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

Sin Tax Bill, Kontra-Mahihirap! Tutulan!

PEOPLES COALITION AGAINST REGRESSIVE TAXATION (PCART)

PRESS STATEMENT 

Octubre 9, 2012 

ANG PANUKALANG BATAS NA “SIN TAX" AY KONTRA-MAHIHIRAP!

TUTULAN ANG PAGPAPATAW NG PANIBAGONG BUWIS!

Ang diumano’y sin tax bills na nakabinbin sa Senado ay mariing tinututulan ng mga manggagawa, magbubukid, mga maralitang lungsod na nabubuhay sa pagtitinda sa komunidad at mga cigarette vendors o takatak boys na nagsama-sama sa ilalim ng Peoples Coalition Against Regressive Taxation o PCART. 

Ang mga panukalang ito – Senate Bills 2763 (Excise Tax on Alcohol Products) at Senate Bill 2764 (An Act Restructuring Excise Tax on Tobacco Products ayon sa gobyerno ay naglalayong mangalap ng karagdagang pondo para sa Universal Health Care Program ng pamahalaan. Sinasabi ng gobyerno na ang pagpapataw ng panibagong buwis ang kanyang direktang hakbang upang tugunan ang papalalang kalagayang pangkalusugan ng mamamayan. 

Seryoso ba ang gobyerno sa pahayag na ito? 

Hindi maiwasan ng PCART na magduda sa pahayag na ito lalo pa’t palpak ang Department of Health at ang Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHILHEALTH) sa pagpapatupad ng mga marapat nitong tungkulin sa mga naghihikahos na mamamayan. Ang patuloy na pagsasa-pribado ng mga pampublikong ospital, kawalan ng gamot, nars, duktor sa mga pagamutan ay mga problemang hindi nalunasan sa matagal nang panahon. 

Saan ba balak dalhin ng gobyerno ang mga pondo sa kalusugan sa pamamagitan ng PHILHEALTH na umaabot ng daang bilyong piso na hanggang sa ngayon ay hindi mapakinabangan ng mga mahihirap na mamamayan? 

Sobrang takaw ng gobyernong ito sa pondo! 

Kung ang tingin nito ay hahamig ng malaking buwis buhat sa sin tax ay nagkakamali ito dahil sa mas malala ang magiging epekto nito sa kabuhayan ng mga manggagawa, magsasaka at maralita na aalisan ng kabuhayan. Ang nakikita ng gobyerno sa pamamagitan ng Department of Finance ay ang hahamiging pera at hindi ang masamang epekto nito sa masa. 

Gobyernong tamad! 

Sa halip na asikasuhin ang paghahanap ng solusyon tulad ng industriyalisasyon na magluluwal ng maramihan at matatag na trabaho upang lunasan ang kawalan ng hanap buhay ay mas pinili nito ang short cut na daan na magpataw ng panibago at kontra mahihirap na buwis upang tustusan ang kapritso’t luho ng iilan sa pamahalaan.

Ang aming panawagan 

Naniniwala kami na ang sin tax ay kontra-mahihirap na paraan ng pagbubuwis na dapat tutulan hindi lamang ng mga sektor na kabilang sa PCART kungdi ng lahat ng masang patuloy na pinagpapasan ng mga buwis na hindi naman tumutugon sa pangangailangan ng nakararaming naghihirap na mamamayan. 

Sa Senado, kung saan ay nakatakdang pagtibayin ang mga panukalang batas ay isasagawa namin ang serye ng mga malalaking demonstrasyon upang ipanawagan sa mga kagalang-galang na mga Senador ang aming pagtutol sa pagpasa ng mga panukalang nabanggit.

Sin Taxes are Anti-Poor - PCART

PEOPLE’S COALITION AGAINST REGRESSIVE TAXATION (PCART)

PRESS STATEMENT

9 October 2012

SIN TAXES ARE ANTI-POOR!

NO TO SIN TAX!

The so-called sin tax bills pending before the Senate will affect the poor more rather than the rich. These are Senate Bills 2763 (Excise Tax on Alcohol Products) and SB 2764 (An Act Restructuring Excise Tax on Tobacco Products). According to government officials the sin tax bills aim to increase taxes on liquor and cigarettes in order to raise more funds to finance the government’s Universal Health Care program. If these bills are enacted into law, it will greatly affect the livelihood of thousands of families of tobacco farmers, cigarette workers and even small ambulant vendors and takatak (cigarette vendors). 

The government may argue that these sin tax bills are forms of its direct intervention to address the issues concerning the declining state of health of the people. Is this really about health? PCART finds this highly dubious knowing the dismal performance of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth). The recent moves of the government to privatize government hospitals and partner with the private sector to build the main office of the Philhealth is sufficient enough to claim that health services shall no longer be accessible to the poor even if all the proceeds from these sin taxes are directed to the DOH and Philhealth.

For the poor, this is not about health. More so, this is about their livelihood. For them, it is more important to earn a living even if this may only be diminutive, rather than to die of hunger. If these bills became laws, these will be considered as a form of regressive taxation because it imposes a greater burden on the poor and threaten their livelihood. Furthermore, the concerned government agencies and even the draft bills have no mention of an alternative livelihood plan for the affected farmers and workers.

We are against sin tax bills because this means loss of jobs and other means of livelihood but more importantly it will greatly contribute to the widening gap of have and have nots in our country . 

Stop Child Labor, Now! - Piglas-Kabataan (PK)

PIGLAS KABATAAN

Press Statement

Hunyo 12, 2012

STOP CHILD LABOR, NOW!

TRABAHO PARA SA AMING MGA MAGULANG!

Inilunsad ng International Labour Organization (ILO) ang kauna-unahang World Day Against Child Labour noong Hunyo 12, 2002 upang mapatampok ang mga delikadong kalagayan ng mga batang manggagawa sa Pilipinas. Batay ito sa mga naganap na ratipikasyon ng ILO Convention Bilang 182 hinggil sa mga napakadelikadong anyo ng pagtatrabaho ng mga bata, at ILO Convention Bilang 138 na hinggil naman sa miminum na edad sa pagtatrabaho.

Bilang paggunita sa Pandaigdigang Araw Laban sa Maagang Pagtatrabaho ng mga Bata, nananawagan ang Piglas-Kabataan na dapat gumawa ang pamahalaan ng mga mekanismo upang matigil na ang pagsasamantala sa mga batang manggagawa. Hiniling din nila sa pamahalaan na dapat bigyan ng trabaho ang kanilang mga magulang, magkaroon ng libreng edukasyon, trabaho sa mga magulang, libreng pangkalusugan, at proteksyon sa kanilang mga bata. Sa ngayon, umaabot sa 4M ang mga child workers sa Pilipinas, bagamat sa datos ng gobyerno, ito'y umaabot ng 2.4 milyon. Sa kalunsuran pa lamang, karamihan sa mga batang ito na nasa edad 17 pababa ay magbabasura, nagpapedicab, magbabakaw, mangingisda, industrial workers (cyber sex), domestic helper, at manininda sa lansangan. Sa mga kanayunan at liblib na pook, nariyan ang mga batang manggagawa sa mga minahan, pangisdaan, tubuhan, atbp.

Ayon kay Carmina Obedoza, pangulo ng Piglas-Kabataan, "Nais ng mga bata sa paaralan. Ayaw namin sa basurahan at mga lugar na maaari kaming mapahamak ng maaga. Dapat nang itigil ang child labor sa ating bansa upang ang ating mga kabataan, lalo na yaong nasa edad 17 pababa, makapag-aral, makapaglaro at mabuhay bilang malayang bata. Dapat din pong bigyan ng sapat na trabahong makabubuhay ng pamilya ang aming mga magulang. Dapat nang itigil ang pananakit sa mga bata, child trafficking, at ang patuloy na pagdami ng mga batang manggagawa."

Dagdag pa ni Obedoza, "Kahirapan ng buhay ang nagtulak upang magkaroon ng mga batang manggagawa, mga batang manggagawang dapat na nasa paaralan ngunit kailangang magtrabaho ng maaga dahil sa kagutuman, dahil hikahos ang mga magulang, dahil hirap ang buong pamilya. Ang mga serbisyong para sa tao ay ginagawa nang negosyo, kaya imbes na mapakinabangan ng mamamayan, ito'y pinagtutubuan ng iilan. Ang kamahalan ng presyo ng edukasyon na taun-taon ay tumataas, at ang presyo ng medikal ay talagang hindi kayang maabot ng mga maralita. Kailangan nang palitan ang sistemang itong yumuyurak sa karapatan natin bilang tao. Dapat nang wakasan ang sistemang kapitalismo!"

Education, not exploitation! Education is our right... stopping child labor is our fight!

Karapatan ng mga bata ang mag-aral, hindi ang magtrabaho ng maaga at magpagal!

Every child deserves a childhood. END CHILD LABOR, NOW!

Corona Conviction is not a Deterrent to Corruption

PRESS STATEMENT

May 30, 2012

Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP)

Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM)

SANLAKAS

Corona Conviction is not a Deterrent to Corruption

Malacanang and its paid hacks in media are now making a mountain out of a molehill. They say that the conviction of Renato Corona by the impeachment court is a triumph of democracy and a cleansing of the bureaucracy. Nothing could be farther from the truth. 

The telenovela that was the impeachment of Corona ended with a predictable and lackluster climax, leaving the masses unentertained and not craving for more. The single and simplistic moral lesson of the story: “tell the truth in your SALN”. 

Despite the long proceedings, the Senate could only prove one fact: Corona did not properly disclose his dollar deposits in his SALN. Hence, its verdict rested on the sole issue of “non-disclosure”, covered by Article 2, which it raised to a “culpable violation of the Constitution”.

In so doing, the complaint, reduced to Articles 2, 3 and 7 during the deliberations, was further narrowed down to “non-disclosure” (Article 2, paragraph 2.2). It did not determine if such cash assets were ill-gotten or acquired illegally, leaving unanswered the people’s questions on “ill-gotten wealth”, “court decisions for sale”, “misconduct and corrupt practices”, etc., etc. The result was a “narrowing down” not to focus on more substantial issues; the case was watered down to insignificance. 

The respondent’s admission of non-disclosure was enough for the prosecution and the senator-judges to obtain a guilty verdict. They did not use Corona’s waiver of his dollar deposits to put such bank accounts under scrutiny. Hence, it is clear as daylight that the real intention of the impeachment court was not to expose and punish immoral conduct and corrupt practices in government but to merely remove Corona in the Supreme Court, to replace an Arroyo crony with an Aquino lackey in the judiciary.

If the impeachment court truly wanted to cleanse the bureaucracy, it should have let the sun shine in the dark and shadowy corridors of power. Let the people know how Corona acquired his millions of dollars; how Lucio Tan compelled the Court to flip-flop on the FASAP (Flight Attendants and Stewardesses Association of the Philippines) case; how much perks and privileges are given by PAL to members of the Supreme Court. 

But it did not; the impeachment court stopped in its tracks. It did not go beyond the question of non-disclosure. To the people, especially the workers and the poor, we believe that they did so because further investigation would reveal their modus operandi, the prevalent malpractice of officials in the bureaucracy who use their power and influence for economic and personal gain. 

Disclose All or Resign All! Genuine Cleansing of the Bureaucracy not a Telenovela of Elite Infighting

PRESS STATEMENT

Mayo 23, 2012

Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP)

Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM)

Sanlakas

Disclose All or Resign All!

Genuine Cleansing of the Bureaucracy not a Telenovela of Elite Infighting 

We have said it before and we will say it again. Give the Filipino people a chance for real reforms and meaningful cleansing of the rotting bureaucracy.

The impeachment of Corona is not enough. The process is a spectator sport for the Filipino masses who are neither senator judges nor members of the prosecution and defense panels. More so, it is atelenovela of elite infighting being used by the Aquino regime to consolidate its control of the state and to advance its economic interests.

In impeachment proceedings, the masses are being induced to take sides between two oppressors. They are made to choose the lesser evil among rival camps of the ruling elite, which is nothing more than a choice between hell and purgatory.  By so doing, it fosters the illusion of democracy, of people’s participation in the affairs of the State.

But while the impeachment process is patently limited in its scope and objective and is being utilized by factions of the elite to pursue their self-serving economic and political agendas, it would inevitably open more meaningful questions. Its narrowness and limitation would provide exact arguments for the necessity of genuine and widespread reforms, and for other means of political activity that ensure public participation in the cleansing of the bureaucracy.

Hence, upon the opening of impeachment proceedings against Corona, we issued the “Disclose All” slogan, the demand for the full disclosure of all financial records and transactions by all government officials.

The beleaguered chief justice – who is more an astute politician than an honorable judge – knows this Achilles heel of the impeachment process. Hence, Corona is now piercing the veil of Noynoy’s anti-corruption pretense in order to save his skin as he challenges Senator Drilon and the 188 signatories of the impeachment case to “disclose all”. Truly, crooks know when to speak the truth to hide a lie.

We are neither “pro-Corona” nor “pro-Noynoy”. Both politicians are personifications of the social evil of a corrupt bureaucracy under an elite democracy. If government officials want to dispel public mistrust, they should let the sun shine into dark places. The broad masses of the people, not just the workers and the poor demand the public scrutiny of their private wealth.

If they could not “disclose all”, then they should all resign. And if the demand for “full disclosure” is continuously not met, the cry for “Resign All” would transform from an appeal for delicadeza into a call of action for their ouster. #

Workers’ Cost of Living not Employers’ Capacity to Pay! – BMP NCRR

PRESS RELEASE

May 21, 2012 

Metro Workers picket the NCR Wage Board:

Workers’ Cost of Living not Employers’ Capacity to Pay! – BMP NCRR

In reaction to the latest order by the NCR wage board, the militant socialist center Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) National Capital Region Rizal chapter (BMP-NCRR) picketed the offices of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in in Malate, Manila today.  

Last Friday, the NCR wage board ordered a two-tier P30 cost of living allowance (COLA) and the integration of P22 previous COLA into the basic pay. Romy Castillo, BMP spokesperson said, “The order is an insult. The P30 COLA is not even enough to buy a kilo of rice.  More so, it also falls short of the P90 to P125 across-the-board wage relief demand by organized labor.”

Castillo added, “Workers, however, have little to expect from the regional wage boards. Its checkered track record shows that it is patently not a mechanism for economic relief.  Their wage increase orders are a pittance. The exemptions they give to employers make their directives a paltry. Barya na nga! Ipinagkait pa ng mga eksempsyon! Two-gives pa!”

BMP-NCRR Secretary General, Gie Relova explained, “The NCR wage board fulfilled its mandate in accordance to Republic Act 6727, or the 1989 Wage Rationalization Act: to peg wages to the level of starvation pay”.

The BMP is demanding the reform of the country's wage fixing mechanisms and the abolition of the wage boards. The labor group is calling for the scrapping of RA 6727 since “it gives more weight and consideration to “employers’ capacity to pay” rather than the “cost of living” for the workers and their families.

“Workers are not asked for their "capacity to buy" when we buy our families' needs. Why then, in fixing wages, must the government ask the employers in the tripartite wage boards if they have the "capacity to pay" the living wage?”, Relova asked. The BMP estimates the daily cost of living for a family of six to be at P990.

Relova elucidated, “Are workers asking too much if they want to be paid at cost? Prices of commodities are generally the sum of "cost of production" and profit. For the price of labor power (wages), workers want to be paid according to the necessary costs for workers and their families to survive decently.” 

At the protest, the workers brought “thirty (30) rotten eggs” to highlight their disgust to the latest wage order of P30 COLA for Metro Manila worker.“Tatlumpong bugok na itlog para sa bugok sa wage board”, Relova concluded. #