Bam Aquino to gov’t: Don’t fool people to defend TRAIN law

Senator Bam Aquino has urged the government to provide a quick solution to the rising prices of basic goods and oil products, allegedly because of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law.

“Huwag na nating paikutin ang mamamayan para ipagtanggol ang TRAIN Law (Don’t fool the public to defend the TRAIN law),” Aquino said in a statement on Wednesday, alleging that government agencies have fooled people to justify the implementation of TRAIN law.

“Marami na ngang nasagasaan at nalulunod na sa pagtaas ng presyo, huwag na bilugin ang mga Pilipino. Tama na ang mga palusot, tulungan na lang natin ang mga pamilyang nahihirapan,” he added

(So many people have been run over and are drowning due to the rising prices of goods, so don’t fool the Filipinos. Enough with the excuses, let’s just help the families who are facing difficult times.)

Aquino’s reaction came after a report where the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) allegedly claimed that a family can “live decently” with merely P10,000 as their monthly budget.

“Tama na, sobra na ang pagpapahirap sa Pilipino. Labanan at solusyunan na lang ang pagtaas ng presyo,” Aquino said.

(That’s enough, the suffering of the Filipinos is too much. Let’s fight and find a solution to the rising prices of goods.)

Aquino was one of the four senators who voted against the TRAIN law, which the public blames for the high inflation rate.  He has filed a resolution seeking to roll back the TRAIN-imposed excise taxes on oil products, and another to review the conditional cash transfer under the current circumstances.

“Hindi na nga makahinga ang mga Pilipino sa sikip ng sinturon, binibilog at niloloko pa natin ang mga tao para lang maidepensa ang minadali nilang TRAIN Law,” he said.

(The Filipinos already cannot breathe because they’ve tightened their belts, now you’re also fooling them to defend the rushed TRAIN law.)

However, the Department of Finance (DOF) has been reluctant to suspend TRAIN itself.  DOF claims that the TRAIN law only contributes 0.4 percent of the 4.6 percent inflation rate for May, the highest in five years.

READ: Gov’t not suspending TRAIN law

“In other words, if you could buy items for P100 last year, you need to spend P104.50 now for them and of that increase, only 0.40 (forty centavos) was due to TRAIN,” Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua said in a statement on DOF’s website. /je

READ: 5-year high inflation may be ‘close to peak,’ says BSP chief