Chiz: Tax bills will have rough sailing in Senate if burdensome to people

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Francis Escudero on Thursday warned that if tax measures will be a burden to the people, they will face rough sailing despite in the chamber despite backing by President Ferdinand Marcos.

“Approval of President Marcos’ tax proposals will not be a “slam dunk” in the Senate, and may even be blocked, if they will cause misery to an already overtaxed people,” Escudero said.

He added however, that he was open to proposals and study the merits of the tax measures in deference to the President.

He gave assurance that the Senate is a free market for ideas, and every idea must be given its day.

He also admonished that if the administration team that would be selling the tax proposals “is the same crew that did a poor job in explaining the Maharlika Investment Fund,” the Malacañang-certified revenue measures might be doomed.

“At this time, selling taxes to Filipinos is like asking an Eskimo to buy a freezer,” he pointed out.

According to Esudero, the Philippines “has become an e-commerce republic.” the DOJ created the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Task Force along with a special team of prosecutors primarily focused on protecting the entire agricultural sector, not only the onion industry.

Because of this, vigorous opposition is expected when the government starts taxing consumer goods.

The senator was referring to a Palacebacked bill aiming to impose taxes on online purchases.

He also predicted that the proposal to raise motor vehicle registration fees would likewise face stiff opposition since car owners are already being taxed twice because of the VAT and excise tax on gas purchases.

He also cited the difficulties motorists suffer due to the government’s failure to fix damaged public roads.

He said the Marcos administration will be putting “its huge political capital on the line” in pushing these measures in the time of “high prices and low wages.

Included as members of the task force were the Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG) headed by Chief State Prosecutor Richard Fadullon and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) headed by Director Medardo De Lemos.

“We have formed a group that will focus on this problem and the fact-finding is being done right,” Remulla said in an interview with CNN Philippines.

“But the formal fact-finding starts next week where we will summon the BPI together with all the documents on importation for the past decade,” he said.

The task force will determine the timeline and trace where every importation permit, Remulla said.

“We have identified the personalities.

We will file the cases in due time,” he said.

He also disclosed that the task force will investigate “as many as 20 people” in the onion smuggling, although there were only four identified main players.

“They control 80 percent of the onion supply that’s why the price can be manipulated by them whenever they wish,” Remulla noted.

He added that the so-called “onion queen” controlled 55 to 65 percent of the supply.

“But she has contacts in the entire country so they can control the price,” the secretary said.

In a statement, the BOC gave assur-