Miriam scores candidates for their 'promises in the sky'

Presidential candidate Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Sunday scored other candidates for making lofty promises about ending the country's poverty situation without going into the specifics on how to achieve such promises.

During the second round of the Pilipinas Debates 2016 held in Cagayan De Oro City, Santiago was asked on how she will solve the rising poverty rate in the country despite the significant growth in the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in the last five years.

She said if elected president, she will allocate the highest budget in the sectors of education, health and infrastructure.

“Bigyan natin ng malaking budget ang mga factors na ito: Una, health. Ang kalusugan ng ating mga mahihirap. Karamihan sa kanila may mga sakit. Hindi na rin makatrabaho,” Santiago said.

“Pangalawa education. Importante sa tao na edukado siya. Kaya siguro mali ang pagpili noon ay dahil maraming hindi edukado ang bumoboto. Pangatlo rural infrastructure o social welfare improvements,” she added.

Santiago admitted that to achieve this goal, the government must decide with conviction either to increase or to decrease taxes.

“Lahat ng ito nangangailangan na ang ating taxes should either be lowered or raised. Wala tayong eskapo diyan. Ang ibig sabihin nito we should consent to either raise taxes or we should lower taxes,” Santiago said.

Santiago pointed out that it is impossible for the government to implement poverty reduction measures without enough budget at hand. Thus, she said, the government must find revenue-generating measures from some sectors while decreasing the taxes on small sectors.

“Hindi naman papayag ang gobyerno na kulang sa pera ang ating budget kaya the remedy will be to decrease sub taxes, for example, the estate tax should be erased. Panggulo lang 'yan. Naging judge ako marami akong estate tax cases na sampung taon na hindi pa ma-resolba,” Santiago said.

“Pangalawa, the [local] real estate tax should be abolished,” she added, pointing out that the government may instead just increase the national-level property tax.

In rebutting Santiago's answer, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas highlighted the achievements of the administration of President Benigno Aquino III in terms of economic growth and poverty reduction.

“Ang masasabi ko lang, tama lumago ang ating ekonomiya. In fact, fastest growing itong nakaraang anim na taon o limang taon compared sa nakaraan [administrasyon],” Roxas said.

Roxas said that more than two million Filipinos were already raised from below poverty line and are now living above poverty line.

“Magreklamo man o magkuwestyon tungkol diyan pero 'yan ang datos ng NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) at ng mga eksperto,” Roxas said.

“Iyan ang inihatid ng daang matuwid at 'yan ang itutuloy ko sakaling mabigyan ako ng pagkakataon,” Roxas declared.

In her counter-rebuttal, however, Santiago said making lofty promises is easier than presenting honest solutions. She said many of the candidates cannot even answer where to get the funds for poverty-reduction measures.

“As I said, these are all promises way up in the sky. Promises in the sky is the program of government of many officials in the public office,” Santiago said.

“Saan natin kukunin ang pera, yun ang tinatanong ko, saan?! Sino ang magbibigay, magdo-donate? Mga mayayaman ba? Dadagdagan ba natin [ang tax nila] dahil mayayaman sila?...Malaking problema yung where to source the funds. I can make an entire list from here to there of all my promises to you but that would each cost taxes,” she said. —KBK, GMA News