Bigger share of IRA to LGUs pushed

CITY of BALANGA – Bataan Rep. Enrique “Tet” Garcia, 2nd district, assured over the weekend that they are not abandoning their quest for a bigger share of Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) intended for the Local Government Units as the legal issue has been elevated to Supreme Court.

Congressman Garcia said that he had already filed a mandamus before SC, seeking what he called equal distribution of IRA to LGUs.

A former governor for more than 10 years, Garcia is known to be a legal fighter after he fought before the SC the retention of the multi billion Petrochemical plant in Bataan after then Pres Cory Aquino, and other local officials of Bataan pressed Garcia to let the transfer of Petrochemical in Batangas.

Owing to his controversial legal fight before SC, Garcia won that resulted to the establishment of Petrochem in Bataan which is now one of the major sources of income through taxes by the province.

As this developed, local government units should not abandon efforts to seek a bigger share in the national taxes even if the current administration has flatly rejected such proposals, Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. advised the country’s vice governors and other local officials.