CIR v. PAL

Commissioner of Internal Revenue and Commissioner of Customs Vs. Philippine Airlines, Inc.

G.R. No. 215705-07

February 22, 2017

FACTS:

The controversy in this case revolves around the interpretation of the provisions of Presidential Decree No. 1590 (PD 1590), otherwise known as "An Act Granting a New Franchise to Philippine Airlines, Inc. to Establish, Operate, and Maintain Air Transport Services in the Philippines and Other Countries" vis-a-vis Republic Act No. 9334 (RA 9334), otherwise known as "An Act Increasing the Excise Tax Rates Imposed on Alcohol and Tobacco Products, Amending for the Purpose Sections 131, 141, 142, 145, and 228 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997." PD 1590 was enacted on June 11, 1978, while RA 9334 took effect on January 1, 2005.

On September 5, 2008, PAL paid under protest. On March 5, 2009, PAL filed an administrative claim for refund of the excise taxes it paid with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) contending that it is entitled to tax privileges under Section 13 of PD 1590. The CTA Second Division found that PAL was able to sufficiently prove its exemption from the payment of excise taxes pertaining to its importation of alcoholic products, and since, it already paid the disputed excise taxes on the subject importation, and therefore, it is entitled to refund. However, the tax court ruled that, with respect to its subject importation of tobacco products, PAL failed to discharge its burden of proving that the said product were not locally available in reasonable quantity, quality or price, in accordance with the requirements of the law. Thus, it is not entitled to refund for the excise taxes paid on such importation.

In the present petition, the petitioner argues that: Section 131 of the NIRC revoked PAL's tax privilege under Section 13 of P.D No. 1590 with respect to excise tax on its alcohol and tobacco importation. Assuming that it is still entitled to the tax privilege, PAL failed to adequately prove that the conditions under Section 13 of P.D. No. 1590 were met in this case.

ISSUE:

Whether PAL's alcohol and tobacco importations for its commissary supplies are subject to excise tax.

HELD:

No. It is a basic principle of statutory construction that a later law, general in terms and not expressly repealing or amending a prior special law, will not ordinarily affect the special provisions of such earlier statute.

Indeed, as things stand, PD 1590 has not been revoked by the NIRC of 1997, as amended. Or to be more precise, the tax privilege of PAL provided in Sec. 13 of PD 1590 has not been revoked by Sec. 131 of the NIRC of 1997, as amended by Sec. 6 of RA 9334. While it is true that Sec. 6 of RA 9334 as previously quoted states that "the provisions of any special or general law to the contrary notwithstanding," such phrase left alone cannot be considered as an express repeal of the exemptions granted under PAL's franchise because it fails to specifically identify PD 1590 as one of the acts intended to be repealed.

Noteworthy is the fact that PD 1590 is a special law, which governs the franchise of PAL. Between the provisions under PD 1590 as against the provisions under the NIRC of 1997, as amended by 9334, which is a general law, the former necessary prevails. This is in accordance with the rule that on a specific matter, the special law shall prevail over the general law, which shall be resorted only to supply deficiencies in the former. In addition, where there are two statutes, the earlier special and the later general - the terms of the general broad enough to include the matter provided for in the special - the fact that one is special and other general creates a presumption that the special is considered as remaining an exception to the general, one as a general law of the land and the other as the law of a particular case.

The Court, on the "propriety of a tax refund is hinged on the kind of exemption which forms its basis," declared in no uncertain terms that PAL has "sufficiently prove[d]" its entitlement to a tax refund of the excise taxes and that PAL's payment of either the franchise tax or basic corporate income tax in the amount fixed thereat shall be in lieu of all other taxes or duties, and inclusive of all taxes on all importations of commissary and catering supplies, subject to the condition of their availability and eventual use. In other words, the franchise of PAL remains the governing law on its exemption from taxes.