BACOLOD City – The City Treasurer’s Office vowed to comply with the ordinance granting condonation to delinquent taxpayers.
City Treasurer Giovanni Balalilhe earlier came under fire for failing to immediately implement Ordinance No. 936 which Mayor Evelio Leonardia signed last month.
Councilor Dindo Ramos, principal author of the ordinance, and co-author Councilor Al Victor Espino mulled charges against Balalilhe.
According to Espino, he received almost 12 complaints from taxpayers who claimed they were willing to settle their liabilities but were refused tax relief.
The councilor pointed out the measure, which was passed on Aug. 25, went through the required hearings, including one attended by Balalilhe himself and City Legal Office (CLO) head Joselito Bayatan.
Under the ordinance, real property taxpayers who shall pay in full from Sept. 30 or earlier to Dec. 31 shall enjoy 100 percent condonation on all penalties, interest and surcharges.
Balalilhe, for his part, said he did not impose of the policy after learning that two cases were filed against the local government units of Palawan and Iloilo for implementing a similar ordinance.
He explained that the Commission on Audit disallowed such measure. Thus, he immediately sought the legal opinion of the (CLO).
Balalilhe also said he directed the Management Information Technology and Computer Services to update the computation of the taxes.
Leonardia, on the other hand, said the CLO is now studying how the ordinance will be implemented.
“The city government will make a recommendation to come up with a ‘conditional’ form for taxpayers,” the mayor added./PN
