The camp of Senator Grace Poe asked the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday (Dec. 28, 2015) to stop the decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that disqualified her to run in the 2016 presidential polls. Poe, through her legal counsel, Atty. George Garcia (in left photo), filed the petition for certiorari and urgent motion for the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Comelec decision. One of the two petitions filed by Poe’s camp challenged the Comelec First Division ruling while the second petition assailed the Comelec Second Division ruling. Poe’s camp also asked the SC to issue a status quo ante order (SQAO) against the Comelec ruling in order that the name of Poe would still be included in the ballot for the 2016 elections. Photo at right shows Poe’s supporters urging the Comelec to allow the lady senator to run for president in the May 2016 polls. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) –Senator Grace Poe promised Monday that she would not impose new taxes, and would even lower existing ones, should she win in the May 2016 presidential election.
“Nais kong itulak ang pagbaba ng buwis dahil hindi na makatarungan. Gusto kong babaan at gagawin ko ang lahat para babaan ang buwis,” Poe said.
She said the Philippines imposes the highest income and corporate taxes among the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
“Thirty-two percent ang binabayaran ng mga empleyado natin. Ang corporate tax naman ay 30 percent. Papasok tayo sa ASEAN economic integration. E sino ang mag-iinvest sa atin kung mataas ang tax natin? Sino ang mamumuhunan dito?” she said.
She believes that income revenue collection will increase if taxes will be lowered.
“Sa mga ibang bansa kung saan binabaan ang rate ng taxes, mas maraming nagbayad ng buwis,” she said.
Poe added that if taxes will be lowered, employees will have higher take home pay.
“Kung bababaan ang buwis, mas marami ang maiuuwi ng mga kababayan natin,” she said.
Meanwhile, Poe said her husband Neil Llamanzares is a natural-born Filipino citizen because both his parents were Filipinos, but is a dual citizen because he was born in the United States.
“Filipino siya dahil Filipino ang kanyang mga magulang pero ipinanganak siya sa Amerika dahil nag-aaral ang kanyang mga magulang doon noong siya ay ipanganak,” Poe said.
“Ang aking asawa ay dual citizen, hindi naman ito kasalanan kung saan ka ipinanganak,” she added.
Poe said her children were also dual citizens because of their father.
She believed despite their status, she believed her family loves the Philippines because they are also citizens of the country.
“Hindi limitado ng teritoryo ang pagmamahal sa bayan,” she said.(MNS)