By Raymund Antonio
Given the rising prices of basic commodities and inflation rates, Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday joined calls to suspend the newly-implemented tax reform law.
In a media interview, Robredo said she supports the suspension of the full implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law.
Vice President Leni Robredo
(OVP / MANILA BULLETIN)
“Sang-ayon tayo diyan kasi talagang kailangang pag-aralan muli (We agree to that because we really need to study it again),” Robredo told reporters in Navotas City when asked about her position on the matter.
“Noong pino-propose ito, mayroon tayong assurance na iyong presyo hindi ganito, iyong presyo ng mga basic commodities hindi ganito iyong pagtaas. Pero iyong inflation natin, ano na, napakataas na ngayon (When this was proposed, we had assurance that the increase in the prices of the basic commodities won’t be like this. But the inflation is now too high),” she said.
Inflation hit a five-year high of 4.5 percent last month, which was 1.1 points higher than the January 2018 figures when the TRAIN law was passed.
Robredo cited the growing complaints of rising prices from the public.
“Anywhere we go, iyon talaga iyong pinakareklamo ng mga tao, na sobrang taas ng bilihin, na iyong iba natatakot na baka hindi na sila makakain nang tatlong beses sa isang araw (Anywhere we go, people complain that the prices are too high, some of them are afraid that they might not be able to eat three times a day),” she said.
The Vice President suggested the government should further study the impact of the tax reform law to Filipinos.
“Kailangan talagang pag-aralan ulit. Ano ba iyong cause nito, at despite iyong assurance sa atin noong pinapasa pa lang ito, mukhang hindi nasusunod iyong inaasahan (We really need to study it again. What does it cause, and despite the assurance to us when it was passed, it looks like what is expected of it is not followed),” she said.
Amid the rising inflation rates, the Vice President said there is a need to study a possible increase in the wages of workers.
Having said that, she called on workers and employers to find a middle ground on the issue.
“Iyong pagtataas ng sahod, maraming kailangang isaalang-alang. Iyong sa akin lang, kailangang mag-usap na mag kasabay, pag desisyunan nang mag kasabay ng management and laborers, ng employees at employers, ano ba iyong makatarungan,” she said. (On the wage increase, there are many factors that have to be considered. For me, the management and laborers, employees and employers have to discuss and decide together on what is just to both parties.)