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By Jovee Marie de la Cruz, January 22 2019; Business Mirror

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/01/22/house-oks-road-board-abolition/

Image Credit to Philippine Star

THE House of Representatives on Monday endorsed for Senate approval a measure abolishing the Road Board.

Voting 180 affirmative and zero negative, lawmakers passed the House Bill 7436 on third and final reading.

The bill will be transmitted to the Senate immediately for its own deliberations.

Under the  bill, the motor vehicle user’s charge (MVUC) will go directly to the General Fund.

The projects that will be funded by the MVUC will be itemized in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Earlier, the both Houses of Congress agreed to abolish the Road Board and its funds shall be transferred to the General Fund under the GAA.

Before approving the bill, Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. said the House has already withdrawn its earlier bill which is similar to the Senate version.

Upon consultation with the Members of Congress, Andaya said they discovered there was an erroneous referral of the particular bill. It was passed by the House Committee on Government Reorganization.

But in reality, Andaya said the bill was a tax measure and the creation of the Road Board was  merely incidental to the establishment of the MVUC being collected by the Land Transportation Office.

Just like any other tax measure, Andaya said that under the Constitution, the House will have the first crack and the Senate will wait for the House version.

Andaya said they will hold the bicameral meeting immediately as requested by the Senate and make sure that the bill is specific to what President Duterte has instructed.