Friday, July 18, 2008 Court orders release of Magat shares By Robie Halip
LAGAWE, Ifugao -- Judge Anastacio Anghad of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Isabela has ordered the release of the real property tax in connection with the Magat power plant covering the first quarter of year due to Isabela and Ifugao.
The tax will be released to the municipalities of Alfonso Lista, Ifugao and Ramon, Isabela; but they, in turn, will remit the share of their mother provinces pursuant to the Local Government Code and other tax laws.
The decision of the court was based on the consideration that further delay of the release of the tax would cause grave and irreparable injury in the delivery of public service to the people or the continuance of developmental projects.
As stipulated in the jurisprudence cited in the decision, taxes are the lifeblood of the nation primarily for the purpose of generating funds for the state to finance the needs of its citizenry.
In concurrence with the decision of the court that the tax be used for the welfare of the people, Ifugao Governor Teodoro Baguilat Jr. said the share from the tax will be used to fund projects and programs of the education sector, particularly the need for additional teachers and other developmental projects.
The sharing on the real property tax between Ifugao and Isabela was based on the relocation survey and inventory of properties supervised by Bureau of Local Government Finance pending the settlement of the boundary dispute between the two provinces.
"The next step is to ask Snap Aboitiz to pay what is fair and just to the Ifugao people as it is our watersheds which supply the water needed for the dam to operate and our land where it is located," said Baguilat.
