayon, ang ating honoraria at saka allowances ay hindi sila tax exempted,” he said.

Comelec Commissioner George Garcia on Monday said they will help teachers on their appeal for an overtime pay in their duty on election day as well as for the removal of tax on their honorarium.

He said the poll body will look into the appeal of teachers and endorse it to concerned agencies like the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

This came after several teachers trooped to Comelec headquarters, urging the removal of the tax on their election service compensation.—AOL, GMA News