Asean-Japan FTA

From my daily readings of on-line news, I am a bit surprised that none of our Senators who are about to ratify the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) ever talked about the recent signing of the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (AJCEPA).

The latter was signed last April 14 and is the third free trade agreement of the 10-nation bloc with its northern neighbors. The first two were with China and South Korea.

What are the implications of this multilateral agreement with that of our bilateral JPEPA. This to me is a very crucial consideration.

I believe that the Senate should not rush in acting on the JPEPA until after we study the pros and cons of AJCEPA.

This was one of the major premises that prompted the City Council to pass two Resolutions last Tuesday -  the first calling on the Senate to hold in abeyance its action on the JPEPA, and second, for the Executive Department to recall JPEPA from the Senate for further study and/or renegotiation in the light of AJCEPA.

Our other premises were anchored on the many opposition to the JPEPA, particularly the secrecy of its negotiation, unconstitutional provisions, unequal terms and adverse human and environmental impacts.

In my sponsorship speech, I also raised doubt about the proposal of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago for a “conditional concurrence” of the treaty.

A conditional ratification only proves that something is wrong with the trade pact. Why not then outrightly reject it or send it back for renegotiation?!!

Sorry folks, no fireworks

Ria was correct in her comments. There were no fireworks at the City Council yesterday over the controversial Development Plan for Children.

The expected verbal clash was toned down by the move to defer consideration of the issue until next week. Its proponent Councilor Angela Librado-Trinidad told our colleagues no less than the Mayor himself wants to talk the matter with members of the City Council before its final voting next session.

The principal oppositor Councilor Teresita Mata-Maranon delivered her final speech to appeal to our colleagues to reject the proposal.

The Development Plan for Children indeed appears innocent at first glance. However, a large portion of it deals with reproductive health issues opposed by pro-lifers, family crusaders and the Catholic Church. Neophyte Councilor Kaloi Bello on a number of occasion sought clarification if the title of the measure fits with its content.

Had the proposed plan been solely for the development of children, I have no doubt this measure would have long been approved. It has dragged on this long - over a year now - due largely to provisions regarding the contentious reproductive health programs of the government.

My own take of it is that having failed to pass legislation at the national level, RH programs are being pushed at the local level. Quezon City passed a measure last year which met stiff opposition from the Catholic Church.

A number of us suspect that this so-called Development Plan for Children is a Trojan Horse. Hidden by the gift wrappings are highly divisive reproductive health provisions.

Unbelievable

The Supreme Court has started to hear oral arguments on the case filed by the League of Cities against the conversion of 16 municipalities into cities.

The lawyer of the League correctly pointed out that the creation of the new cities was “unconstitutional” because it did not meet the requirements set forth in the Constitution and the Local Government Code.

Defending the creation of the new cities, the government’s Solicitor General engaged in hyperbole. Her arguments were simply hogwash.

She was quoted to have said “The change to the Local Government Code was enacted with the understanding that the 16 municipalities and eight others will be exempt from the requirements.”

Ha, ha, ha! Unbelievable!

There has no change yet in the Local Government Code regarding the requirements since its enactment in 1991. There is, however, a pending bill in Congress exempting capital towns on the requirements.

Where the hell did the government’s top lawyer get her basis to exempt the 16 towns? What a lawyer!

(5:48 a.m.)

Decrease?

The report of the Department of Tourism that domestic passenger volume at the Davao International Airport decreased by 1.5 percent in 2007 compared to the previous year should be checked.

I can not believe such figure. Both PAL and Cebu Pacific reported growth in this sector with the two air carriers even adding more flights and new routes to Davao in 2007.

The Air Transport Office should be the more reliable agency to dish out such air passenger stats, not DOT. In counting tourists, for instance, DOT gets its figures from hotel registry, not truly a believable source.

Davao City tourism industry leaders should get to the bottom of this report. Otherwise people could get the impression tourism is declining in the city, which is bad for its efforts to lure more visitors.

(5:33 a.m.)

Back as battleground

Top honchos of the economic team of the government are in Davao City today to present the state of the economy to local officials and business sector.

Last week, controversial Joey de Venecia was here too as guest of local lawyers campaigning for truth.

This week, Jun Lozada is expected here for his provincial campus tour.

Davao City is back as a battleground for the hearts and minds of the people.

We recall that during the late 1970s and into the 1980s, this city was the laboratory of the urban war between NPA partisans and government-backed vigilante groups fighting for the loyalty of the people. It was a nasty experience that left the city with scars.

Would I expect this new game to be any different.

Nah, the visits of Joey de Venecia, Jun Lozada and the economic team would be as unproductive.

(6:15 a.m.)

Sitting on our laurels

What seems to be the trouble in keeping our No. 1 spot?

We are the world’s top producer of seafarers but we appear to be sitting on our laurels.

Like the decline in basic education, diminishing English proficiency, etc. our maritime schools are also on the downturn.

Oh well, Pinoy nga naman. 

(5:51 a.m.)

People power fatigue?

Protest actions are in fashion again these days with renewed calls for the Malacanang Palace occupant to quit over rampant corruption scandals in government.

For the first time since I became an activist since high school, I am not taking an active part in these recent mass actions.

I fully concur with Akbayan that this fresh crisis calls for system, rather than just personality, change. What our nation need, and very badly, is a thoroughgoing system reform. Changing leaders at the top would not have a dent at all as shown by our experiences since Edsa 1 and 2. We had new leaders in Cory instead of Marcos, and Gloria instead of Erap but nothing changed because the system that breeds corruption remained.

Am I one of those afflicted with “people power fatigue?”

Well, I am actually busy building rooms for my children, and I strongly feel that this work is much more important that raising my fist again.

(7:12 a.m.)

It’s moving

The reconstruction of Bakerohan Bridge is finally moving. And the DPWH has vowed that the work would be “fast.”

One immediately notices billboards on both sides of its approach that “your taxes is moving.”

At the foot of the bridge, there is a giant billboard with the picture of the President proclaiming that it is here where “your taxes is going.”

Ho hum.

(10:12 a.m.)

Truth

I have not posted regularly because there had been an absence of, if not a very weak, internet signal in my house lately. I am pissed off with this damn bad PLDT DSL service.

My brief comments on the Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada testimony in the Senate on the scandalous national broadband network (NBN) deal are in the news today. I noticed however that the print version is more complete. The online version had two glaring differences. I said “People are fed up with the infighting of the elite.” The online version mentioned “fighting of the elite.”

I also premised my conclusion that Lozada “was part of the scam” when he was willing to reduce the overprice at the level “hindi bubukol.” This was totally omitted in the online version.

There is a TV report that the Catholic bishops are calling for a crusade for “truth” in the light of this latest witness account on the NBN deal. I hope they are not selective because in the case of the massive cheating in the 2004 elections, the CBCP prefers to shut its mouth, and thereby help hide the “truth.”

(10:50 a.m.)

Nogie

The House leadership shake up is finally over. Our district rep Boy Nograles is the new Speaker.

He is the first Davaoeno and first Mindanaoan to hold the post, the fourth highest in government.

He brings to Congress Davao’s legacy of having topnotch congressional leaders such as Maeng Veloso of the pre-martial law era who served as assistant (deputy) speaker and Nonoy Garcia of the 1980-90s who was assistant majority leader and assistant speaker. We can also count in Artemio Loyola and Nilo Maskarino, veterans of the City Council, who were elevated to Congress. Both of them oftentimes were asked to temporarily preside sessions of Congress.

Nogie also earlier got the highest post for a Davaoeno as majority leader.

A little known session in the House during the time of Elias Lopez also made him “speaker.” Nothing to do with very few members of congress in attendance, those present, exasperated by the lack of quorum, declared the house leadership vacant. Joker Arroyo, now senator, moved to nominate Elias Lopez, also a former city mayor of Davao, to the post and was unanimously chosen as new “speaker.” The proceeding was, however, unofficial.

Ousted JVD’s valedictory address was a rehash of many issues widely publicly known already. He sounded more of a sourgrape than a whistleblower.

While his “moral revolution” was a good message, the messenger, however, an epitome of trapo (traditional politics), the cause of many woes in the country, was totally the wrong guy to call for it.

(8:47 a.m.)

(Note: still no net service in the house)

Huge loss

How much will Davao City lose in its share of the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) for this year as a result of the creation of more cities in the country?

P194 million.

Yup enough money for our sports complex or a start up capital for our city college or city hospital.

BIR wants LGUs as its Gestapo

The Bureau of Internal Revenue or BIR missed its tax collection target last year by P53.8 billion. It failed in its goal across the board - value-added tax (VAT) short by P38.187 billion; income tax by P9.715 billion; percentage tax by P4.098 billion; and excise tax by P3.915 billion.

Congress is now investigating this biggest tax collection failure in the country’s history.

As a kneejerk reaction, BIR has issued a new Memorandum dated January 8, 2008 mandating local government units or LGUs not to issue or renew business and professional permits without first submitting a number of BIR requirements.

This memo was advertised in leading newspapers only today; the period for business permit renewals ended yesterday.

First, the Memo is clearly late. Renewal of business permits has commenced on the first working day of the month. And I got a report from Atty. Jhopee Agustin of the Business Bureau that the business licensing went smoothly.

Second, requiring applicants to comply with the many BIR requirements such as copies of the Income Tax Returns, monthly and quarterly Value-added Tax Returns, etc. smacks of red tape to say the least. Putting more obstacles to professional and business applicants is contrary to our policy to limit bureaucratic requirements and hasten the processing of such permits.

Third, this BIR policy would only encourage businesses not to seek permits and to go underground, thereby negating our efforts to register all businesses in the city or in the country for that matter.

I believe that the BIR should squarely admit the blame for its own failures. It should not pass on the burden of collecting taxes to the LGUs.

In a sense, the BIR wants LGUs to play Gestapo to apply state terror on professionals and businesses applying for their permits.

This is most deplorable and highly objectionable.

I am certain that LGUs would want to help the BIR in its tax revenue efforts. But certainly, not this bullying way.

Almost 99 percent of about 40,000 business registrants in the city are micro and small and medium enterprises or MSMEs. They may seem to be lowly businesses but they contribute highly to jobs generation and taxation. They are the asset that makes our city grow. They are our development partners.

I believe that we should treat them fairly and not be burdened with so many regulations and requirements.

In missing its collection target last year, BIR has clearly shown its folly and bias.

The biggest failure in last year’s missed collection goal was the Large Taxpayers Group of the BIR. This group handles taxes for the Top 1,000 corporations. This group failed to collect P38.8 billion from the big businesses. From its target of P469.7 billion, this group collected only P430.9. This shortfall represents 70 percent of the total missed target of the BIR.

Who heads this special group? No less than the BIR Commissioner herself, Lilian Hefti.

Here is my advise to her. Run after tax evaders! Collect from the rich and big taxpayers first, before pounching on the small fries! And do your job first before ordering LGUs how to do theirs!

(9:12 a.m.)

Short across the board

Heads should roll on this disappointing performance, or more precisely, lack of it.

Tax collection last year was short by P53.8 billion, the biggest in the country’s history.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue missed its target across the board - value-added tax (VAT) short by P38.187 billion; income tax by P9.715 billion; percentage tax by P4.098 billion; and excise tax by P3.915 billion.

Guess which performed the least in revenue collection? The Large Taxpayers Group headed by no less than the chief tax collector herself. This group handles the top 1,000 corporations.

Are we surprised? Hohum! Even the Central Bank has dodged the BIR.

To rub salt on our wounds, here comes the big tax cheats proposing new tax measures, which presumably would not be paid either.

Local governments would suffer the brunt of this national government ineptitude. They get 40 percent of the Internal Revenue Allotment. The national government plugs the loophole by selling its assets. Unfortunately, local governments have little to offer.

And if there are any, I would not agree to this unsustainable way of raising revenues.

(5:28 a.m.)

More confused

In Disparity, eight posts below, I am confused by the figures of tourist arrivals in the country. The figures of the Bureau of Immigration and Department of Tourism do not match.

Here is more confusion. The Civil Aeronautics Board, in charge of airports, has a totally different record. It claims that incoming tourists numbered 4.94 million.

Three more government agencies behaving like our Comelec. They simply cannot count correctly.

(5:38 a.m.)

Activist High Court

Kudos to Chief Justice Reynato Puno for being named as Times Person of the Year (Manila Times).

Recent activism by the Supreme Court as the last bastion of democracy are being recognized elsewhere.

In Nigeria, the whole Supreme Court, not just its chief magistrate, earned the Man of the Year award.

Hope to have more of their like in 2008.

(2:05 p.m.)