Sin Tax Coalition Slams House Railroading of Bill Lowering Sin Taxes Through Ways and means "Briefing"

The Sin Tax Coalition criticizes the authors of House Bill 11279 for calling for a briefing of the Committee on Ways and Means to discuss the said bill, which will lower taxes on tobacco and vape products. 

HB 11279 was filed by Representative Kristine Singson-Meehan, and co-authored by Rep. Tonypet Albano, Rep. Angelo Marcos Barba, Rep. Ron Salo, Rep. Solomon Chungalao, and Rep. Migs Nograles.

The meeting is being tagged as a Committee “briefing,” and called only on the morning of the same day, deceptive skirting the 72-hour rule for a committee to call a hearing. 

We criticize the authors of HB 11279, which we call the Sin Tax Sabotage Bill, for failing to respect Ways and Means Chair Representative Joey Salceda’s previous decision to cancel the meetings to hear HB 11279. 

The sponsors of the Sin Tax Sabotage Bill are brazenly railroading a bill for which they have not shown any credible evidence regarding its effectiveness in addressing illicit trade. Initial estimates by the Sin Tax Coalition show that HB 11279 will lead to forgone revenues of P27.5 billion and 400,000 new smokers until 2030, vs the status quo.

Further, they are purveyors of fake news by branding HB 11279 as the “Anti-Illicit Trade Bill”: HB 11279 will lower tobacco taxes and therefore will not address the issue of illicit trade or declining tobacco tax revenues. It will not address illicit trade. The problem of smuggling cannot be addressed by this sabotage bill. The solution to illicit trade, as shown by global evidence, is strong and credible enforcement and political will. 

The sponsors, most of whom are from tobacco-growing provinces, are betraying their constituency of tobacco farmers by effectively reducing the earmarking that tobacco farmers will receive from tobacco taxes.

We also notice that there were no tobacco companies invited to the briefing as resource speakers. This just further proves that the spokespersons of the tobacco industry are the Congressmen themselves. 

We call on the House leadership to firmly reject any attempts to move this anti-health, anti-revenue, and pro-tobacco industry bill further.