SC ruling on hiked IRA funding, a victory of local governments

July 7, 2018 Provincial

BANGUED, ABRA – Lawmaker Joseph Sto. Nino Bernos sees the Supreme Court’s ruling on the hiked Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) increasing public funding on local projects as “a victory of local government towards inclusive development.”
Seeing the 10-3 SC ruling on G.R. 199802 and G.R. 208488, Bernos said, “when promulgated, this ruling will create a profound impact on local governance.” “What is due to the local government and its people will finally be given to them for their benefit.” 
Bernos, himself a former municipal mayor, looks at the ruling as “overwhelmingly favorable” for barangays and Sangguniang Kabataan, saying that “grassroots initiatives will reach more beneficiaries and will have greater impact to the lives of the people.”
The petitions, filed by then-Representative Dodo Mandanas and the late Bataan Governor Tet Garcia, granted local governments share from “national taxes” like customs tariffs and taxes levied by other state agencies, not only from “national internal revenue taxes”.
“The ruling shows the primacy of Constitution, which was explicit that local governments should have just share in national taxes,” Bernos said, referring to Section 6 of Article X of the 1987 Constitution.
With this favorable decision of the Supreme Court, provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays will have greater capacity to develop and to deliver basic government services to their communities,” the Abra lawmaker reiterated. ACE ALEGRE / ABN