Liberal Party chairman President Benigno S. Aquino III attends the “Daang Matuwid: To Be Continued…” of the ruling Liberal Party (LP) at the Corazon C. Aquino Kalayaan Hall of the Club Filipino in San Juan City on Monday (October 05, 2015). Also in photo are LP Presidential Candidate former DILG Secretary Manuel Roxas II and wife Korina Sanchez-Roxas; LP Vice Presidential Candidate Camarines Sur 3rd District Representative Maria Leonor Robredo and daughters Jessica Marie and Janine Patricia Robredo. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) — Administration presidential bet Mar Roxas said Tuesday that the proposal to lower income tax should not be an election issue as it must be discussed in a more sober time.
At the presidential forum of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Roxas clarified that he is not against the proposal but it should be studied very carefully as it may create a dent in the financial status of the country.
“I’m not putting out this argument to say why I’m not for it, I’m just saying that we ought to have a very, very sober, non-populist discussion of where this money is presently going and where and why it should go back to taxpayers,” he said.
“It should not be discussed in the heat of political battle of elections. What’s to stop somebody from saying let’s bring that income tax down to zero, that’s the most popular thing to do,” he added.
He said the proposal to lower income tax is a complex question to answer because it is a complex issue.
“It is the easiest thing to just say no more income tax, but what does that do to the government, what does that do to the services, infrastructure, economy that all of you are benefiting from right now? I feel that we need to study and we need to look at these things soberly, responsibly, maturely and certainly not in the heat of political moment,” he said.
In his opening statement, Roxas enumerated the progress made by the administration of President Benigno Aquino III under the “Daang Matuwid” policy and why this should be continued beyond 2016.
“Well, for the first time in generations, a current government has been able to put in place structural reforms has been able to show investments in our people and in our infrastructure and has been able to show the road ahead very clearly. Not just the destination but the means of how to get there,” he said.
Roxas, who has promised to continue the “Daang Matuwid” track, said that the country now has “a real chance of keeping the momentum going.”
“Ituloy—ituloy ang tapat at tuwid na pamamahala. Ituloy ang mga programa na siyang naghatid satin sa ating kinalalagyan ngayon. Ituloy ang Daang Matuwid,” he said.
He added: “Daang Matuwid Edition 1 has fixed the structural reforms, has given us a platform from which to spring. And Daang Matuwid Edition 2 will take that leap into prosperity and development for our country.”(MNS)