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Sen. Bam: Gov’t should be alarmed, protect poor from high inflation rate

Senator Bam Aquino contradicted government’s claim that the 5.2-percent inflation rate in June is not alarming, saying it should be concerned about the suffering of the Filipinos on the high prices of goods due to the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.   

“Dapat lang na mabahala ang gobyerno sa matinding taas presyo. Huwag natin ito maliitin dahil pinapahirapan nito ang ating mga kababayan,” said Sen. Bam, in reaction to Malacanang’s statement that the current inflation rate is not something to worry about

“Hanggang nalulunod sa taas presyo ang mga kababayan natin, hindi magiging epektibo ang mga programa kontra-kahirapan,” added Sen. Bam, one of four senators who voted against the ratification of the TRAIN Law.

Sen. Bam hopes that the President will address the issue of the TRAIN Law in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) and focus on anti-poverty measures to help ease the burden of Filipinos, especially the poor.

“Umaasa tayong pagtutuunan ng Pangulo sa kanyang pangalawang SONA ang pagsugpo sa kahirapan para tulungan ang ating mga kababayan na maitawid ang pangangailangan araw-araw at makaahon,” Sen. Bam pointed out.

“Para maging matagumpay ang pagsugpo sa kahirapan, kailangan magsimula sa pagsugpo ng taas presyo sa pamamagitan ng pagsuspinde sa TRAIN,” he added.

Sen. Bam has been pushing for the suspension of the excise tax on petroleum products under the TRAIN Law as it could help lower prices of goods and services. 

The senator has submitted a bill seeking to suspend and roll back the excise tax on fuel under the TRAIN Law once average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target over a three-month period. 

In addition, Sen. Bam is pushing for the full implementation of mitigating measures under the TRAIN Law, such as the unconditional cash transfer program for poor families and the Pantawid Pasada for jeepney operators and drivers.

Sen. Bam: Inflation doubled in 1 year, suspend TRAIN now

Senator Bam Aquino slammed the government’s continued inaction on the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law amid the doubling of the country’s inflation rate in a span of one year.

“Sa loob lang ng isang taon, dumoble na ang inflation rate ng bansa pero nagmamatigas pa rin ang gobyerno sa TRAIN Law,” said Sen. Bam, one of four senators who voted against the ratification of the government’s tax reform program.

“Malinaw ang mensahe ng 5.2 percent na inflation rate. Kailangan nang i-preno ang TRAIN sa lalong madaling panahon dahil nalulunod na sa taas presyo ang taumbayan,” said Sen. Bam

From 2.5 in June 2017, Sen, Bam said the country’s inflation rate soared to 5.2 in June 2018, based on the latest report by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The latest inflation rate surpassed the projection by the country’s economic managers. The Department of Finance (DOF) predicted the inflation rate at 4.9 percent while Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas economists placed it at 5.1 percent.

Sen. Bam has been going around the country and meeting with different sectors to get their views about the government’s tax reform program. During his dialogue with different sectors, the senator received numerous complaints about high prices of goods and services and the lack of necessary support from the government.

Sen. Bam has been pushing for the suspension and rollback of the excise tax on fuel under the TRAIN Law to ease the burden of Filipinos due to high prices of goods and services.

Sen. Bam has submitted a bill seeking to suspend and roll back the excise tax on fuel under the TRAIN Law once average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target over a three-month period. 

In addition, Sen. Bam is pushing for the full implementation of mitigating measures under the TRAIN Law, such as the unconditional cash transfer program for poor families and the Pantawid Pasada for jeepney operators and drivers.

Sen. Bam: President should address high prices, support TRAIN suspension during SONA

With the country’s inflation rate breaching the 5-percent mark in June, Senator Bam Aquino is hoping President Duterte would announce the suspension of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law in his State of the Nation Address (SONA).

“Hindi na makatarungan ang pagpataw ng excise tax sa petrolyo habang pataas ng pataas ang presyo nito sa merkado. Nalulunod na ang taumbayan sa pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin,” said Sen. Bam.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) announced on Thursday that inflation rate reached 5.2 percent in June, the fastest level in at least five years.

On Tuesday, oil companies raised their pump prices by P0.65 per liter for gasoline, P0.55 for diesel and P0.70 for kerosene. Starting this month, the electric bill of Manila Electric Company consumers will reflect a higher generation charge due to tight power supply and the further weakening of the peso.

 “Ito ang numero unong alalahanin ng mga pamilya kaya sana talakayin ito ng Pangulo sa kanyang SONA. Tugunan natin ang pangangailangan ng Pilipino. I-roll-back at suspindihin na ang excise tax ng TRAIN,” added Sen. Bam, one of four senators who voted against the ratification of the TRAIN Law.

During his dialogue with different sectors, Sen. Bam said he has received many grumblings about the high prices of goods and services and the lack of necessary support from the government.

Sen. Bam insisted that the suspension and rollback of the excise tax on fuel under the TRAIN Law should provide welcome relief for Filipinos who are burdened by high prices of goods and services.

“Sana marinig ng Pangulo ang hinaing ng taumbayan,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam has submitted a bill seeking to suspend and roll back the excise tax on fuel under the TRAIN Law once average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target over a three-month period.  

Also, Sen. Bam is pushing for the full implementation of mitigating measures under the TRAIN Law, such as the unconditional cash transfer program for poor families and the Pantawid Pasada for jeepney operators and drivers.

Sen. Bam: Huwag masanay sa karahasan, patayan

Senator Bam Aquino expressed concern over the growing culture of violence under the present administration, maintaining that we should not grow numb to all the killings.

“Taos-puso tayong nakikiramay sa mga mahal sa buhay ni Mayor Bote at sa buong bayan ng General Tinio sa Nueva Ecija,” said Sen. Bam, referring to Mayor Ferdinand Bote, who was gunned down in front of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) office in Cabanatuan City on Tuesday.

“Sa bawat Pilipinong pinapatay mayor man yan, pari o tambay, inuusig ang konsensya natin bilang isang bansa,” stressed Sen. Bam, even as he called on the Filipinos to stand up against violence and senseless killings.

“Hindi na tayo natuto. Patayan at pagdurusa lang ang idudulot ng karahasan,” urged Sen. Bam.

Bote was the second local official who was killed in a span of two days. On Monday, Tanauan City Mayor Antonio Halili was gunned down by an alleged sniper while attending the city hall’s flag-raising ceremony.

Earlier, Sen. Bam submitted Senate Resolution 765 calling for an investigation on the killings of priests Richmond Nilo, Mark Ventura, and Father Marcelito Paez, and attacks against other religious leaders of the country.

“A public hearing can be a venue for us to evaluate the festering culture of violence in our country. Hanapan natin ng solusyon ito dahil nakakabahala na ang tumitinding karahasan sa ating lipunan,” said Sen. Bam.

“Kaliwa’t kanan ang patayan kahit sa harap ng maraming tao. Wala nang pinipili ang nagiging biktima – opisyal ng gobyerno, pari, tambay. Wala nang ligtas kahit saan, kahit sino,” the senator added.

Sen. Bam lauds passage of law for feeding programs in public day care, kinder and elementary schools

Senator Bam Aquino welcomed the enactment of the law that aims to eradicate hunger and undernutrition by providing free nutritious meals to public day care, kindergarten and elementary school students.

“Napakalaking tulong nito para mabigyan ng sapat na nutrisyon ang ating mga estudyante upang sila’y lumaking malusog at matalino,” said Sen. Bam, referring to Republic Act 11037 or the Masustansiyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act.

 Sen. Bam was the principal sponsor and co-author of the measure in the Senate. He pushed for the measure’s passage during his term as chairman of the Committee on Education.

 The law is Sen. Bam’s 23rd in his five years as senator. Recently, Republic Act 11035 or the Balik Scientist Act, which Sen. Bam pushed as principal sponsor and principal author, was signed into law.

 Aside from addressing malnutrition and hunger among schoolchildren from day care, kindergarten to Grade 6, the law aims to provide additional livelihood to local farmers, where the needed supplies for the feeding program will be sourced from.

 “Maliban sa pagtugon sa problema sa malnutrisyon, mabibigyan din ng dagdag na kabuhayan ang ating mga magsasaka sa tulong ng batas na ito,” said Sen. Bam.

Aside from Sen. Bam, other co-authors of the measure are Senators Grace Poe, Gregorio Honasan II, Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, Loren Legarda, Cynthia Villa, Joel Villanueva, Sherwin Gatchalian, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto and Senate Minority Leader Franklin

Sen. Bam to gov’t: Time to roll back fuel tax, suspend TRAIN law

Senator Bam Aquino stressed that it’s high time for the government to address the high prices of goods and services amid the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) projection that inflation rate could reach as high as 5.1 percent in June and the further weakening of the peso.

“Sa paghina ng piso, lalong nalulunod sa taas presyo ang mga Pilipino. Malaking porsiyento ng mga produkto sa merkado ay mayroong imported na raw materials, kaya ang tama ng pagbaba ng peso ay pagtaas na naman ng presyo,” said Sen. Bam, dispelling the statement of Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno that weakening peso is not bad for the country.

“Pareho ang sinasabi ng datos ng gobyerno at karanasan ng maraming Pilipino, nalulunod ang taumbayan sa tumitinding taas presyo,” added Sen. Bam, one of four senators who voted against the ratification of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.   

Sen. Bam maintained that the rise in inflation rate and the weakening peso are reasons enough for the government to suspend the TRAIN Law.

“Ano pa po ba ang patunay na kailangan ng gobyerno para isuspinde na ang pahirap na TRAIN?” emphasized Sen. Bam, who has been conducting dialogues with different sectors around the country on the effects of the TRAIN Law in the prices of goods and services..

“Sabi nga po ng isang tindera sa Bicol, kaming mahihirap ang ginawang riles para umandar ang TRAIN,” said Sen. Bam, adding that most, if not all, of the people whom he talked to are already burdened by the government’s tax reform law.

“Dumarami pa po ang nasasagasaan ng TRAIN, kailan po ihihinto ng gobyerno pahirap na ito,” added the senator, who has been pushing for the suspension and rollback of the excise tax on fuel under the TRAIN Law to help lower the prices of goods.

Sen. Bam called on the government to support his measure calling for the immediate suspension of the excise tax on petroleum products under the TRAIN Law to ease the public’s burden.   

If passed into law, Sen. Bam’s measure will roll back the excise tax on fuel under the TRAIN Law once average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target over a three-month period.   

 Sen. Bam also called on the government to fully implementation the mitigating measures under the TRAIN Law, such as the unconditional cash transfer program for poor families and the Pantawid Pasada for jeepney operators and drivers.

Sen. Bam Aquino: Tuloy ang laban, tuloy ang trabaho

Being part of the opposition hasn’t stopped Sen. Bam Aquino from working on reforms that benefit the Filipino people.

“Tuloy lang ang laban, tuloy ang pagtrabaho sa mga repormang kailangan ng taumbayan,” said Sen. Bam, who just passed his 21st and 22nd law in his five years as senator.

 Recently, Republic Act 11035 or the Balik Scientist Act, which Sen. Bam pushed as principal sponsor and principal author, has been signed into law to encourage Filipino scientists abroad to return home and contribute to solving the country’s problems.

“Kailangan ng bawat bansa ng mga scientists para guminhawa ang buhay at umunlad ang bayan. Sila ang susi sa mga makabagong solusyon na kailangang kailangan ngayon,” said Sen. Bam on the passage of his law.

 Sen. Bam was also a co-author of the Philippine Mental Health Law, which is now known as Republic Act 11036.

Despite being a member of the opposition, Sen. Bam has committed to work for the welfare of the Filipino, especially the poor.

“Kapag makatutulong sa pamilyang Pilipino, lalo na sa mahihirap, mauuna akong sumuporta,” said Sen. Bam.

However, Sen. Bam said he will be at the forefront of the fight when it comes to policies that will burden the Filipino people.

  “Ngunit pag may magpapahirap lalo sa mga Pilipino, mauuna rin akong tumutol,” asserted Sen. Bam, one of four senators who voted against the ratification of the government’s tax reform program.

Sen. Bam continues to speak up on the issue of rising prices and is pushing for a measure to roll back the excise tax on fuel under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.

Sen. Bam: VP Leni Robredo’s camp doesn’t deserve P50K fine

A senator said the camp of Vice President Leni Robredo does not deserve the P50,000 fine imposed by the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) for violating the gag order, saying they were only defending the truth amid the black propaganda from the camp of losing candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“Kailangan bang pagmultahin ang nagtatanggol sa katotohanan,” said Sen. Bam Aquino, campaign manager of Vice President Robredo in the 2016 elections.

Sen. Bam sees nothing wrong with the pronouncements by the camp of Vice President Leni Robredo, stressing that they were only out to counter the lies and black propaganda from the Marcos’ camp.

“Kailangan mo ring ipagtanggol ang sarili mo laban sa kasinungalingan at paninira na inilalabas ng kampo ni Marcos,” said Sen. Bam.

“Mula sa akusasyon ng square sa balota at basang balota, puro kasinungalingan na lang ang inilalabas ng kampo ni Marcos. Sila lang ang dapat pagmultahin at hindi si VP Leni,” added Sen. Bam.

Earlier, the PET imposed a P50,000 fine on both camps for violating the High Tribunal’s gag order on the election protest filed by Marcos.

Robredo’s legal counsel, Atty. Romulo Macalintal, said the Vice President should take a stand against the lies propagated by the Marcos camp.

“Sometimes, we have no choice but to speak out, in order for the public to be enlightened amid the relentless black propaganda, which aims to discredit the recount being spearheaded by the PET,” Macalintal said in a statement.

Sen. Bam: ‘Hard fact’ is poor families are drowning in rising prices

Senator Bam Aquino challenged the government’s financial managers to personally go down to the people and listen to their plea on the high prices of goods due to Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.    

“Totoo po yan, numbers don’t lie. Pumunta po kayo sa palengke, hindi po nagsisinungaling ang presyo ng bilihin,” said Sen. Bam, one of four senators who voted against the ratification of the government’s tax reform program.  

“Ang ‘hard fact’ po ay nalulunod ang mga Pilipino sa taas ng presyo ng bilihin,” the senator added.   

Sen. Bam made the pronouncement after Budget Secretary Ben Diokno said that “hard facts” will refute President Duterte’s statement that the economy is in the doldrums due to high prices of goods.     

“Sana mag-usap muna ang Presidente at ang Budget Secretary upang klaruhin ang estado ng ekonomiya. Mas mainam kung bumisita na rin sila sa mga komunidad upang malaman kung ano ang dinadanas ng mga pamilyang nasasagasaan ng kanilang polisiya,” Sen. Bam asserted.    

Sen. Bam urged the administration to support his measure calling for the immediate suspension of the excise tax on petroleum products under the TRAIN Law to ease the public’s burden.    

Under Sen. Bam’s measure, the excise tax on fuel under the TRAIN Law will be rolled back once average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target over a three-month period.    

Sen. Bam also called on the government to fully implementation the mitigating measures under the TRAIN Law, such as the unconditional cash transfer program for poor families and the Pantawid Pasada for jeepney operators and drivers.

Sen. Bam: High price of sugar to hit poor Filipinos, roll back TRAIN excise tax on fuel

While the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) must monitor and maintain sugar prices, the government must ensure that financial assistance and other mitigating measures under the tax reform program are rolled out immediately, Sen. Bam Aquino pointed out.

Sen. Bam said increase in price of sugar will also result in rise in prices of flour, bread and other sweetened products that are essential commodities to families.

“Wala na ngang ihihigpit ang sinturon ng mga mahihirap na Pilipino dahil sa TRAIN Law, lalo pa silang mahihirapan kung tataas ang presyo ng asukal,” said Sen. Bam, one of four senators who voted against the ratification of the government’s tax reform program.

 “Kailangan na nila ng salbabida kundi tuluyan na silang malulunod sa mataas na presyo ng bilihin,” added Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam renewed his call to the administration to support his measure that seeks to suspend and roll back the excise tax on petroleum products under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.

Under Sen. Bam’s measure, the excise tax on fuel under the TRAIN Law will be rolled back when average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target over a three-month period.

Also, Sen. Bam said the government should fast track the full implementation of mitigating measures under the TRAIN Law, such as the unconditional cash transfer program for poor families and the Pantawid Pasada for jeepney operators and drivers.

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