Smoke and Mirrors

Despite the gains that have been made during the Aquino administration, the Philippines is still known as a hub for corruption and a manufacturing plant for red tape.  Not exactly the reputation you’d want for your country, but it’s out there, question is, how do you stamp out the problem.

Over the past weeks, issues have been popping up like mushrooms with the lawmakers being implicated in the pork barrel scam shoveling mud wherever they can trying to get out of the spot light by implicating as many  others as humanly possible. The “We’re not the only ones that’re dirty!!” mindset is quite distasteful. They’ve even resorted to pointing out that Mr. Piggy is dirty too.

e There there, that’s okay Mr. Piggy (Photo from Getty Images)

The effort to sidetrack people’s attention is clear.  The question is, why are they buying into it so easily. With so many issues cropping up the public is being led away from the real issue, which is that legislators have been stealing billions (yes with a b) worth in people’s money from public coffers. Put them on trial, make sure it doesn’t happen again. Then you can go after who and whatever you want to go after. It’s a sad fact that the general public tends to be forgetful/easily distracted when it comes to these issues.

Hmmm those two look familiar… That’s right! They’re recently elected officials!

We seriously need to get past the smoke and mirrors if we’re going to get anywhere..

Orchestrated

Just recently, in a country as ravaged by tropical storms as it is by corruption scandals, Janet Lim-Napoles, one of the Philippines’ most wanted individuals and the subject of a 10Million Peso bounty willingly surrendered. What irked most however was the fact that she would only give herself up to no less than the president of the country. While many claim that our infamous pork nabber has ties with the palace.

The apparent deal between the president’s office and our fugitive has sparked concerns about how the forthcoming court trials are going to turn out. Before being taken to Camp Krame she supposedly spoke with President Aquino for ten minutes. A lot of the anger over the internet is directed towards the possibility that she be used as a state witness where she could potentially wind up with a pardon or a much shorter sentence.

She’s probably hoping to find the real version

Legal experts have mentioned however, that Ms. Napoles’ serving as a state witness would be in conflict with the law as “the most guilty” cannot be taken in as witnesses of the state.

Regardless this is only the beginning of a long judicial process to identify and try those involved in the PDAF scam. It’s important that the aggrieved Filipino public remain vigilant to make sure that the guilty are brought to justice.

On other news, given their fondness for new vehicles the Napoleses are said to be considering buying a new set of wheels…

Familiar, anyone?

Broom brooooom

Tax Collection, More Fun in the Philippines

All governments collect taxes from the people which they govern. Through the funding generated via tax collection, the government is able to serve its citizens by implementing programs and providing goods and services necessary for the functioning of the state and the welfare of its people. (This is how it works in the books or fairytales, whatever, sadly reality paints a not-so-friendly picture)

We have a government that’s becoming more and more efficient at collecting taxes (particularly from the poor) but not at using those funds productively. You know, kind of like how animals eat scrumptious nutritious matter to eventually excrete poop. Mind you poop has its uses, but you get the idea..

like fly food, or fertilizer…

Which brings me to the reason for my rant. A couple of days ago I attended a quarterly meeting of a regional policy-making body (this is in line with my job, I don’t do this sort of thing for kicks). Among the agenda presented was a circular issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (tax collecting agency), stating that voluntary contributions to SSS and GSIS and Pag-ibig would henceforth be taxed because some people were “abusing” their right to contribute and were doing this to avoid taxes.

Then after her presentation, the BIR presenter was dragged out of the room to face a firing squad… Okay so I was exaggerating. The council however, had a pretty much unilateral response to the circular and it could succinctly be summarized in the words “Hell no”

Voluntary contributions are made to the government agencies in question to afford a degree of social protection. (you know, the kind of protection that the government is supposed to provide) And to tax that is well,  just plain wrong. It’s already sad how the government can’t even provide these benefits for free. And to top it all off a big chunk of these beneficiaries are actually the POOR. These are people who are more marginalized/more vulnerable/ who need more social protection, FYI BIR. (Imagine the Grinch stealing a portion of all the well earned Christmas gifts from kids on Santa’s good kids list. Fine, the BIR isn’t half as green)

it’s time to collect

I understand that it’s the BIR’s mandate to collect taxes, and I understand that they have higher targets to achieve every year. But I don’t get why you have to target the part of society that is already vulnerable. Tax the rich more? I’m sure the smartasses up in office can come up with better and more decent policies. *end rant