Press Release
December 20, 2007

Transcript of interview with Senator Mar
Roxas at 'Kapihan sa Senado' (excerpts)

On Sen. Roxas' SB 1962, seeking to suspend VAT on oil:

Q: Sec. Teves has rejected your proposal without even reviewing it.

MAR: Natural, sa kanyang katungkulan bilang DoF Secretary, kailangan talaga niyang depensahan ang kanyang koleksyon. Department of Finance siya, pero ano ba ito? Hindi ba kasama si Juan de la Cruz dito? Palagay ko na dapat nilang pag-aralan ito. Yung pangamba ng Department of Finance na mawawalan sila ng pondo, palagay ko ay misplaced, o hindi nila naiintindihan ang pagtakbo nitong VAT, dahilan sa pera na ito ay gagastusin din ng ating kababayan, at sa kanilang paggastos ay makakakolekta muli ng VAT o iba pang buwis ang pamahalaan.

We will pursue it, and debate this in Congress, because Sec. Teves is sworn to uphold and comply with the law, but if we change the law, then he will have to stop collecting VAT.

Q: But this must be initiated by the House, being a tax measure.

MAR: May kausap na tayo sa House, and if you refer to the Liberal Party, pinagtutunan ng pansin ng partido, kung paano natin isasagaw ito, nagco-coordinate na tayo sa members of the House na mag-file ng kanilang counterpart bill.

Q: How's support from the Senate?

MAR: Senator Pong Biazon and Senator Noynoy Aquino ay sumang-ayon na dito. Si Senado Kiko Pangilinan, sabi niya na bukas siya at pag-aaralan niya ang detalye nito. Ang chairman ng Senate committee on ways and means, si Senador Chiz Escudero, siya mismo nagsabi, 'wag lang suspend, i-eradicate na natin. Palagay ko na makakakuha tayo ng suporta rito.

Q: Senator Enrile says no one in Congress has the power to suspend the VAT.

MAR: Tama siya, I agree with him. Kaya nag-file tayo ng bill. Hindi naman natin minumungkahi na executive action, hindi naman pwede yung EO o AO doon, nasa batas iyon, kaya ang pamamaraan talaga ay ang pag-file ng amendatory legislation.

Naniniwala kami sa Liberal Party at ako personal na mas mabuting maiwan sa bulsa ni Juan de la Cruz yung kanyang pera kaysa ibigay sa gobyerno, at ang gobyerno gagastos para kay Juan de la Cruz.

Sa ngayon lang, mayroong P200 billion na hindi nila nakokolekta. Siguro diyan sila mag-concentrate, mga uncollected revenues from existing law. Kinokolekta lang nila mula sa mga hindi makaiwas na magbayad, halimbawa ang 20% withholding sa salaries. Talagang sakop nila iyon. Itong sa VAT, ganoon din.

Q: Are you saying his job is on the line if they don't meet targets?

MAR: Absolutely, because sila naman gumagawa nito. Hihingiin namin sa Senado ang resulta nitong Lateral Attrition Law, na supposed to be an incentive, kasama na doon ang parusa sa pagkolekta o hindi pagkolekta ng buwis. The targets are supposed to be per revenue center or port, hindi lang isang bilyong-bilyong target - per office, per geographic location, may target. Therefore, kung sino ang in charge sa mga location na iyon, mananagutan sa kakulangan ng koleksyon ng kanilang unit.

Q: What will it take for the Finance Secretary to take responsibility?

MAR: Political will.

On the alleged coup brewing among senators:

MAR: Hindi ko pa nabasa, pero nadinig kong report. Palagay ko kuryente iyon. Wala akong alam na pagpupulong, at wala naman akong nasalihan na pagpupulong tungkol diyan.

Q: Does this mean the Liberal Party will not be involved in such a plot?

MAR: There was a question as to a Liberal Party plot. I am not aware of any such plot, of any such conversation. I certainly have not been in any meetings. It was reported to me that such meetings were held with me in attendance. I have not been to such meetings.

Q: Do you have the numbers?

MAR: As I said, I'm not engaged in any such conversations, so I would not know.

Q: Makakabuti ba sa Liberal Party ito kung sakali?

MAR: Hindi namin iniisip iyan, ang iniisip namin yung papaano namin ipapababa o tatanggalin yung VAT mula sa produktong petrolyo. Sa palagay namin, iyon ang pinaka-number one priority ng ating bansa, ng ating mga kababayan

Q: How satisfied are you with the Senate leadership?

MAR: We could have accomplished more. There could have been more focus on specific pieces of legislation. Madami tayong napasa, madami tayong na-tackle, okey rin lang iyon, pero I think that more focus could have been put on several other pieces of legislation - amendments to the Tax Code for example, and you saw the results of the investigations, they're pretty much left hanging.

Q: But some of those pieces of legislation were blocked by the opposition.

MAR: That's the process of legislation. I said 'we,' we as a Senate, as an institution, could have performed better. It will only be relevant if there's a majority of the senators that feels the same way.

On the 2008 budget:

Q: There are talks that Malacañang is calling for a special session.

MAR: Okey lang ang special session, ang mahalaga rito ay alamin muna natin kung magkakaroon ng bicam report. E kasisimula pa lang ng bicam. Kahit may special bukas o samakalawa, ano ang te-take-up-in nila? Importante rito, nasaan muna ang bicam? 'Pag tapos na ang bicam, halimbawa first week of January, pwede na mag special session. I think it's important na tapusin muna ang bicam bago ma-take up sa special session.

Q: So will the 2007 budget be reenacted come January?

MAR: It's automatically renewed until the new budget is put in place. I think the one-month rollover will not be damaging.

News Latest News Feed