The Robin Hood government

If you happen to have been born in the late 50’s and 60’s, chances are you got to watch various versions of TV programs based on Robin Hood or Robin Hood and his Band of Merry Men who were committed to stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. They were rebels, hunted by the Sherriff of Nottingham but loved by the destitute.

It just occurred to me that the Philippine Government, regardless of who is president or which political circus is in power, is quite similar to Robin Hood who takes from the rich, even the not so rich but not poor, and gives only to the poorest of the poor. Ironically, the government is also the tax collector and Robin Hood rolled into one, chasing after the working class and businesses.

Different administrations have talked about all the help they give to the poor such as 4P’s, free schooling, No Balance Billing, cash assistance to indigent seniors, etc. They even talk about one million houses X six years which remains on billboards only. But all of these have been ONLY for the poorest of the poor.

The rest of us unfortunate lot have to pay taxes and fend for ourselves. The working class, the actually productive members of society who are also the principal taxpayers in the country, don’t get an equal amount of support for health and hospitalization, housing or education.

You may be employed, a PhilHealth member and contributor but good luck on getting a “No Balance Billing.” You are actually investing for a future need and not getting something for free. The government captures you at withholding tax and income tax but if you need to pay for an operation, you have to advance the money, go to PCSO, the mayor or Congress like a beggar with a begging bowl!

“Illegal settlers” don’t pay rent, need to be paid before being evicted, while workers and businesses cram themselves into one-room rentals that eat up a chunk of their salaries. While the poorest of the poor get monthly cash assistance of several thousand, the working class needs to pay for travel and food every day that eats up more than 30 percent of their pay.

Unemployed retirees don’t get time off or a break from paying annual property tax and soon have to sell their only security in life. Today’s parent will be tomorrow’s poor retirees if they choose to send their children to private schools and colleges, which will cost several million each because the state and our politicians do not treat education as a necessary investment for the country’s future.

What the state fails to provide, it should not profit from! Whether in VAT, income tax or licenses and fees in operating schools, because all these push the cost of education higher. Sorry but the CHED and Congress need to proactively enlist independent auditors to review the operating expenses and profit margins of private schools, colleges and universities. The same goes for hospitals, housing development and rentals.

I am a firm believer in helping the poor and the helpless, but the government should work at a more balanced and fair sharing of benefits among citizens. Time and again I have seen workers and producers getting into debt or financial disaster because of huge medical bills, tuition fees and rent. If the government cannot give the same benefits across the board, I suggest that we reinstate the practice where emergency or non-elective surgeries and serious medical procedures be tax deductible.

If PhilHealth does not have the funds or the competence to cover such extreme expenditures or negotiate for affordable, standardized rates, then allow citizens to deduct medical bills for the person paying and not necessarily the patient.

The reality is that many senior citizens end up relying on their mature sons and daughters to pay for their surgeries and hospitalization. So, it is only fair that if government has failed to provide authentic Universal Health Care coverage, then the government should give it in the form of a tax deduction.

It is high time to talk about making the government give back what it makes but cannot deliver on the promise. For instance, there is a high “Road Users Tax,” but we have the worst quality roads in Southeast Asia. Metro Manila traffic gets worse by the day because there is no coordination between LGUs and agencies regarding traffic lights. Drivers cannot even expect to have an extortion-free drive.

The government collects tax upon tax on vehicles but has no direct investment or political will to create a mass transit system. It relies on foreign companies but the latest rail projects they have bid out are stuck on the ground because, like in everything else, the government cannot even clear the route or right of way!

Everything is being built by the private sector while administrations and politicians take credit and make it appear as if they built it. Yes, the government rolls out project proposals, it calls out bidders and builders, then fails to comply with its own commitment such as clearing squatters or acquiring right of way, but when it’s time to do the ribbon cutting, all the photos and press releases sound like they did it.

Once again, what I write is not specific to any administration but is present in all. “The Government” needs to be revisited. President Bongbong Marcos said he would “right size” if not downsize government. Perhaps he should also study how fair the government is to all because for too long it has been “anti-taxpayer” and unfair to the people who have created wealth for the Philippines.

*      *      *

E-mail: [email protected]