PCART criticize Senator Recto's Committee Report, A Compromise among the Elite

Press Release

October 12, 2012

MILITANT GROUPS CRITICIZE SENATOR RECTO’S COMMITTEE REPORT, CALLS IT A COMPROMISE AMONG THE ELITE

The People’s Coalition Against Regressive Taxation (PCART) said the Senate Committee report on excise tax was a victory of the feuding factions of the elite and not the ordinary masa because it fell short of their call for the total scrapping of the anti-poor measure.

“We think that Senator Ralph Recto's Ways and Means Committee report is a clear compromise among the feuding factions of the country's elite. The report claims to be realistic and responsible because it pleases both pro-sin tax groups and tobacco and alcohol businessmen. The feuding factions have decided that instead of fighting for the spoils of war, they might as well divide it amongst themselves" the coalition said.

The group slammed both Malacanang and tobacco and alcohol magnates even if both groups were on opposite sides of the controversial issue. The committee report may have decreased the revenue squeezed out of tobacco and alcohol products but our poor countrymen still consider it an unjust and anti-poor piece of legislation.

The Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino National Capital Region-Rizal Chapter (BMP-NCRR) Secretary-General Gie Relova said that "the compromise among elites can be described as dousing cold water to the increasing clamor of the masa to totally junk the much-hated sin tax bills".

The BMP leader emphasized that it is they, the ordinary people who would be burdened by the passing of the Senate bills on sin taxes. "Kahit piso pa ang idagdag nila sa buwis ng sigarilyo't alak, nananatiling regressive ito at kontra-mahirap" Relova added.

PCART, a coalition of labor groups, farmers, small retail stores, and ambulant street vendors that came together to protest the implementation of regressive taxation of the government.

The coalition pledges to up the ante with more protest actions in the coming days in order that the Senators heed the voice of the people who placed them in power and remind them that their mandate is to protect the interests of the masa.

For more details: Contact Gie Relova - 0915-2792746