Evat amid hard times unreasonable, unconscionable, unjust

MANILA, Philippines - Unreasonable, unconscionable and unjust. This was how Lingayen-Dagupan archbishop Oscar Cruz described the government's continued collection of the expanded value-added tax (EVAT), which is being continuously exacted from Filipinos amid the specter of hard times brought by the US economic meltdown. "Only those who really have no conscience can even dare claim that the 12% E-Vat is conscionable. For them, it is the only fair and sincere way of qualifying the national economy concretely so under the long-ruling administration. As far as Malacañang is concerned, such unconscionable heavy and unforgiving taxation is good for the people - better for the Country, best for national development!" Cruz said in his web log. He said the EVAT, since its conception, has been the subject of public outrage and protests. Only Malacañang and its loyalist beneficiaries feel great about the infamous and onerous indirect taxation as it benefits only the poor, he said. "It would take a good amount of inglorious mental gymnastics to conclude that the 12% E-Vat is reasonable especially in the presence of nationwide poverty and in the absence of employment, with the rise of prices of even basic communities and with the low purchasing power of the peso," he said. Cruz said it was not only unjust but also unfair of E-VAT to charge the destitute, the elite, the business tycoons, the jobless, the professionals, the students and even the babies exactly the same 12% rate. "For one of the most basic principles or fundamental norms of social justice is that those who are more blessed in life should give more to society, in the same way that those who have but little, may give less. This is plain and simple equity," he said. But worst, he said, was that after the unforgiving payment of 12% E-VAT from daylight to sunset, seven days a week, the whole year through, from one's birth to death, the persistent disturbing questions remain on where do all those taxes really go. "What are they truly spent for? Who actually benefit from them?" he said. "And to claim that the said big indirect taxation gimmick is pursuant to reason, according to conscience and in conformity with justice is nothing but one big sick joke!" he added. - GMANews.TV