MANY are keeping an eye on the announced bill to be filed this week by Senator Raffy Tulfo, chair of the committee on public services, proposing to abolish travel tax imposed by law on economy class Filipino passengers leaving for abroad.
There is clear-sightedness in what the 64-year-old Tulfo said that imposing additional costs on economy class passengers traveling on a budget is a violation of their right.
He stressed passengers in first and business class will still pay the so-called luxury tax.
The Travel tax, under Republic Act 6141 approved on Nov. 4, 1970, and Presidential Decree 1183, signed on Aug. 21, 1977, is a levy imposed by the government on individuals irrespective of the place where the air ticket is issued and form of payment, as provided for by PD 1183 as amended.
The Travel tax under the Schedule shall not exceed the equivalent of 15 per cent of the fare involved but in no case shall the tax be less than P2,000 for those traveling under first class passage.
The following individuals traveling abroad are required to pay travel tax: Filipino citizens, taxable foreign passport holders, and non-immigrant foreign passport holders who have stayed in the Philippines for more than one year are eligible to pay.
We find clear responsiveness in what Tulfo said that imposing a travel tax on outbound Philippine passport holders could be a violation of their Constitutional right to travel.
He articulated Article III, Section 6 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution which recognizes the Filipino people’s right to travel, saying this “shall not be impaired except in the interest of national security, public safety, or public health, as may be provided by law.”
Tulfo then called for the repeal of PD 1183 which imposes a travel tax of P1,250 on economy class passengers.
Under PD 1183, overseas Filipino workers, infants, government officials and corporations on official travel are exempt from this tax.
We endorse Tulfo’s argument that “imposing additional costs on economy class passengers, who are traveling on a budget with funds they have saved for a long time, is a violation of their Constitutional right to travel.,”
If this is a major legislation, a companion or identical bill may be filed in the House of representatives aimed at speeding up the legislative process by encouraging both chambers to consider the measure simultaneously, with the bill becoming a law through a multi-step process.
When passed by both chambers in identical form and signed by the President or repassed by Congress over a presidential veto, the proposed bill becomes a law.
