EYE OPENER
Thanks to GMA for signing new Senior Citizens Law
Senior citizens all over Western Visayas expressed their appreciation to Pres. Gloria Arroyo for signing into law RA 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act.
Senior citizens in Panay, Guimaras and Negros Occidental told newsmen that the law is an advance Christmas gift to the elderly who may now enjoy the full 20 percent discount on goods and services offered by business establishments such as restaurants, drug stores, transportation entities, entertainment houses, etc.
But when the actual implementation of the new law on elderly will take effect is not known. Many senior citizens who visited and dined with eateries, drug stores and took public conveyances say that there is no order yet as to when they will implement the new law.
It might take a long time to implement the law since the corrupt and dirty officials of BIR and the Bureau of Finance (BOF) say that the government will lose several millions if VAT will be taken away from the senior citizens. BIR and BOF vigorously objected to the signing of the new law by the President for they alleged that the government will lose millions of pesos in revenue. People doubt the sincerity of these revenue-making officials since the millions of revenue might be lost by the government or if VAT on senior citizens law will be pushed through; will the millions not go into the pockets and bank accounts of corrupt government revenue executives. The other day, leading dailies in Metro Manila listed the three agencies of the government as still corrupt, DPWH, BIR and BOF including probably Customs which is under BOF.
Despite the anger of revenue officials not to sign the new Senior Citizens law, Pres. Arroyo inked Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act. This is the best legacy Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will bequeath to the elderly once she will say goodbye to the Presidency on June 10, 2010. Anyway, all the corrupt BIR, Customs and BOF officials and employees will become elderly in the years to come and probably they will not avail of the new law since they have plenty of money to boot. Money is not a passport to heaven; it’s honesty, righteousness and holiness that will qualify one to inherit God’s kingdom. Even if the BIR, Customs and BOF officials have confessed their sins, still they are accountable to God when they eventually leave this earth. So our friends in the BIR, Customs and BOF, be born again, do away with your wicked ways, accept Jesus Christ as your personal saviour and henceforth live a Christ-like life.