Marcos shuns imposition of new taxes amid pandemic

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is against the imposition of new taxes, saying Filipinos are still reeling from the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“(It) depends on what sectors and in what area (the new taxes will be imposed). But if it’s going to be, if the brunt of it is going to be felt by the consumers, general public, I would not be very partial to that for the simple reason that people are already suffering too much… Let’s not add more to their burden,” Marcos said partly in Filipino over CNN Philippines on Tuesday night.

While tax is an important source of government funding, he said this “must not be resorted to unless extremely necessary.”

Marcos said there are many pandemic-induced problems that the government needs to address first, especially in the education sector.

“Everywhere you look… there are problems, our educational system we really have to fix it very, very (quick)... We have to support the teachers more and when I talk about support not just the salaries, not just the benefits, it’s also the training because, you know, the technologies, the new systems are moving so quickly,” he added.

If elected as president, Marcos said he would move for “agency-specific” scholarship programs to produce more professionals and experts especially in the field of agriculture, energy and law.

“The agencies should have scholarship programs like the DA (Department of Agriculture) will have scholarship programs for agronomists, agriculturists and hydrologists. If we need engineers for the energy side, then the DOE (Department of Energy) will have to sponsor scholars for that requirement. If we need good lawyers, then the DOJ (Department of Justice) will (have to) support scholars for that,” he pointed out.

In a press statement yesterday, he also revealed his intention to fill up about 180,000 plantilla positions in the government by regularizing thousands of contractual and job order (JO) workers, which reportedly number 600,000 to 700,000.

Marcos pointed out that contractual and JO workers, especially those employed by local government units (LGUs), are earning only around P10,000 per month and do not enjoy the benefits and other perks, such as the 13th month pay and Christmas bonus, that come with being a permanent employee.

He would push for legislation that would allow contractual or JO workers, who consistently receive “excellent performance evaluations” for at least three consecutive years, to be given the chance to get hired as permanents.

A rally is scheduled today for Marcos and running mate Sara Duterte-Carpio in Pampanga, the bailiwick of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Arroyo has endorsed the Marcos-Duterte tandem, promising to deliver a landslide victory for both.– Ding Cervantes