This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. V, No. 21, July 3-9, 2005
New tax to worsen
crisis - Ibon Independent
think-tank Ibon Foundation said in a statement that the July 1
implementation of “the expanded value-added tax (E-Vat) amid the most
serious scandal that the Arroyo administration is facing will further
isolate the president and fan public unrest.” Ibon also criticized
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for saying June 27 that VAT-generated
revenues would be used to fund social services for the people when in
fact, the think tank added, debt servicing remains the highest priority of
government.
* * * Journalist locked up
inside bathroom Reporting to the
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, Nueva Ecijia freelance
journalist Carlos D. Marquez Jr. said he was harassed on June 28 by
provincial board member (4th district) Napoleon Interior. Marquez, Jr. was
with three other reporters. The reporters were
discussing press matters at the Grill Bar and Restaurant in Cabanatuan
City when Interior arrived. Interior, Marquez said, insulted the
journalists accusing them of for lack of balance in reporting local
politics. With his two bodyguards, Interior locked up Marquez inside the
men’s room to confront him, it was reported. “Titirahin na kita” (I
will attack you), Interior reportedly told Marquez. "If not for the
alerted colleagues who forced open the door, I could have been beaten
black and blue," Marquez said.
* * * Philippine embassy in
Lebanon accused of neglecting OFWs The chair of Migrante
Sectoral Party (MSP), Connie Bragas-Regalado, last week accused the
Philippine embassy in Lebanon of “criminal neglect” following reports that
10 distressed overseas Filipino workers in Beirut were not given
assistance for their plight by the Philippine diplomatic officials. One of
the 10 was a domestic who was reportedly raped and got pregnant. Regalado said that
OFWs are forced to work more than 10 hours without sufficient food and not
paid their salaries. Despite this treatment and the lack of social and
labor accords to protect migrant workers, the Philippine government
continues to deploy Filipino migrant workers to Lebanon. There are at least
30,000 OFWs in Lebanon. Bulatlat © 2004 Bulatlat
■
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The finance department itself has said that the bulk of VAT proceeds is
earmarked for “deficit reduction,” such as servicing the ballooning public
sector debt amounting to nearly P5.3 trillion as of end-2004. Bulatlat
The NUJP condemned the harassment and vowed to support Marquez
if he files charges against Interior. Bulatlat
“Due to the criminal neglect of embassy officials themselves,” justice has
not been served for at least three mysterious deaths of domestic workers
in Lebanon last year, Bragas-Regalado also said.