Statement of Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri on the next TRAIN packages

I would like to correct and clarify the impression that the Senate will not pass the TRAIN 2 measure in our chamber. That is not for me to decide alone. What I had said was it has very little support from my Colleagues and as a matter of fact no senator wants to sponsor the measure at this time. Definitely, once the House of Representatives approves the measure and it's automatically transmitted to us, the Senate would have to conduct public hearings. This is were we will all debate with our finance managers on the possible effects of this new Tax Reform package. Although we welcome the lowering of Corporate Income Taxes we need to look at the possible loss of jobs on the plan to remove incentives given to several industries including BPOs and export manufacturers which number by the hundreds of thousands of People. As the former Chair of the Committee of Trade and Commerce, I have been briefed on the possible exodus of industries from our country if these incentives are lost. That's why on a personal note I am not infavor of this measure but I will not stop the individual members of the Senate to discuss, amend, propose any bills relating to the issue. At the end of the day we are a collegial body where the majority decision will prevail.