Press Release
September 29, 2015

SEN. MARCOS ASKS: WHY TAX PEOPLE HEAVILY WHEN SERVICES COME SLOWLY?

"Tax pa more, services no more."

This was how Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. described the tendency of the Aquino administration to burden the people with heavy taxes, while falling short in providing basic services.

"The tendency of this government is to collect and collect. It can't be 'tax pa more' all the time. What is more important is 'public service pa more'," he told more than 1,000 students who attended the student forum held at Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University in San Fernando, La Union last Saturday (Sept. 26).

Earlier, the government had rejected moves in the Senate and in the House of Representatives to lower the individual income tax rate to give the taxpayers breathing space.

On Tuesday, reports said Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abegail Valte disclosed that the President ordered the Department of Finance to study the income tax reform bill, the proposed measure that aims to lower the income tax.

But Marcos said the present administration should reconsider its position and agree to the proposed income tax cut. The senator said the people should decide on where to put their money since the government has not been spending the national budget in a timely and adequate manner.

"I fully support the lowering of income tax. What's the rationale behind collecting too much tax when the government doesn't know when and where to spend it?" he said.

The Commission on Audit has found that of the P2.72-trillion national budget for 2014, at least P763.84 billion was unspent.

Marcos said other countries also collect high taxes, but the collections are being spent on public services.

"The people in these countries are not complaining because the roads and highways are adequate, school buildings and classrooms are sufficient, there is peace and order, and all the other basic services are being enjoyed," Marcos said.

He said the situation is different in the Philippines because while the people are paying high taxes, government services hardly reach the taxpayers.

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