MANILA, Philippines — Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara gets another Senate term despite headwinds he faced after he shepherded through the Senate the first package of the Duterte administration’s tax reform program, which was partly blamed for the multi-year high inflation last year.
The final and official results from the Commission on Elections showed 18,161,862 voters supported Angara’s reelection bid, placing him at the 6th spot in the so-called “Magic 12.”
He was the lone senatorial candidate of Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino.
Angara sought reelection at a time of high inflation that, government economists say, was unfairly attributed to the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law, which he steered through the Senate as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.
The Senate will also handle a second tax reform package, dubbed TRAIN 2, which aims to rationalize fiscal incentives. — Ian Nicolas Cigaral