MANILA, Philippines -- Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero has re-filed a measure seeking to scrap the community tax certificate, or “cedula,” as a form of identification, saying the document had long lost its significance and value. If Senate Bill No. 1082 becomes law, there will be no need to use the cedula as proof of identity when signing documents before a notary public, taking an oath of office or being appointed to a government position. The senator said the cedula has become useless with the many and more competent proofs of identity such as passports, driver’s licenses and other government-issued identification cards. “The cedula now proves to be an unnecessary burden imposed on our people who are required to present it when doing public transactions. It was deemed useless by our forebears during the colonial times, it is more so today,” he said. The cedula was first implemented as a 19th century tax reform in the Philippines during Spanish colonial rule. After the tribute system or head tax to Spain was abolished, the cedula was issued to all Filipinos upon payment of a residence tax. In 1896, revolutionaries led by Andres Bonifacio tore up their cedula in Balintawak to signal the start of their armed uprising against Spain in what is now known as the “Cry of Pugad Lawin.” “Abolishing the cedula practice is also like scrapping a relic of our colonial past. Yes, we must always look back at our past to know where we are going, but the cedula is a thing of the past that should already be buried for its obsolescence” Escudero said. Escudero’s bill also seeks to repeal the provisions of Republic Act No. 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991, giving powers to local government units to impose residence taxes, for which the cedula is proof.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Jul 2013 07:48:16 +0000
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