Prudence in service
As I walked in a local supermarket, almost all products on the shelves have sugar in it. Soft drinks, fruit juices, condiments such as ketchup and mayonnaise, barbecue and spaghetti sauce, salad dressing, dairy products, cereals, snack items, pastries, cakes, cookies and the list goes on and on.
With the implementation of Excise Tax, the collated reports of price hike prompts Maria Aguanta to scratch her head as she counts her money. Housewives eke out a living with so much stress as the TRAIN (The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion) law takes off.
On top of that, Excise Tax on coal and fuel surges the domino effect on transportation rates and cost of energy that is more explosive than the Mayon Volcano. We can expect more rallies and marches from different groups and organizations as “taxed enough already” resonates from every corner.
Different labor groups have expressed their concern over the imbalance, pointing out that the exemption from income tax on those earning P250,000 and below annually find their ledgers with a negative balance after all the expenses. So how is that helping our citizens?
How do you balance enforcement and compassion?
Recently our city government launched strict enforcement of the law against sidewalk vendors. In the absence of operatives, it is business as usual and of course when there is a clearing operation, the vendors are nowhere in sight. The result is economic displacement.
Our government promises change. While we acknowledge the need to get rid of public utility vehicles that are not worthy to be on the road for environmental and safety purposes, the timing leaves our citizens in such a quandary as so many things are happening at the same time.
Why are we in such a hurry to implement change? Could we not tarry a little? As lawyer Salvador Panelo, legal counsel to President Duterte puts it, “Majority of our voting public are uneducated, lacking in education.” Given that observation, amid all these, does our government expect our people to understand Federalism? We welcome change as it serves as a challenge especially when it opens doors to development and if these are for the welfare of the Filipino people but it must be done with prudence and sensitivity. There are certain things that just cannot be done in a rush, like changing our Constitution.
Our Constitution is part and parcel of who we are as a people. Our Constitution is the embodiment of our beliefs, values, principles, hopes and aspirations as one nation.