Villar vows to block tax on text messages

Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. vowed yesterday to block a proposal to impose taxes on text messaging, saying that the planned measure is onerous and anti-poor.

Villar, chairman of the Senate committee on finance, said that instead of burdening the poor, the government should go after tax evaders and government officials involved in graft and corruption.

"The government must have the political will to stem the tide of graft and corruption so that tax collection really goes to the government coffers and not to the pockets of corrupt officials," he said.

The government had earlier announced a plan to impose taxes on text messages, public transport and oil products to earn an additional P50 billion in revenues.

Villar also criticized the plans to impose value added tax (VAT) on oil products and increase taxes on buses, jeepneys and taxis.