How to commit political hara-kiri

The start of the election campaign period is still a month away, but some candidates are already losing votes of their constituents. Last Tuesday, September 8, 2015, I read a very interesting article in the inside pages on page A-7 of SunStar Daily which was headlined, "Bill Removing Tax Exemption Opposed!" As the report goes, Philippine Cooperative Center (PCC) chairman Hamilcar Rutaquio would launch a nationwide campaign to oppose the bill, which he said would "kill cooperatives!" 

As I read on, apparently this proposed by sponsored by Senator Loren Legarda and Representative Gabriel "Luigi" Quisumbing filed House Bill No. 2765 which seeks to repeal Article 60 and 61 of the Cooperative Code of the Philippines which exempts cooperatives from paying taxes. In a nation where the middle class is taxed at 32 percent, the highest rate in ASEAN, I fully concur with chairman Ruaquio that this proposed bill would kill the cooperative movement in this country. We have been supporting the Cooperative Industry in this country since I was the vice president of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (CCCI) in 1986, where I visited the Raifaisen Cooperative Bank in Germany to know more about cooperativism.

I don't know what went into the heads of Senator Loren Legarda and Representative Luigi Quisumbing… but sponsoring such a bill that removes the tax exemption of cooperatives is akin to committing a political "Seppuku" or "Hara-kiri" because the cooperative movement in this country has some 23,000 cooperatives with some 13 million members. I'm not sure whether Senator Loren Legarda is up for re-election next year, but I do know that Representative Luigi Quisumbing is seeking either to run for mayor of Mandaue City or seek another term as congressman in Mandaue City.

This is a case where Representative Luigi Quisumbing has only himself to blame because for sure, his political opponents would make sure that this issue would be exploited to the hilt. Now what would be interesting to note is how many members of the cooperatives are voters in Mandaue City? Abangan!

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As it was Don Sergio Osmeña, Sr. Day yesterday and therefore a holiday, I joined my good friends, Boboy Durano and Kay Byeon to play the 18th Corn Tee at the Club Filipino Golf Course in Pulangbato, Danao City. This is the first time this year I played in this golf course where I have been a member since 1979. I was surprised that the golf course is in good condition and the greens are very playable. Kudos to the officers of Club Filipino, Inc.

Driving to Danao City also gave me an opportunity to check North Road rehabilitation project of the Department of Public Works & Highways, where Secretary Rogelio Singson boasted to President Aquino that they were spending P386 million for the rehabilitation of this road. So far, the only roads being fixed are the approaches of the Kansaga Bridge, an infrastructure project given by then president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. I was even disappointed that from Kansaga Bridge, the DPWH was supposed to widen this road all the way to Catarman, Liloan. That has not happened yet.

So once more we ask the question… where is the P23 billion in infrastructure projects that the DPWH spent since 2010? Could it be that PNoy was the one mistaken… that the figure was only P2.3 billion? So far we have only seen the P289 million rehabilitation of the Don Sergio Osmeña Jr. Boulevard, a road, which did not need rehabilitation. As of press time, we are still searching for the P150-million road widening of the Mactan Circumferential Road and that P386-million rehabilitation of roads in northern Cebu, which our foreigner friends living in Bogo already said that the road there did not need any rehabilitation. This could only mean only one thing… the money has been stolen! DPWH has a very sordid track record as one of the most corrupt agencies of the Philippine government. I suggest that DPWH officials here give the media a complete detailed project summary so we will know for sure where the money has been spent and if it has been spent wisely. We will wait for DPWH to give this to the media.

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Last Monday, the Philippine Star headline blared "Zero tolerance on EDSA." This gives us all an idea of what really is the problem in this country. That there is just too much tolerance for violating our laws… that when traffic becomes a nightmare, drastic measures had to be done like bringing in the Philippine National Police Traffic Command to man traffic in EDSA. As I have said many times before when I see a traffic violator, I do not see a violator, but the absence of a traffic enforcer. This is why we believe that there should be zero tolerance in the enforcement of our laws.

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