Filipinos are overtaxed and economically overburdened by a government that has been underspending and underperforming in delivering much needed services.

Makabayan senatorial candidate Rep. Neri Colmenares stressed this yesterday when he appeared at the Manila Bulletin “Hot Seat” roundtable discussion with senior editors, lamenting the Aquino administration’s performance and decrying the government’s obstinate refusal to agree to legislative proposals to reduce tax rates and abolish value-added tax on undelivered services like systems loss in power and water.

“This situation is unacceptable and unfair, especially if placed against the backdrop of government underspending that has ballooned to P734 billion during the term of President Aquino.”

Colmenares, a senior member of the House minority bloc, said government’s neglect of the needs of the poor is underscored by the fact that Aquino vetoed the bill proposing to increase the monthly pension of private sector retirees.

However, he aired optimism that Congress will successfully override the veto when session resumes on May 23 and a new president has been elected.

OVERRIDING AQUINO VETO

Colmenares, a principal author of the bill proposing a P2,000 hike in SSS pension, has launched a signature petition proposing to override Aquino’s veto.  So far 88 out of the needed 192 congressmen to reject the President’s decision have signed the resolution.

He vowed to pursue in the Senate legislative proposals that failed to pass the scrutiny of the 16th Congress, more particularly bills that the Aquino-backed majority bloc in the Lower House or the current Senate has rejected.

A human rights and labor lawyer, Colmenares said the Aquino administration, through its allies, opposed his bill seeking to lower the income tax rate which is being maintained at the same level as 30 years ago although inflation has considerably weakened the buying power of taxpayers.

He said his bills seeking to outlaw labor contractualization and implementation of a genuine agrarian reform program that will distribute free of cost agricultural land to farmers received little support in the Lower House.

At least 60 percent of the country’s labor force are contractual workers.

Colmenares, who comes from Negros Occidental , expects strong lobby against the two measures, saying that big business and big landowners will take steps to protect their own interests.

“Mahigpit na laban ito, hindi ganoon ka-easy.  Precisely, the business sector may not like it and those who espouse these advocacies may not even win the elections,” he explained.

NO TO IRRIGATION FEE

The House senior deputy minority leader also called for an end to the imposition of irrigation fees from farmers, pointing out that the Philippines is now the only Asian country that burdens the agricultural sector with payment for irrigation.

“We are the only government in Asia that is imposing irrigation fee.  Progress will never be achieved if the economic situation of 70 percent of its population will not improve,” he said.

Colmenares said several bills batting for exemption of VAT on water, power, and even systems loss have been filed by him but only the latter received support from his House colleagues.

“Dapat matanggal ang system loss VAT sa water at power. Look at the anachronism here, you impose value-added tax on a service that you never received,” he noted.

On government underspending, Colmenares stressed that the Aquino administration committed grave injustice to its constituents for failing to deliver much-needed services to heavily burdened Filipinos although it has enough money to spend for them.

“Government has no moral authority to say na walang pondo because grabe and understending ng budget and overspending for projects na walang kwenta,” he said.

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Ben Rosario

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