Some senators will pass a resolution blocking President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to lower the tax on imported meat that will surely bring down the local pork industry.
Three senators will file a joint resolution to repeal Duterte’s signed Executive Order 128 where the 30 percent import tariff within the import quota or minimum access volume (MAV) will be one year reduced to 5 percent, while the 40 percent tax beyond the MAV will be only 15 percent.
“By law, the authority of the president to fix tariff rates while Congress is not in session can be withdrawn or revoked by virtue of a joint resolution… Our local hog raisers suffered a double blow in the last two weeks and it is the duty of Congress to stand up for them,” said Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon.
Drilon was accompanied by Sen. Cynthia Villar and Sen. Kiko Pangilinan in filing the joint resolution.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III also seems to be in favor of this, especially since the Department of Agriculture (DA) has a vague basis for recommending it to the President.
Some senators to block Duterte’s order lowering tax on imported pork
According to the senators, if the permitted pork import is 400,000 metric tons from the current 54,000 metric tons, imported meat will flood in and the country’s 80,000 pig farmers will lose even more.
The government will also lose P3.6 billion to P5.4 billion in taxes as a result, the Bureau of Customs said.
In fact, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said that there is no need to pile up imported meat in the country because only 1.850 million metric tons per year are needed in the country.
Local hog raisers, on the other hand, produce up to 2.2 million metric tons per year, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
“So where is the shortage, Mr. President? Hindi [ba] malinaw na higit pa sa sapat ang supply mula sa local na production upang matugunan ang pangangailangan ng ating bansa?” said Lacson.
According to the senators, the impact of EO 128 on the pork industry is severe, accompanied by the scourge of African swine fever.
But DA Secretary William Dar defended that their desire to import meat was well-founded.