CEBU, Philippines - City officials have different opinions on the move of the Bureau of Internal Revenue to tax the campaign funds of those running in next year’s elections.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña who is running for Congressman for the city’s south district said he finds nothing wrong with the BIR regulation, but Vice Mayor Michael Rama and education consultant Augustus “Joy” Young, both running under Osmeña’s group, the Bando Osmeña- Pundok Kauswagan, believe the move if BIR is not a practical way for government to earn revenues.
“That’s okay as long as it’s not in addition to the Value Added Tax,” Osmeña said.
Young, on the other hand, said, “It’s not practical. Samot na nga rich na lang ang makadagan ani.”
Opposition leader and Lahug barangay captain Mary Ann De Los Santos even shared Rama’s and Young’s sentiment, saying the move would discourage transparency on the part of those running for office.
“Mosamot nga daghang mga kandidato ani nga dili na g’yod motug-an sa tinuod nilang gasto aron dili makabayad ug dakung buhis kon ipatuman na kini,” she said.
De Los Santos earlier said she would be running for a congressional seat in the city’s north district, but also floated that she might gun for the vice mayoralty post instead.
The country’s election laws provide that a candidate is allowed only to spend P3 for every voter if the candidate belongs to a political group, and P5 for every voter for those who do not depend on a political party.
But De Los Santos argued that in other countries, the government even subsidizes the political group to strengthen their campaign, a far cry to what is now being done by BIR.
BIR, through Revenue Regulations No. 8-09, has required all political candidates and their supporters to set aside five percent of their campaign funds for withholding tax.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile explained that there is already a provision as provided for under the Internal Revenue Code of 1997 that allows the government to collect tax from the campaign expenses of the candidates, although it was not implemented right away.
“There’s a law already… it is being implemented only now. I understand they have already published the regulations,” Enrile said.
Acting BIR chief Joel Tan-Torres earlier vowed to start strictly implementing the five percent tax. — Rene U. Borromeo/JMO (THE FREEMAN)