Treble trouble

The US Open cut a check for 5 million dollars each to this year’s singles champions, Carlos Alcaraz, the heir apparent to the king of clay, and Aryna Sabalenka, the stateless world number one.

Huge amount, but they lose almost half of it to taxes in the United States. Not only that, a certain percentage of their prize money goes to their coaches and team. Plus another tax in their home countries. Whatever is left is however substantial. It’s dollars, the world currency of milk and honey. But they don’t mind. Tennis players play for glory, money secondary. You can see it in the fire in their eyes.

Alex Eala does not lack for either or both, she has the money but hungry for glory. She breached the 1 million dollar mark in prize money, equivalent to at least 55 million pesos. Minus tax in and out of her country, Eala may be left with about half of it. Still substantial, but clean, hard-earned money.

The Spaniard and the Belarusian may resent paying high taxes in their home countries, but they must be satisfied with the returns in infrastructure, health and other basic social services. But Eala, even if she is quiet about social issues and prefers to speak her game in court, does not feel the same way.

The 20-year old tall, pretty and well-spoken Filipina pays taxes here and abroad. While she enjoys tax benefits in countries she plays in, she only sees tax beneficiaries in her country. It is not her countrymen and women. It is the greedy men and women in government and their private conspirators, including young women her age, flaunting lavish lifestyle on social media like money is bottomless.

But wait, others say spare the children from the sins of the parent. They must pretend not to know what is complicit by mere receipt. That money should have fed the hungry, cured the sick and schooled the children. None of the above. This country no longer knows which gets biggest slice in the national budget every year, payment of debt on interest alone or corruption. Either way or both, the dirt poor become poorer and the rich become filthier.

Others now demand tax holiday, vowing not to pay unless their stolen money is returned and the thieves jailed. Correct, but long shot. Taxes, like death, are probably the only two certainties in this unpredictable world divided by politics and religion. Make it three in this country. Filipinos are not only heavily taxed, they are also brutally axed.