A press release from TXTPower, of which this blogger is a member:

Consumer group TXTPower today rejected the proposed 20-centavo text tax pushed by Senator Richard J. Gordon and Speaker Prospero Nograles and supported by Malacanang, calling the proposal “an insult to the intelligence of the people and a slap in the face of people in the midst of crisis.”

“All calls and text messages are already charged 12 percent VAT. Overseas calls are also slapped an overseas communications tax. If we have ‘double-insertion’ in projects, this Gordon-Nograles-Arroyo tax is ‘double taxation’,” said TXTPower president Anthony Ian Cruz.

“If the Gordon-Nograles-Arroyo really want to raise the budget for education and health, they could do so by allocating appropriate amounts in the national budget. But they don’t. They want to pay fraudulent foreign debt, engage in unproductive expenditures and let corrupt people remain in government,” said Cruz.

TXTPower is advocating the reduction of foreign debt payments and rechanneling the amount to social services such as health and education.

The group is also pushing for increased tax collection and the firing of corrupt revenue and customs officials.

“Gordon should oppose the plan to build a new Senate building and instead allocate the money for schoolbuildings. The pork barrel of all legislators should be reduced by half and all proceeds should go to improving hospitals in the local levels,” said Cruz.

International studies claim that 20 percent of the annual Philippine budget go to waste due to corruption.


Ederic Eder

Ederic is a Filipino communications worker in the telecom, media, and technology industry. He writes about K-dramas and Korean celebrities for Hallyudorama.

He used to be a social media manager for news at GMA Network, where he also headed YouScoop, GMA News and Public Affairs’ citizen journalism arm.

He was with Yahoo! Philippines for more than three years before returning to GMA Network, where he was also previously part of the News Research section.

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