PRESIDENT MARCOS: … ang BIR para pagandahin at maging mas efficient ang pagkolekta ng buwis at ito ‘yung kickoff at parang sinimulan lahat ito, kasama na diyan ‘yung mga bagong sistema, kasama na diyan ‘yung digitalization na ginagawa at ang mas masigasig na paghabol sa mga businesses at para matiyak naman na ‘yung buwis na kailangan bayaran ay nababayaran lahat.
Kami naman sa panig namin, sa Executive ay sinasabi namin asahan naman ninyo na kung ano man ang makolekta galing sa taong-bayan, galing sa mga negosyo ay asahan naman ninyo ito’y talagang mapupunta para sa ikabubuti ng ating ekonomiya, para sa pagpaganda ng buhay ng ating mga kababayan.
So that is what we began here today.
Q: Hi, good afternoon Mr. President.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Hi good afternoon.
Q: Sir, my question. What’s your stance regarding the bill filed by Congressman Salceda which aims to increase the tax on luxury or non-essential goods from 20 percent to 25 percent?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, I think because right now the tax on luxury goods only covers very specific items. And luxury goods, as those who have put in some study on these know, hindi nagbabago ang demand niyan kahit anong sitwasyon.
For the rest of us, who are not necessarily consumers of luxury goods ay ramdam natin kapag bumagsak ang ekonomiya, ngunit kung titingnan ninyo, ‘yung mga luxury items, ‘yung mga magagarang kotse, ‘yung mga designer na damit at saka mga bag, lahat, hindi nagbabago ang presyo niyan dahil may kaya ang mga bumibili.
So palagay ko naman, it’s reasonable that we will tax the consumption side of those who are consuming luxury items.
Q: Okay. Thank you, sir.
Q: Sir, good afternoon. There was an earthquake the other day sa Turkey. and Syria. Ano pong tulong ang ibibigay ng Pilipinas? And also sir, yesterday, there was an appointment of 77 military officers and this is the first in three years. Can you tell us more about this po? Thank you.
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, let’s do the second one, first. ‘Yung promotion, SOP na ‘yan. That’s why we did what we did earlier to normalize and I used the word rationalize ‘yung promotions system na ginawa sa AFP.So this is just another part of that ongoing process. Patuloy na natin — we normalize the process of promotion already and naibalik natin sa dati.
On your question on Turkey, I have been in coordination with of course the SND and the MMDA dahil silang handa pala para makapagpadala ng mga assets sa ibang bansa.
We have organized a group of about 85 personnel together with some goods. Ang hinahanap sa atin ay mga blanket, mga winter clothing dahil siyempre ‘yung mga nasiraan ng bahay sa Turkey ay wala na silang matirahan. They’re exposed so they need all of these things.
So we are organizing it already and I already have the assurance also of the Turkish [Airlines] that they will be the ones to bring our people and our equipment and our goods to, I suppose, to Ankara first and then to be distributed properly in Turkey.
We are looking to have our group leave by tomorrow night para makahabol naman sila. Marami pa… There’s also a danger kasi marami pang aftershock and they have to inspect also the buildings. So lahat, ‘yung engineering, mayroon pinapadala tayong mga engineer, mayroon tayong mga pinapadalang health workers and of course the goods that we feel that they will need.
All right. Maraming salamat. Thank you.
— END —
