[WIN TRANSCRIPT] Comprehensive Tax Reform Program AND Transport Network Vehicle Services

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Q: Sa Committee of the Whole, agree kayo doon?

SEN WIN: Yes, maraming issues na lumalabas related to Comprehensive Tax Reform. I think this is the biggest issue and this is really a common fear. Iba ang inflationary effects ng excise tax on fuel, alam natin na kapag tumaas ang presyo ng langis, damay-damay yan eh, pagakin, gamot, at bilihin. Yan ang pinaka-kinakatakutan ng lahat kapag nagdagdag ng excise tax. 6 pesos on diesel and 10 pesos on gasoline tataas ang bilihin natin. So dapat mapag-usapan nating mabuti at makita kung anong magiging epekto nito sa atin.

Q: Meron po bang pinanghahawakan ang mga Senators kasi si Congressman Villar, wala daw gaanong matimbang na basis na makakaapekto ang excise tax sa bilihin?

SEN WIN: Actually even the DOF admitted, many of their presentations show na merong inflationary effects kaya nga meron silang cash transfers in the beginning. If you remember, part of their proposal is to give out cash transfers for one year and that cash transfer is really para ma-address itong inflationary effects at least in the one year time period. Normally, kung merong ganitong increase in price, one year ang effect niya. So ina-admit nila na magkakaroon ng inflationary effects. Ngayon, how far, how wide, how deep, yan ang nagkakaroon ng big debate kung gaano kalaki ang magiging impact sa ating consumers. Marami akong nakita, I understand DSWD also protested kasi ang mahirap nating kababayan ay tatamaan ang kanilang bilihin, kumbaga ang basic commodities na bibilhin nila ay magkakaroon ng atleast 10 pesos increase per day. For a medium wage earner, ang 10 pesos napakalaki na yan that's why all of these ay kailangan nating pag-aralan at i-analyze.

Q: Sir, ang Committee of the Whole? Parang may sinabi si Senator Ping kahapon na parang because we wanted to help Senator Angara, hindi rin sya ang tatamaan, magiging ganon ba Sir?

SEN WIN: Ultimately, ang Senators, we all agree at ayaw nating ipasa ito sa ating mga kababayan because ang personal income tax na pino-propose na 4-5 million ang makikinabang na salaried workers, pero ang inflation 100 million Filipinos ang matatamaan dyan. So natulungan nga natin ang 5 million pero ang 100 million madadamay din sila doon at matatamaan naman ng inflation so I think ang bottom line dito is to really address this, 'inflationary fears' ang tawag ko nga dyan. We have to make sure na hindi magiging mabigat ito sa ordinaryong Pilipino.

Q: Reasonable ba ang mga hinihirit nilang tax revenue measures kasi ang sabi ng ilang Senador ang estimated for the revenues is 140 billion and yet sa kabuuan 900 billion yata ang makokolekta so parang sobra-sobra ang pambawi nila.

SEN WIN: This is actually the Build-Build-Build Program of the President. Kakailanganin ng 8 trillion pesos for the next 6 years in which 1 trillion will come in taxes. Ang goal nito is to raise more revenues as possible and to fund the infrastructure projects. So yun ang programa ng Pangulo at sinusuportahan naman natin ang program pero ayaw naman nating maging pabigat sa ating mga kababayan that is why dapat pag-usapan ito ng mga economic managers kasama ang mga Senators. Face to face para maipresenta nila itong mabuti at ma-defend and inflationary fears ng ating mga Senador.

Q: Sir, that is aside from the effects nung sugar sweetened vat exempt?

SEN WIN: Iba pa yun, may mga individual sectoral impact. For example, sugar will impact the farmers, may housing component din na tatamaan ang housing sector then you have the renewables, tatamaan naman ang kuryent So sectoral naman yun. So madaming paguusapan doon because kung matatandaan natin itong 80 plus bills na nagkaroon ng VAT exemptions, may logic diyan kung paano ginawa ang mga batas na yan, binigyan sila ng exemption because pwede nating tulungan ang sector na yun or gusto nating lumago ang sector na yun. Tinanggal natin ang incentives na yun. For example, pag tinanggal natin ang VAT exemptions. Ibig sabihin ayaw na nating suportahan ang sector na yun, so we have to study every sector.

Q: ano po yung political side sir, can you also say Senators are being careful na hindi kayo tamaan noon? Syempre hindi maganda yung tingin ng tao sa new taxes?

SEN WIN: I think ang mabigat dito yung yung biglang tataas yung mga bilihin, I think it goes without saying na pag naging pabigat to the 100 Million population then definitely there will be a political impact not only for the Senators but also for everyone who participated in this measure, that's why I think again we have to be very prudent as to the basis of calculations of inflation.

Q: so sir mabibigyan niyo ng assurance sa public na hindi niyo susuportahan yung tax measure na inflationary yung effect?

SEN WIN: I think that is a common agreement namin na kung magiging mataas yung magiging inflationary effect maghanap tayo ng ibang formula. For example baka kasi pwede 3,2,1 tapos 3 years execution. Baka pwedeng mas mahaba pa o pwedeng mas maliit muna in the first year tapos lakihan na lang yung cash transfers, so may mga strategies para hind maging pabigat sa ating pamilya.

Q: economic managers, committee of the whole?

SEN WIN: i think that's why we agreed that Committee of the Whole would be a more appropriate strategy para maintindihan din natin yung economic managers, para mapikta din nila because we will now make the decision. Dapat matulungan niya yung Senado na gumawa ng decision at may basehan yung decision. Kailangan natin ng basehan eh, hindi pwede yung sabihin mo lang gusto mo to, kailangan may basehan. At the end, hindi natin pwede i-separate yung Executive, it's the Government's policy.

Q: Sir expecting the President naman and economic managers to be open?

SEN WIN: I think everyone should be open, hindi natin pwede isara yung ating isip dito that's why even in the Senate we are looking for strategies how to address different issues because this is really a comprehensive tax reform. Hindi lang isang issue pinaguusapan, doon pa lang sa exemptions we are talking about 80 different exemptions. Cutting across probably 80 different sectors, so dapat matignan mabuti yun.

Q: So dapat ba ma-realize din ng Presidente yung possible backlash?

SEN WIN: I trust naman the economic managers is giving the President full view of the entire Comprehensive Tax Reform, hindi lang yung tataas yung revenue by 1 Trillion in the next 5 years but ano din ang magiging impact nito sa ekonomiya at sa atin pamilya. So I think dapat transparent in that aspect, hindi lang yung magandang balita pero yung negative consequences din.

Q: Sir, possible backlash coming from Malacañang if the bill gets passed?

SEN WIN: I'm very optimistic that we will find a solution, I think everyone wants infrastructure, everyone wants a better life for our families and kailangan talaga ng revenues for that, we should also look at the impact of it all in our family's lives. We need to find a solution, I think that's how legislation is formed, we have to find a solution until we agree in a solution.

Q: sir I think, there will be a new CTRP (Comprehensive Tax Reform Program) pero hindi as designed by the Executive Department?

SEN WIN: if you remember the new CTRP yung finile ni Senator Koko, malayo yun sa inaprubahan ng House ah, malayong malayo in terms of components and that's how the legislative bill goes marami talagang negotiations, solution findings, accommodations, expect pa rin na maraming changes ang mangyayari dito sa Senate version.

Q: But definitely it will pass? A tax reform package will definitely pass?

SEN WIN: I think it's because it is part of the policy of the administration there is a general support for this bill, but I don't think it will pass at its original intention or format. Definitely maraming changes ang mangyayari diyan to accommodate the negative effects of the tax reform.

Q: TNVS you are proposing to address this?

SEN WIN: I filed a bill, to legitimize itong TNVS kasi nga nakikita ko na dahil bagong anyo itong TNVS walang legal personality. In fact, yung mga circulars ng LTO papalit-palit rin to accommodate them. Di rin nila alam kung sila ba yung operator or software provider, so itong bill na ito will give a legal personality to the TNVS and it will legitimize the TNVS. It will also spell out liabilities of the TNVS because sinasabi ng TNVS na 'software lang kami wala kaming liabilities sa passenger' which I don't agree kahit software lang sila ito lahat will be spelt out in the bill. Mas klaro na, batas na ang magbibigay ng legal personality dito sa TNVS.

Q: Sir pano yun parang similar to PUVs, magkakaroon din ng franchise yung mga TNVS?

SEN WIN: Yes, yes, ganun yung ating proposal so they will be just like any operator, nasa Gobyerno rin naman kung ano treatment natin sa kanila. Hindi yung TNVS yung magsasabi satin kung ano yung gusto nilang treatement. Kasi ganun yung nangyari, pero hindi pwede ganun, Gobyerno magsasabi kung anong treatment namin sainyo. Lalagyan natin kung ano yung pwede at ano yung mga liabilities.

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