Philippines: Duterte’s gravy TRAIN for the rich (tags)
The tax system in the Philippines is biased towards the rich. The Duterte government’s new tax reform package House Bill (HB) 5636 or the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN), recently adopted by the Lower House of Congress, further burdens the poor – the unemployed and under-employed -- and low-income earners.
PHILIPPINES: How to Slay the Oil Price Monster (tags)
Leaders are elected in order to take decisive action to solve problems. What is demanded from a leader is–after a careful weighing of costs and benefits–action that cuts the Gordian Knot of a seemingly complex reality.
Gloria "Makapal" Arroyo's SONA: as usual and of course (tags)
As usual, Gloria Arroyo resorted to lies, stage gimmicks, misrepresentation, misdirection, and statistical hocus pocus to conceal the true state of the nation. Of couse, she again did all these with her characteristic overbearing aplomb. As usual, she blamed the global crisis for the current national crisis. Of course, she failed to mention her role in implementing the imperialist policies of globalization, liberalization, and VAT collection that have led to greater impoverishment, hunger, and desperation among the Filipino masses.
Transport group threatens to hold protests anew (tags)
Militant transport federation Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston) yesterday denounced the Arroyo administration’s insistence that the government cannot suspend the 12-percent expanded value added tax (eVAT) on oil and other petroleum products in view of the high oil prices as it threatened to mount a series of nationwide protest actions.