High court asked to issue TRO versus Train

A CONSUMER group has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to halt the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) Act, claiming that the law was causing “irremediable injury” to consumers.

petition for certiorari with an application for a temporary restraining order against Republic Act 10963, which it said also violated the Constitution by going against equal protection provisions.

The government has touted the Train law’s approval and implementation as a major step forward for economic development, with revenues to be particularly used for a massive infrastructure program.

Laban Konsyumer, however, as it negatively affects millions of Filipinos consumers, particularly those from the low-income and poor families … [it] also violates the due process and equal protection of the law provisions of the Constitution, the rules on the origin of revenue laws, and the rules on quorum.

Among others, it argued that higher excise taxes on kerosene, diesel, coal and cooking gas would particularly affect the poor and disputed the inclusion of a coal tax as it did not originate from the House of Representatives as mandated by law.

Laban Konsyumer also expressed support for the claim that there was a lack of a quorum when the House passed the bill last December.

The organization’s president, Vic Dimagiba, said: “if not restrained - sions of the TRAIN law betray the very purpose for its enactment which is to provide, as much as possible, an equitable relief to a greater number of taxpayers and their families in order to improve the levels of disposable income since a tax on staples is a tax on the right of individuals to live”.