The priority bills being eyed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. are pro-big businesses and not pro-masses, says Gabriela Women’s Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas.
“Marcos Jr.'s priority bills are pro-big businesses; walang ganansya ang ordinaryong mamamayan (The ordinary citizen does not benefit). In fact, the list is more or less a rehash of Duterte's priority measures,” Brosas said during a Makabayan bloc press conference on Friday, July 29.
Brosas roasted the 19 priority bills that Marcos enumerated during his maiden State of the Nation Address last Monday, July 25.
“Lower taxes for the rich, more taxes for the poor under the fiscal consolidation framework. Marcos Jr. made no mention of the scrapping of excise tax and VAT on oil, no wage increase, and not even a hint at ending contractualization,” the militant solon explained.
“Wala sa kanyang prayoridad ang tanggalin ang pahirap na excise tax o kaya suspendihin man lang ito. Wala rin sa kanyang prayoridad ang pagbibigay alwan sa mga manggagawang matagal ng pinagsasamantalahan ng mga mapang abusong malalaking kumpanya (The removal of the burden of excise taxes or even the suspension of this is not a priority of his. Relieving workers of the exploitation perpetrated by big companies is also not a priority of his),” she said.
Brosas highlighted the Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery or the GUIDE Bill, which she describes as a “corporate bailout” for large companies.
The bill, if passed, will provide financial assistance to enterprises deemed “strategically important” or critical to economic recovery.
“Isa sa mga panukala na kanyang binanggit ay ang GUIDE bill na minsan ng isinalang sa mababang kapulungan. Tinutulan ito ng Gabriela Partylist dahil corporate bailout ito sa mga dambuhalang kumpanya o tinatawag na ‘strategically important companies’ habang pautang lang ang ibibigay sa MSMEs o maliliit na negosyante (He mentioned the GUIDE bill which was previously introduced in the lower House. Gabriela Party-list rejects this because it is a corporate bailout for massive companies or ‘strategically important companies’ while MSMEs only receive loans),” she explained.
Brosas vowed that she and her contemporaries of the Makabayan bloc would remain vigilant in the 2023 budget deliberations.
“During the deliberations for the 2023 budget, we will be vigilant on the proposed debt servicing and revenue programs of the Marcos Jr. regime. We willl actively push for pro-poor and pro-people policies, and increased budget for health and basic social services as the Marcos Jr. continues the debt-driven and neoliberal thrust,” she concluded.