Wednesday, August 22, 2007 Junie, Zambo oppose sharing taxes
THE proposal to make component cities share their real property tax collections with their provincial governments has drawn contrasting reactions from mayors of Cebu's cities.
Both Bogo Mayor Celestino “Junie” Martinez Jr. and Toledo City Arlene Zambo expressed opposition to House Bill 1607, filed by Rep. Pablo John Garcia (Cebu, 3rd district).
Carcar Mayor Patrick Barcenas and Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez, for their part, do not see anything wrong with the proposal and are willing to share a percentage of their taxes.
In an interview yesterday, Garcia said his proposal does not ask the City Governments to give more than what the municipalities are already giving.
But for Martinez, the component cities, especially a new one like Bogo, need all the local income they could get, considering that they have to create more departments and offices to serve their constituents.
“I don’t think it’s fair... Why do they have to ask for a share in the cities’ taxes?” Martinez said over radio dyLA. He said there are even services devolved to the cities.
Not enough
He added that the 45-percent allocation for personnel services in a city’s annual budget is not even enough to meet its needs.
Zambo, in the same radio interview, said she will raise the matter before the League of Cities of the Philippines, where she sits as deputy secretary for the Visayas.
She considers Garcia’s proposal as anti-local government unit, saying that the cities have enough problems as it is because the creation of new cities results in a cut in their share of the Internal Revenue Allotment.
Zambo further said Garcia should have consulted the mayors before filing the bill.
Garcia, in response, said all the bill asks for is “fairness.”
If component cities enjoy the same privileges and rights as the municipalities, such as the right to vote for provincial officials, infrastructure support, aid to barangays and others, Garcia said he does not see why cities must not have the same obligations as the municipalities.
“But I’m really not surprised by their opposition. We must remember that these are the same personalities who wanted to dismember the province of Cebu, so I don’t expect them to feel any sympathy for the province. But they should at least look at it from the point of view of the poor municipalities,” said Garcia.
Willing to give
House Bill 1607 provides that in the case of component cities and cities whose residents retain the right to vote for elective provincial officials, 35 percent of its real property tax must be given to the Province.
The City will get 35 percent while the remaining 30 percent will be divided among the barangays of the cities.
Barcenas said they are willing to give 50 percent of their real property tax to the Province because the Provincial Government is helping them anyway.
“Mura man sad ug lain paminawn nga mudawat ta unya wa tay gihatag (It’s not good to keep on getting projects without contributing anything),” the mayor said.
For his part, Fernandez said the proposal is only fair because the Province has not taken their city for granted. (JPM)
