Home | To bottom

EVAT grinds the poor

Norma Dollaga
Secretary General
Kapatirang Simbahan para sa Bayan (KASIMBAYAN)

February 3 , 2006

In the midst of abject poverty, infinite increases in prices of commodities and services, and the country’s unemployment record of 4.2 and 6.8 million underemployed, the Arroyo government imposed the latest hike in Expanded Value Added Tax (EVAT).

A bitter pill and a short-term pain ­ this is the EVAT, according to the adviser of Mrs. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Rep. Joey Salceda.

“What do you mean by crushing my people, by grinding the face of the poor?,” says the  Lord God of  host. (Isaiah 3:15). In these extremely difficult times for many Filipinos who are poor, underpaid and unemployed, we remind GMA, Rep. Salceda and all insensitive government leaders and tax collectors that the poor ones who have been suffering from prolonged pain could not simply swallow this deception. For the poor have been in a chronic pain brought by unjust economic policies, the statement is not only cruel but also inhuman.

Hunger and disease, inaccessibility to education, housing and health care are the daily tribulations of ordinary Filipino people. Adding another tax burden  would mean double jeopardy as they could hardly survive.  

GMA and her elite advisers in Congress and in Senate should stay at least one week at the shanties of Tondo or Payatas. They should try being deprived of living wage. They should try to eat nothing but noodles or sardines with the Gloria rice. They must experience lack of water and electricity, fetch and drink water from  community faucets, be deprived of medicines and the least vitamins they need, and tell the whole world that they are willing to take the bitter pill of EVAT and be robbed of dignity as human beings. 

No, this government cannot show mercy for it knows not how to give justice.

The poor ones are victims of its ruthlessness. It does not care if the children would go to bed hungry but would only boast of economic growth. It does not care if fathers and mothers are unable to bring their sick children to hospitals because they do not have money to buy medicines but would only extract taxes to pay foreign debts, which the poor ones did not benefit from.

It does not care prices are getting higher each day, as long as the taxes are collected for the expenditures of those who are in-power whether they were elected through fraud. 

EVAT is immoral, inhumane and merciless. It is not only a bitter pill to be swallowed but also a poison that kills the poor ones. When their voices are not heard, and their rights are crushed, it is not surprising that social unrest will hound the very walls that made them miserable. #

Post your comments, reactions to this article

Home | Back to top