Laguna gov rejects GMA’s verbal order

STA. CRUZ, Laguna — Despite a verbal directive from President Arroyo the other day, Gov. Teresita "Ningning" Lazaro refused to scrap the road user’s tax slapped on delivery trucks entering the province.

Lazaro said the P500 yearly payment of road user’s tax was based on the provisions of a 12-year-old provincial ordinance designed to boost the income of the province.

She argued that the road user’s tax is just a minimal amount being collected from delivery trucks and vans based in the province.

Mrs. Arroyo directed Lazaro to scrap the local tax during her third Pulong Bayan at the Ford Group Phils.’ building in Sta. Rosa City last Wednesday.

She gave the verbal order after businessman Ed Nicolas, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Laguna chapter, complained that the road user’s tax imperils the free flow of consumer goods in the province.

The President even challenged Lazaro to bring the matter to court. "Ningning, idemanda mo na lang ako (Just file charges against me, Ningning)," she said.

"I’m just implementing an ordinance passed in 1992," Lazaro said.