Lawmaker hit for misleading public on QC tax hike

The Quezon City government has criticized Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Michael Defensor for misleading the public on an allegedly forthcoming property tax increase.

In a statement, city legal officer Orlando Casimiro said Defensor was lying when he mentioned that there would be an increase in real property taxes under an ordinance passed in 2016 when Mayor Joy Belmonte was still vice mayor and presiding officer of the city council.

“He is lying. The ordinance mentioned by the lawmaker has nothing to do with increasing the land tax rate, but refers to the assessed value of property in Quezon City,” Casimiro said.

The ordinance was passed in compliance with Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, which stated that all local government units must conduct real property assessment every three years, according to Casimiro.

In 2017, the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order stopping the ordinance’s implementation after a petitioner questioned the measure. The SC junked the petition in 2018.

Casimiro said the ordinance was not enforced when Belmonte took over as mayor in fulfillment of her promise during the 2019 campaign that her administration would not increase real property taxes.

“It is primarily a legislative measure where then vice mayor Joy Belmonte’s role was presiding officer. As mayor she never enforced any increase in real property taxes,” Casimiro said. “Consistent with her policy and in consideration of the people’s plight during the pandemic, no public auction due to real property tax delinquency was ever conducted during her term.”

Casimiro said the local government plans to adhere to the increase in land values as “mandated by law,” but it would not be implemented soon due to the measure’s suspension by the city council.

“Please note that during Mayor Belmonte’s administration, taxes did not increase in the last three years. So Defensor’s promise is moot and old news already,” Casimiro said.

The city council had passed two ordinances, suspending the implementation of the 2016 ordinance.

Casimiro clarified that the ordinance would not lead to increases in property taxes as it would only adjust the market value of land in the city.

“So landowners may realize higher returns on their property. The taxes will not be increased,” he explained.

Vice Mayor Gian Sotto, presiding officer of the city council, earlier said that there were no new taxes in Quezon City.

Majority Leader Franz Pumaren and Councilor Jun Ferrer, who authored the ordinance suspending the increase in land valuation, agreed with Sotto.

“The reported property tax hike is nothing but fake news. It will remain suspended until Mayor Belmonte is holding office. The truth is, no decent politician will take advantage of the pandemic and the suffering of the public to sow confusion,” Pumaren and Ferrer said.

The city government collected P22 billion in taxes in 2020, surpassing its 2019 collection of P19.33 billion. The figure did not include other revenues coming from the national government such as internal revenue allotment.

The revenue collections came from real property and business taxes and other taxes on amusement, transfer, contractors and nonrevenues such as slaughterhouses.