No major price upswing with EVAT

Sometimes the bark is more painful than the bite. That seems to have happened in the case of the expanded value-added tax (EVAT). Before it was actually implemented on Nov. 1, protest marches and warnings of a possible collapse of Philippine society abounded.

Even Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra said that he will pray for people who will suffer from price increases brought about by EVAT so that they would not resort to violence to vent their frustration.

Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon also stated that as a consumer, he is already feeling the pinch of the hike in gasoline and diesel prices.

He also said that provincial employees have been complaining about increased transport fares.

Finally, administration Rep. Monico Puentevella said he will bring to the attention of President Arroyo the sentiments of his colleagues to temporarily defer the EVAT on power and fuel until after the Christmas season.

Reports from government agencies and the wire agencies from Negros Occidental, Panay and Negros Oriental, however, showed that there is no drastic price increases in basic commodities.

Trade and Industry director for Region 6 Dominic Abad said yesterday there has been no significant hike in the prices of manufactured basic goods. He pointed out that since no VAT has been imposed on fresh agricultural and marine products, any changes in prices could be attributed to weather or supply conditions.

According to Abad, DTI monitors in Antique, Guimaras, Aklan, Capiz and Negros Occidental did not show any appreciable hikes, except in the cases of Carnation evaporated milk and Blend 45 coffee in Iloilo City. These, however, was not due to EVAT.

From Negros Oriental, Visayan Daily Star’s Romy Amarado reported that the two government agencies assigned to monitor prices reported no increases despite the EVAT implementation.

Even the price of brown sugar, which increased by P2 per kilo last week, has fallen back to its old price of between P22 and P25 per kilo. That depends on the quality, said Jojo Somido, DTI enforcement and monitoring officer.

Franciso Oreco Jr., assistant manager of the National Food Authority, stressed that NFA rice continues to sell at P18 per kilo. Regular milled rice remains at P20 to P23 a kilo.

So far, it seems that apprehensions were worse than the actual impact of EVAT.

Don’t recruit minors — CHR

One of the four members of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) purportedly killed by the New People’s Army (NPA) in Calatrava a few days ago was 17-year-old Eusebio Alcobar.

That suddenly diverted the focus of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in the province from the slaying of splitists to the recruitment of a minor into the ranks of the separatist rebel faction.

CHR’s Romeo Baldevarona told local mediamen that he had issued an appeal to the RPA-ABB not to recruit minors who are not supposed to participate in any form of armed conflict.

"I am appealing to Carapali Lualhati, RPA-ABB military chief, to investigate the recruitment of a minor in the armed group," Baldevarona said.

He cited Republic Act 7610, which bans the recruitment of minors as members of armed groups in whatever capacity, whether as combatants, couriers or errand boys.

The Nov. 1 incident in Barangay Dolis, Calatrava in northern Negros Occidental led to the gunslaying of Eleuterio Lumanat, Janiche Costanilla, Carlos Delima and the 17-year-old Alcobar.

It was the worst incident between the two armed groups.

Vendetta killing

Although originally believed to be the result of an ideological conflict between two armed groups, the Calatrava incident may actually have been triggered by personal vendetta.

The NPA, which was initially tagged as behind the gunslaying, has so far refused to own up to the killing.

Based on the statements of witnesses, it seems that the alleged triggerman was a certain Roberto Delima, leader of the "Bugalan" group.

Delima allegedly suspected Eleuterio of having a hand in the death of his brother Rodrigo.

Made up of 15 armed men, the Bagulan group took off with the high-powered weapons, including a grenade launcher, of the slain RPA-ABB members.

The military suspects that the assassins were recently recruited into the ranks of the NPA and were on a test mission.

Calatrava police chief Patricio Libre said they are now readying the affidavits of witnesses, including the wife of Eleuterio, before filing cases of multiple murder against the suspects.

Police are being assisted by the Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade and the RPA-ABB in chasing the 15-man group.

The RPA-ABB, meanwhile, scored a positive point yesterday when it turned over to the police one of the suspects in the 1998 killing of Rosita Sy, owner of Bacolod’s Wilrose Pharmacy.

Nabbed by virtue of a warrant of arrest signed by Regional Trial Court Judge Roberto Chiongson was Rey Andales.

Andales’ two co-accused — Reynaldo Lozada and Geraldine Belleza — was earlier meted the death sentence by Judge Chiongson.

The RPA-ABB group led by Renante Cañete turned Andales over to William Señoron, chief of police of Sagay City. Señoron, in turn, turned him over to the Bureau of Jail Management when Judge Chiongson refused to grant him bail.

What gives on sugar?

Last Thursday, sugar producers reacted with apprehension to the drop in the composite millgate prices of raw domestic and "A" sugar to P865 per kilo.

Some aired suspicions that the cabal of sugar traders might be pulling down the prices of sugar.

The past two weeks, however, were marked by holidays. These might have diverted consumers from sugar-containing confectionaries and beverages. Thus, there was optimism that the next few days may provide relief as food manufacturers will demand more sugar as they prepare for the forthcoming Christmas season.

There was also the Sugar Regulatory Administration egging traders to ship out early the sugar destined for the US market. This was after the US agricultural attaché explained that the shortage of sugar in the US was brought about by the massive destruction of sugar crops in Louisiana and the sugar mills and refineries.

The US is reportedly due to allocate additional quota shares to the Philippines for next year’s crop.

But what buoyed up the hopes of sugar producers was the report that Cargill and Louisiana Sugar Cane Products Inc. announced last Tuesday that they are building a massive refinery at Cargill’s marine facility "to process Louisiana and possibly foreign raw sugar."

Cargill is a major player in the sugar trading market.

In short, sugarmen are crossing their fingers that prices will pick up again next week.