BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
ILOILO City – Meagerly paid and already overtaxed, state workers in Western Visayas are joining counterparts across the country opposing the imposition of new taxes on their bonuses, allowances and other benefits.
They have started signing a petition expressing support to the case filed before the Supreme Court questioning Revenue Memorandum Order (RMO) 23-2014 of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
“RMO 23-2014 is oppressive and unfair. Imposing taxes on benefits that are supposed to augment our meager pay is unfair,” said Irma Espinosa, coordinator of the umbrella organization of government workers in Iloilo.
The Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage Iloilo) is spearheading the petition signing in Region 6.
It will be making rounds of government offices across Western Visayas to gather support, said Espinosa.
Government workers will also be wearing black or red shirts or ribbons as a form of silent protest, said Espinosa.
“We are preparing streamers expressing our sentiments, too. These will be displayed in government offices,” said Espinosa.
The Philippine Association of Court Employees (PACE-Iloilo) is one of the more vocal against the tax imposition. Just last month, it accused the executive branch of government of attacking judicial independence for attempting to abolish the Judiciary Development Fund and taxing their benefits.
Courage Iloilo plans to join simultaneous nationwide mass actions against RMO 23-2014, said Espinosa. No date has so far been set.
RMO 23-2014 was introduced on June 20. Among its controversial provisions are:
- Section 3 – taxing all forms of compensation across the bureaucracy
- Section 4 – taxing bonuses above P30,000
- Section 6 – empowering provincial, municipal and barangay treasurers and accountants to deduct and withhold taxes
- Section 7 – penalizing authorized withholding officers who fail to make the tax deductions.
As of last year, there was an estimated 1,185,530 state workers, according to the Department of Budget and Management website.
“We will continue to fight for a living wage and against oppressive tax measures of the government,” said Ferdinand Gaite, Courage national president based in Metro Manila./PN
