Senior citizens gather to push VAT exemption

Braving arthritis and other ailments, about 2,000 senior citizens marched to Mendiola Bridge near Malacañang early Monday to push President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to sign a measure exempting them from paying value-added tax (VAT). The Confederation of Older Persons of the Philippines appealed to President Arroyo to take just a few moments to sign the bill, even as they questioned the President's dilly-dallying on the matter. "What is taking them so long? Bakit ang tagal pagaralan ito (Why is it taking them so long to study the matter)?" confederation spokeswoman Salvacion Paciano said in several radio interviews early Monday. Earlier, the Department of Finance (DOF) preferred that President Arroyo veto the proposed law expanding the tax incentives given to senior citizens. [See: President asked to veto bill exempting the elderly from VAT] Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran said the measure would lead to P1.68 billion in foregone revenues, adding and that it would only complicate value-added tax (VAT) administration. A report by dzBB radio’s Carlo Mateo said the senior citizens gathered on Morayta Street as early as 6 a.m. to prepare for the march to Mendiola, which they reached about 7:45 a.m. The senior citizens at the gathering were from Metro Manila and nearby provinces such as Bulacan, Pampanga and Cavite, the report added. Remain calm But in Malacañang, deputy presidential spokeswoman Charito Planas - herself a senior citizen nearing age 80 - appealed to the senior citizens to remain calm as the law may be signed in "one to two days." "Pagbigyan natin one to two days ... Pero yan kaunting paghihintay na lang (Give her one to two days. The wait won’t be long)," Planas said in an interview on dwIZ radio. When asked if Mrs. Arroyo will indeed sign the measure into law in one to two days, she said, "Maaari po (It is possible)." Besides, she said a bill automatically lapses into law after 30 days, so long as the President does not veto it. She said the measure is now in Malacañang but did not say when it reached the Palace. "Kung di siya pipirma, di siya ve-veto, I think after 30 days automatically batas na (If the president does not sign it but does not veto it either, I think it will lapse into law after 30 days)," she said. Paciano said her group was happy last week when it learned Mrs. Arroyo was to sign the measure exempting senior citizens from paying VAT, as a Valentine’s Day gift. But on Sunday, deputy presidential spokesman Gary Olivar said Mrs. Arroyo was too busy to do so, and that they are finding free time in her schedule for the signing. Celebration Paciano said the senior citizens’ march to Mendiola is meant to pressure Mrs. Arroyo into signing the measure – but if Mrs. Arroyo would sign it on Monday, the march will be one of celebration. "I will admit we are trying to pressure Mrs. Arroyo. We believe three years of ‘study’ is too long for this measure. It is as if Mrs. Arroyo does not trust our senators and congressmen," she said in Filipino. She said it would not take too long for Mrs. Arroyo to sit down and sign the measure. "We don’t have the luxury of time," she added. - RSJ, GMANews.TV