ECP prime bishop hit corruption, tax measures 06-02-05

	NORDIS WEEKLY February 12, 2006
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ECP prime bishop hit corruption, tax measures
*People pushed to patronize “game-of-chance”* BAGUIO CITY ( Feb. 9) — Prime Bishop Ignacio C. Soliba of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP) hit the government’s large-scale corruptions which push people to adopt palliative measures like the game-of-chance Wowowee, an ABS-CBN afternoon show that doles out money to the poor. The latest of these corrupt practices is the overpriced fertilizer involving P720 million allegedly distributed among Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s allies in Congress, Soliba said in an interview. “Because of this economic hardship, many of our people have very little choices or no choice but to try their luck in joining events like Wowowee even with the risk of death in a stampede,” adds Bishop in his homily in a liturgical service at the Holly Innocents Church here today in celebration of Easter College on its 100th Foundation Anniversary. The bishop claimed that the big and high scale corruptions make the Philippines as the 2nd most corrupt country in Asia. “People are hard up and are becoming more (hard up) with the (government) implementation of the 12% value-added tax (VAT),” he adds claiming that these corruptions, imposed taxes and no choice to embrace game-of-chance further moved the country backward. In another study, 70% of the target collection from the additional 2% to the original 10% EVAT, amounting to P5 billion will be used in paying foreign debts, while the remaining 30% will be for social services. Bishop Soliba also pointed out that aside from the economic crisis that enveloped the country a political crisis on GMA’s legitimacy began by the Garci tapes, which he claimed, “until now the truth is being sought.” Bishop Soliba chairs the NCCP (National Council of Churches in the Philippines) which call for the investigation of Commissioner Garcillano’s involvement on the electoral fraud that had allegedly benefited GMA during the 2004 elections. In his homily, the bishop pointed out that “almost all the leaders from the president down are educated and graduates of Christian schools, colleges and universities.” The Philippines however is far from what is expected of a Christian country, he added, where as such, it is to be Christianly governed and should serve as a model to show the difference between a Christian and non-Christian country. The Philippines is identified as the only Christian country in Asia. # Arthur L. Allad-iw for NORDIS Post your comments, reactions to this article
Home \| Back to top	Previous \| Next

	NORDIS WEEKLY February 12, 2006
Home \| To bottom	Previous \| Next
ECP prime bishop hit corruption, tax measures
*People pushed to patronize “game-of-chance”* BAGUIO CITY ( Feb. 9) — Prime Bishop Ignacio C. Soliba of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP) hit the government’s large-scale corruptions which push people to adopt palliative measures like the game-of-chance Wowowee, an ABS-CBN afternoon show that doles out money to the poor. The latest of these corrupt practices is the overpriced fertilizer involving P720 million allegedly distributed among Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s allies in Congress, Soliba said in an interview. “Because of this economic hardship, many of our people have very little choices or no choice but to try their luck in joining events like Wowowee even with the risk of death in a stampede,” adds Bishop in his homily in a liturgical service at the Holly Innocents Church here today in celebration of Easter College on its 100th Foundation Anniversary. The bishop claimed that the big and high scale corruptions make the Philippines as the 2nd most corrupt country in Asia. “People are hard up and are becoming more (hard up) with the (government) implementation of the 12% value-added tax (VAT),” he adds claiming that these corruptions, imposed taxes and no choice to embrace game-of-chance further moved the country backward. In another study, 70% of the target collection from the additional 2% to the original 10% EVAT, amounting to P5 billion will be used in paying foreign debts, while the remaining 30% will be for social services. Bishop Soliba also pointed out that aside from the economic crisis that enveloped the country a political crisis on GMA’s legitimacy began by the Garci tapes, which he claimed, “until now the truth is being sought.” Bishop Soliba chairs the NCCP (National Council of Churches in the Philippines) which call for the investigation of Commissioner Garcillano’s involvement on the electoral fraud that had allegedly benefited GMA during the 2004 elections. In his homily, the bishop pointed out that “almost all the leaders from the president down are educated and graduates of Christian schools, colleges and universities.” The Philippines however is far from what is expected of a Christian country, he added, where as such, it is to be Christianly governed and should serve as a model to show the difference between a Christian and non-Christian country. The Philippines is identified as the only Christian country in Asia. # Arthur L. Allad-iw for NORDIS Post your comments, reactions to this article
Home \| Back to top	Previous \| Next