EGOtiations

As far as I know, there is only one government in the Philippines and that’s the Philippine Government, nothing else. As far as I know, the huge amount shaved off from my monthly salary in the form of taxes is heartbreaking because I haven’t felt the impact of the taxes that I am paying for apart from the regular pothole-filling, road-repairing projects that mushroom everywhere when it’s near election time. As far as I know, if some other entities would impose additional taxes on top of the already huge amount I am paying in taxes to the government that I recognize, I would probably go insane. As far as I know, I might probably just be exaggerating.

 I do feel for the companies and business establishments which, apart from the regular taxes that they are paying to the Philippine Government, are also paying millions of pesos in annual taxes to what is called the Revolutionary Government. I feel for them because it’s like having two governments shaving off 30% each from your monthly salary, leaving you with nothing but barely enough money to pay for you subsistence. According to the AFP in a report published by the Business Mirror, the revolutionary government of the CPP-NPA has been able to collect roughly P1.5 billion in revolutionary taxes from certain businesses in the country, with a huge chunk coming from mining and logging companies, as well as from plantations.

With seven mining firms threatening to fold up, hence posing a huge loss for the country economically speaking, the Philippine Government is determined to bring the topic of revolutionary taxes on the table come the February talks in Oslo with the CPP-NPA leader and National Democratic Front icon, Jose Maria Sison.

What the Philippine Government wants is simple: for the CPP-NPA to stop collecting these taxes and for the businesses to stop paying the CPP-NPA these annual taxes/fines/whatever they want to call it. The CPP-NPA is collecting these “taxes” for various reasons: to fund their expensive revolution and, as they would have it, “to discourage [companies from their] further plunderous operations.” Businesses are paying because they simply don’t want any trouble. Well, what the Philippine Government wants is a tall order. And the collection of revolutionary taxes? Too taxing. And paying these revolutionary taxes? An act saying that “we have no choice.”

If you really try to look at it closely, the goals of the Philippine Government and the CPP-NPA are not at all different—off hand, at least. Both are interested in rebuilding the Philippines, in truth, justice, and equality. So if the goals of both parties are so similar, why the cat fight? Simple, because it’s not as simple as simply rebuilding the Philippines. It’s not just all about truth, justice, equality, and the stuff that a perfect world is made of. Because at the bottom of it all, it is about power. It is about who’s king and who can give the orders and who can collect the taxes. This long standing fight is not about the welfare of the people; it is a story about ambition and power and how everyone wants to be the chief—not the Indian.

The issue on revolutionary taxes is merely a smoke screen amidst deeper issues plaguing this supposed civil war that has done more harm than good to people, to businesses, and to localities which are merely caught in the crossfire. Yes, the Philippine Government is right in asking businesses to stop paying revolutionary taxes to the revolutionary government. But, first and foremost, it should be well-equipped and better able to provide these businesses the security and safety that is their main concern. These businesses are paying because they don’t want any trouble. If the Philippine Government will be better able to protect them such that they will not balk at any perceived problem or threat, then these businesses will stop paying.

 But with the kind of performance that the people tasked to protect us have shown in the Quirino standoff, businesses would rather pay than risk their investments. Now, it has become too heavy the bear.

Allowing businesses to form their own private armies should not even be considered an option as this will only be harder to regulate and is prone to abuse. Call it the Pandora’s Box of the issue if you must but this will only become a convenient excuse for other businesses and even the filthy rich who have been levied these ‘taxes’ to form their own private armies, and then what? More trouble, more chaos.

If you ask me, the upcoming February negotiations will not bear much fruit just like the past talks. With both parties’ egos bigger than Jupiter and with everyone’s minds already made up, there will only be discussions that will not result into any viable action for the people both governments are saying they care for.

If you ask me, the upcoming February talks will be a mere show of colorful feathers and yes, mere EGOtiations because up until now, they are torn between the people or power. Let’s just hope that they lean more to the former than to the latter.

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