Recto defends EVAT in Osmeña country

CEBU CITY – While he got a civil welcome at the turf of Sergio “Serge" Osmeña III here, Liberal Party senatorial bet Ralph Recto also got a grilling over his role in authoring the law on the expanded value-added tax (EVAT). Recto, who has a feud with Osmeña over EVAT, defended his actions in pushing the EVAT law, saying it was the bitter medicine the Philippines needed. “Two-thirds of the world uses a VAT system. I think our teachers, our soldiers and policemen . . . the increases in their salaries are a result of the increase of revenues from the VAT. I think the Philippines is better off today [because of EVAT]," he said at a press conference here. He added that the peso, whose exchange rate now stands at P44.70 to $1, could have been weaker at P101 to $1 had the country not adopted EVAT in 2004. The EVAT was blamed for Recto’s unsuccessful re-election bid in the 2007 midterm elections. Recto and Osmeña’s feud over the EVAT issue had prompted the LP to arrange its sortie schedules in a way that the two could campaign separately. Osmeña, grandson of former President Sergio Osmeña, left the LP ticket when he learned that Recto would be running with them. He said he would rather campaign independently. Osmeña, a native of Cebu, did not join the LP contingent at Tuesday’s press conference. LP’s standard bearer, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III, led the group. “Serge has his own style of campaigning. We in our party stress the importance of the individual. If he wants to campaign in a particular manner, we don’t impose our manner and ways of campaigning on him, but one thing is clear, we are supporting his candidacy," Aquino said. - KBK, GMANews.TV