Watered down

Sen. Ralph Recto, chairman of the Senate committee on ways and means, has reported out the Sin Tax bill will be increasing the tax on cigarettes and liquor products.

But surprise, from an original estimate of P60 billion new tax collections, the Recto version now estimates the tax collection to raise only P15-20 billion.

That gives ground to suspicions that the cigarette and liquor lobbies have succeeded to water down the bill.

The Sin Tax bill has been billed as a health, anti-smoking, anti-cancer measure. The Department of Health should now mount a counter lobby with individual Senators to at least adopt the House version which will collect P33 billion in taxes.

The medical profession agreed that smoking is the cause of many serious diseases; among them are emphysema, lung cancer and heart diseases.

Sen. Recto, kindly reconsider your watered down version. This bill is a matter of life and death.

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SENIOR CITIZEN PROGRAMS . . There is an estimated 9 million senior citizens in the Philippines today. They have become active and organized with an office of Senior Citizen Association (OSCA) in every municipality.

Several proposals have come out from their ranks which we endorse:

1. Creation of Senior Citizen’s Commission under the DSWD to handle senior citizen’s affair.

2. Representation be given to seniors in provincial, city and municipal councils.

3. A social Pension of P1,400 per senior citizen be given similar to the CCT program.

4. Increase the senior citizens discount from 20 to 30%.

5. Establish senior citizen centers in every barangay, a program already started by Vice President Jejomar Binay.

6. Special Philhealth card or Makati type yellow card to cover medical and hospitalization expenses.

7. Establish job opportunities for senior citizens still able to work.

8. Expand the senior citizen’s discount to cover all grocery or supermarket items.

9. Establish an ambulance service for senior citizens in every town.

10. Organize ballroom dancing and recreational programs for senior citizens.

11. In the US, there are laws to prohibit discrimination against senior citizens especially in job application. It should be adopted here.

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NO. 8 IN THE WORLD . . There are 30 million facebook users in the Philippines making us no. 8 in the World.

99% of these facebook messages are legitimate and not libelous.

The Cybercrime Prevention Act focuses on a very small minority that sends libelous or damaging messages.

The libel in the cyberworld space certainly should focus on the freedom of speech of 29 million plus facebook users.

As stated in my last column, it is a law that is difficult to implement.

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COMMENDATION . . We commend Sen. T.G. Guingona for being the only Senator to vote against the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

Further, he should be commended for being the first to file a petition in the Supreme Court to question the constitutionality of the law.

At the BOTTOMLINE TV program of Boy Abunda, Sen. Edgardo Angara, principal sponsor of the law insisted that the Cybercrime Prevention Act is not flawed. He did concede to Boy Abunda that at least 5 sections of the law need amendment.

He admitted that the libel provision was not even discussed in the Bicameral Conference Committee.

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MISUARI WARNING . . It looks like the Peace Agreement to be formally signed on Oct. 15 is facing a rough road.

Misuari declared the framework agreement with the MILF was illegal and would not resolve the conflict in Mindanao. “The agreement will plunge Mindanao into another war that the Philippines cannot afford to have at this time,” Misuari said.

Cotabato Auxillary Bishop Colen Bagoporo requested a 30-day deferment of the signing of the Peace Agreement to explain all the details of the agreement.

Christian leaders are questioning the provisions which allow 10% of the residents of a barangay to petition for inclusion in the Bangsamoro area.

Sen. Miriam D. Santiago expressed the view that an independent Bangsamoro state is being created. She insisted that a constitutional amendment is needed to approve the framework peace accord.

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TUNA INDUSTRY UPDATE . . Our recent visit to the tuna capital of the Philippines, General Santos City, gave us some updates on its fishing industry. It is reported that the “Boom Town City of the South” has an annual production of 2.4 million metric tons of fish, thus providing livelihood and employment to thousands of our fellow Filipinos there. According to statistics, the Philippines ranks 7th among the top tuna-producing countries in the world, with an ever-growing demand from Europe, followed by Thailand, Japan and the Middle East.

Two of the country’s tuna fishing magnates, Rep. Toby Tiangco of Trans-Pacific Journey Fishing and Hon. Ronel Rivera of RD Fishing Ltd., own the largest tuna fishing fleets based in a globally competitive facility, the General Santos Fish Port Complex. They play an important role in employing a huge number of workers, here and abroad.

Rivera was able to establish a tuna fishing and cannery in Papua New Guinea in 1997. RD Tuna Canners Ltd. owns more than a hundred fishing boats in the said country. They employ 3,500 workers ranging from 18 to 30 years of age, from diverse backgrounds and culture. The Filipino-owned company has been granted a pioneer status by the Papua New Guinea government.

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TIDBITS . . Semiocast reports that the Philippines has 9.5 million Twitter users, placing the country no. 10 in the world.

Ex-National Treasurer Leonor Briones said that the corruption is “pervasive” under the Aquino administration.

Meralco wants to increase its collection of deposits from customers. That’s additional hardship for consumers. ERC should disapprove the proposed increase.

The Comelec disapproved the accreditation of 13 existing party-list organizations including Ang Galing Pinoy and Ako Bikol.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reduced the growth forecast for the Philippines to 4.8%.

The ADB reports that the jobs that have been created are not enough under the Aquino administration to link economic growth to poverty reduction.