MANILA, Philippines - Opposition Rep. Edcel Lagman of Albay expressed opposition yesterday to the Duterte administration’s plan to seek higher taxes on cars that would jack up vehicle prices.
He said the proposed increase in car taxes would particularly hurt middle- and upper-income earners.
According to Lagman, the taxes will go up from two percent to five percent for automobiles with prices below P600,000; 20 percent for those selling for P600,000 to P1.1 million; 40 percent for those with prices ranging from P1.1 million to P2.1 million; and 60 percent for vehicles selling above P2.1 million.
“With the prices of automobiles becoming prohibitive, car users will be constrained to continue using their old environment-unfriendly vehicles (while) car distribution companies will suffer lower sales (resulting) in layoff of workers,” he said.
ALBAY Rep. Edcel Lagman yesterday said the economy has taken a blow during President Duterte’s first 100 days in office because of his war against illegal drugs.
“Duterte and his men are sacrificing the economy and the people’s welfare which have been relegated to the backburner in favor of the all-consuming passion to exterminate suspected drug dealers and addicts.
In fact, Duterte is asking for another six months to finish the ‘job’ which by his own admission replicates the Holocaust,” he said.
I am not against an increase in the rates of combat duty pay and combat incentive pay to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and extending the same allowances to the Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel.
Our soldiers and police officers often risk their lives to ensure the safety and well being of citizens and they more than deserve an increase in their allowances especially those who are in active combat duty.
But the proposed increase in the combat duty pay and combat incentive pay of the AFP and PNP personnel as contained in President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order No. 3 is inordinately excessive to the point of being hyperbolic even as it is clearly disadvantageous and discriminatory to other government workers.
Under E.O. No. 3, the combat duty pay is increased from P500.00 a month to 3,000.00 a month or a whopping increase of 500%, while the combat duty pay of uniformed personnel of the PNP is increased from P340.00 per month to P3,000.00 per month or an increase of 782.35%. Combat incentive pay was increased from P150.00 a day but not exceeding P1,500.00 per month to P300.00 per day but not exceeding P3,000 per month or an increase of 100%.
Just as important as the work of soldiers and police officers are the tireless efforts of our government doctors and nurses, social workers, public school teachers and barangay health workers and even the often overlooked workers who literally do the dirty jobs that no one else wants to do – our garbage collectors, street sweepers and city sewer cleaners – jobs that are both dirty and risky due to traffic accidents and the danger of contamination.
Any increase in the allowances of AFP and PNP personnel should not be to the detriment of other civil servants.
If the increases in bonuses and incentives are adequately reasonable, then they can be said to be an apt recognition and remuneration for services like combat duty.
However, if the increases are inordinately huge, then this can be akin to buying the loyalty of uniformed officers and personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police for ulterior reasons.
The late President Corazon Aquino started the tradition of marking the first 100 days in office of a Chief Executive when she reported on June 4, 1986 on her administration’s accomplishments, which was broadcast on television. She was then the head of a revolutionary government and the Congress was still closed.
Subsequent Presidents from Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph Ejercito Estrada, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to Benigno Simeon Aquino III continued the tradition by reporting to the nation their respective accomplishments during their first 100 days in Malacañang.
If he is inclined to, President Duterte may also make his own report. It may be expected that his report will concentrate on what he has been telling various audiences from military camps, foreign forums to business meetings on his unrelenting campaign against the drug menace and criminality.
The context and essence of President Duterte’s comparing himself to Hitler and resolving to slaughter three million drug criminals, drawing parallelisms to the Holocaust, is vivid and undeniable.
The following is the transcript of his statement: “Hitler massacred three million Jews. Now there is three million, there’s a three million drug addict. There are. I’d be happy to slaughter them. At least if Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have you know (pausing and pointing to himself), my victims, I would like to be, all criminals to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition.”
Duterte’s apologists cannot again incant that the President was “quoted out of context”.
The defenders of Duterte maliciously demeaned media, both local and foreign, by accusing them of misreading the President’s clear statement.
There is a principle in law that when the language of the statute is clear, there is no need to construe.
In the same manner, when the utterance is unmistakable, there is no justification to interpret or mitigate.
What is imperative is that Duterte and his team must put their acts together by having prior consultations and discussions.
The President must avoid outlandish and provocative statements with detrimental consequences.
The mouth must be the oracle of discreet and studied statements, not ill-conceived and outrageous utterances.
