EYE OPENER
The agony of high prices
Ordinary people or even some affluent individuals, cannot understand why their congressmen helped pass the E-VAT law in Congress when this bill was still under consideration. The Congressmen are supposed to protect the interest of their constituents especially those who have less in life. When the E-VAT took effect last year and prices began to rise, high enough that the poorest of the poor can hardly manage to make both ends meet, it was explained by congressmen to their constituents that the E-VAT law will not affect the prices of many basic commodities since this was intended to tax the big enterprises only to increase revenues of the government. But the case is not true, Galunggong before was P30 a kilo, now it's P60; Pork P80 now P120; tomatoes P10 a kilo, now it's P20-25 a kilo; beef P100, now it's 140; leafy vegetables P1.00 per bundle, now it's 5.00 and all commodities increased by 12%. But why pass on the 12 percent E-VAT to the consumers when millions of pesos are stolen in government coffers by dishonest and corrupt officials? Why don't the government find other sources of income to step up its revenues? Why hammer hard on the poor and unemployed? Moneyed government officials and politicians can afford to buy goods and commodities even at high prices since the money they spend are reportedly taken from the coffers of the government. The lawmakers in their honest intention probably wanted to help raise funds for the government but they underestimated the evil intention of the government thieves.
How can our reelectionist solons justify the EVAT law to the people when instead of helping them, they burden them with the high cost of living?
This is also bitter lesson to the electorates who sell their votes during election time. Just imagine, with P300 to P500, a voter sells his sacred vote to a politician and suffer the consequences later on for years. What an irony to the conscience of an electorate who sell their votes for a few pesos and later suffer the high cost of living through the sponsorship of a politician whom they voted to power for a meager sum of money?
Remember, our dear voters, it is also your accountability to God once you leave this earth why you sold your precious vote for a few pesos. The government can find alternative sources to increase its revenue without resorting to EVAT. The Marcos wealth comprising of billions of pesos; the remittances of OFWs; the confiscated assets and properties of corrupt government officials; the exportation of locally made products which are considered the best in the world market? There are many other sources but the government wants really to test the ire of the masses if they can withstand the suffering they are now facing. If the voters will elect a new set of honest and dedicated congressmen and senators during the 2007 elections, perhaps the EVAT law can be repelled and the chain of suffering of the poor as a result of high prices can be broken.