Pacquiao against privatization of gov’t utilities: Why would you privatize water?

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential aspirant Sen. Manny Pacquiao on Saturday blasted previous administrations for privatizing government-owned utilities and industries.

Pacquiao lamented that the loss of many government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCC) has made the country reliant on taxes as a source of revenue, which is why the people are suffering on the current yoke of taxation.

“Kaya ang mayaman lalong yayaman, ang mahirap lalong naghihirap ‘pag ganoon ang sitwasyon,” Pacquiao said over DZRH’s Presidential Job Interview.

(That’s why the rich become richer, and the poor become poorer when that is the case.)

Pacquiao said the country should focus on developing “non tax revenue” like GOCCs as the source of income instead.

“When we are talking about non tax revenue income, kasama po ang mga GOCC na yan eh, halos karamihan po, sa totoo lang, yan po ang sama ng loob ko, dahil lahat ng utilities ng ating bansa, naibenta, nai-privitize, imagine, na-privitize na supposedly ay makatutulong sa income ng ating gobyerno taon taon,” Pacquiao lamented.

(When we are talking about non tax revenue income, the GOCCs are included with that. To be honest, I am resentful of the fact that, imagine, all of the utilities of our country were sold and privatized, which could supposedly help to the income of our country annually.)

Pacquiao used the water distribution utilities as an example.

“For example na lang, water distribution… i-privatize mo ang water? Malulugi ba tayo sa distribution ng tubig? Hindi na natin binigay ang tubig, dapat kontrol ng ating gobyerno,” Pacquiao said.

(For example, the water distribution, why would you privatise that? Would we lose income to water distribution? We should not have given the water, it should be controlled by the government.)

The senator, however, when asked if the government should nationalize and expropriate some privatized industries, answered in the negative.

“Alam niyo po hindi natin pwedeng sisihin o i-blame yung mga bumili, dahil in good faith sila bumili. Binili ng mga private company yan in good faith. Binayaran nila yan. Hindi natin sisisihin ang bumili dahil binili niya in good faith… ang may kamalian diyan yung nagbenta,” Pacquiao explained.

(You know we could not blame those who bought the properties because they bought it in good faith. They paid for that. We should blame those who sold those utilities to them.)

The boxer-turned-politician previously said he is against privatizing Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), saying this will go against its very purpose of providing socialized health care for all Filipinos, especially the poor.

READ: Privatize PhilHealth? Pacquiao says sending corrupt execs to jail is ‘best’

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