House will comply with Duterte call to abolish Road Board
The House of Representatives will follow President Rodrigo Duterte's call to abolish the Road Board, Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. said on Saturday.
"The President has spoken. We heard his message to the House. We will act based on his guidance," Andaya said in a statement.
In his speech on Friday, Duterte said he is supporting the Senate in abolishing the Road Board because it became the "milking cow" of corrupt officials.
"I am on the side of the Senate. It would create another Constitutional issue and maybe crisis. I hate to say it but please, if it's good for the people, good for the trust deposited on the people on government, let’s just go ahead and abolish it" Duterte said.
Andaya said the House can now concentrate on scrutinizing the 2018 budget, "parked pork and the P75 million DBM (Department of Budget and Management) insertions."
"If the President wants an abolition of the road board, let it be real abolition. No residues. No Three Road Kings," he said.
The lawmaker also expressed their support on including the P166.18 billion motor vehicle user's charge (MVUC) in the General Appropriations Act.
"We are in support of putting proceeds from the MVUC as part of the general fund. The proceeds need to be included as a line-item fund in the annual budget of the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways)," Andaya said.
"This way, the real and full funding level of the DPWH is reflected clearly, unlike today when MVUC spending is segregated and treated as a non-national budget expenditure.
Andaya explained if Malacanang "will send a better bill and certify it as urgent, the House, convinced of its merits, will approve it without delay."
In a seperate statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Malacanang is "pleased to know that the House of Representatives has listened to the voice of the people who have long been outraged by the corruption surrounding the use of the said tax"
"Cong. Andaya is finally in touch with reality contrary to his claim that Sec. Diokno and I were out of touch with the President in the matter of the latter's position on the road users' tax and abolition of Road Board," Panelo said. Cristina Eloisa Baclig/DMS
