Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda (Facebook)

Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda is serious about his proposal to the local Starbucks chain to do "penance" for its supposed violation of the 20 percent discount for senior citizens and persons with disability (PWDs). 

In fact, Salceda says he intends to ask the popular brand exactly what it has done to right its wrong, so to speak.

"I'm asking Starbucks na hindi pupwede yun na walang penalty (they cannot be left unpenalized). So sabi ko, mag-declare sila ng PWD and senior citizen day (So that's why I said they should declare a PWD and senior citizen day)," the House Committee on Ways and Means chairman told reporters. 

It was only last Jan. 17 when the ways and means panel held a public hearing on the alleged violation of some establishments of the 20 percent discount on elders and PWDs that's provided for by law. 

Starbucks had received flak in connection with this after it restricted the legally-mandated discount to just “one food item” and “one beverage". Angela Cole, who identified herself as operations director of Starbucks Coffee, admitted to the panel their “mistake” and said that they had already ditched the discount cap. 

In the hearing, Salceda asked Rustan’s Coffee Corp., the local Starbucks licensee, to offer seniors and PWDs a "buy one croissant, take one beverage" promo or something similar as penance for their error. But Cole merely laughed at the suggestion and the hearing ended without a commitment for such promo. 

Asked if he considered the promo proposal as pending, Salceda said: "Para sa kanila (Maybe for them)." 

"Pero para sa akin (But for me), next hearing, I will ask whether--because otherwise, it's already a violation. We will proceed with the case against Rustan's Coffee Corporation," said the Bicolano. 

"I think they better...i-rectify nila, may remedial measures (they should rectify it, implement remedial measures," noted Salceda. 

No less than House Speaker Martin Romualdez ordered the conduct of the hearing after he got wind of the alleged violation of the discount benefit.