On Friday, March 25, the massive fireworks start as campaign at the local level kicks off.
The grand fiesta that comes every three years begins as national elections are always local.
Even the pandemic nor the oil price hike will not dampen the national mood of hoping to elect the country’s new leaders.
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The Department of Finance refuses to take out excise tax on oil to mitigate the impact of oil double-digit price hike.
The DOF says cash subsidy to the poor is a better option, describing the removal of excise tax as anti-poor.
The idea is to give drivers, farmers and the working class P200 monthly subsidy but keep the excise tax on oil products.
On the surface, this looks pro-poor, like giving alms to the disadvantaged. Beautiful thought to the simple mind. And Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez always has simple solutions.
Secretary Sonny forgot to do his math when he said to remove the excise tax on oil is pro-rich and anti-poor.
None could be more stupid! Many think he should resign for being anti-poor and pro-rich.
And many of these guys asking for his head claim they are doing simple math to belie Domiguez's convoluted explanation.
Had he just said that the country has too big a debt that it cannot afford to risk major lose in tax collections, he would be understood. But to sugar coat it with anti-poor line is just too much of an insult to intelligence.
It’s the debt problem that worries our finance guys. A problem they created with very little ingenuity.
Funny, to fund this subsidy, many suspect Domiguez will again run to the banks for more loans.
Talking of a solution man, Domiguez is one character for the book of painful jokes.
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I get reminded of a man who went to see a doctor for cough that has pestered him for a long time. The doctor gave him a special mixture.
Next day, the patient died.
The shocked family summoned the doctor to explain.
“Well”, said the doctor, “at least he had stopped coughing.”
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So don’t complain should our economy dies.
We have a specialist finance guy prescribing a pro-poor (reality is anti-poor) solution.
“Well,” our finance headman would say, “no more economic problem. It is dead.”
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I have this fun of sharing FB posts, the message I wish to spread. Many of these I share are anti-BBM. So I get buried by nasty comments, many from where I come from, Leyte.
“Walang kang utang na loob,” one comment said. You must have used the San Juanico Bridge, that every Leyteño is proud of.
Poor Pedro, believing what he reads on FB, courtesy of Marcos trolls. These trolls tell how Marcos built the country’s roads and bridges.
This San Juanico Bridge, was also called bridge of love as it was said to be Ferdie’s gift to Imelda, like delivering roses on Imelda’s birthday.
So, Pedro that bridge was not built to improve movement of goods and people first but for love of the dictator to his wife, a lass from Tolosa, Leyte.
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Another comment from Manuel said, “wag kang gagapang palapit kay Marcos pag nanalo kaming mga BBM.”
The truth is gagapang ako and one hundred million more Filipinos sa hirap na dadanasin under another Marcos rule.
But of course the Marcoses, Romualdezes, their cronies and fronts will have another story to tell.
To you Manuel, are you sure its life of luxury for you and family should Marcos win?