Palace urged to release R800-B IRA to LGUs

The Aquino administration was urged yesterday by Batangas Governorelect Hermilando “Dodo” Mandanas and former Senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. to release some 3800-billion Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) back pay of local government units (LGUs), saying the money will be useful to start the shift to federalism.

In a press conference in San Juan yesterday, Mandanas and Pimentel advised all LGUs in the country that they have no less than 1800-billion claim from the national government arising from their unreleased share of the national internal revenue taxes collected from 1992 to 2015.

Mandanas stressed that these unreleased funds came from the national internal revenue taxes collected by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) as agent of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), including income taxes, estate and donor’s taxes, value-added tax, other percentage taxes, excise taxes, documentary stamp taxes, and other taxes imposed and collected by the revenue agency.

With the transition to the new administration, led incoming President Rodrigo Duterte who has been expressing interest to push for federalism, Mandanas said this unreleased IRA may be a big help to power the shift to federalism.

Mandanas vowed to help in the collection of the unreleased IRA for the LGUs.

Pimentel said the IRA must be automatically released based on the law.