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‘PH must endure high prices’ Diokno says TRAIN to benefit the poor in the long run
Cavs unfazed by underdog tag—coach OAKLAND, United States— The Cleveland Cavaliers will not be motivated by their underdog status when they take on the Golden State Warriors in the fourth installment of their NBA Finals rivalry, coach Tyronn Lue said Tuesday. The Warriors have been installed by Las Vegas bookmakers as heavy favorites to retain their NBA crown as they face the Cavaliers for a fourth straight year starting in game one on Thursday. The Warriors have won two of the three previous meetings, with the Cavaliers taking the 2016 crown after a miraculous fightback from 3-1 down. Lue, however, says the fact the Warriors are most observers’ pick for the title will not motivate his team. “Our focus is winning championships, playing our
By Julito G. Rada
VOL. XXXII • NO. 105 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net
BENJAMIN DIOKNO
number of smokers.” Opposition Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV said poor Filipinos are at the receiving end of every increase in the prices of goods and services due to the hastily approved tax reform measure. He recently urged the Senate to address the rising prices to give relief to the poor who are already crying out for help. The Agriculture department, meanwhile, said it will soon implement suggested retail price for certain agricultural products as a protection for consumers.
“Remember, we had $135 per barrel under GMA,” he said at a forum Wednesday, referring to the world price of crude during the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. “The thing to realize is that we’re not going to keep this money in the Treasury. We are going to spend this for mass transit system(s) and who will benefit from this eventually? It’s also the poor,” Diokno said. At the same time, Diokno rejected calls to suspend the excise tax on fuel under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law, saying this would stall a number of government infrastructure projects. “The tax reforms cannot be stopped at the middle of the game because a number of infrastructure projects will be stalled… The government eyes long-term gains from implementing the tax reforms,” Diokno told the Manila Standard in a phone interview Wednesday. The Department of Finance earlier said TRAIN would generate funding for the administraton’s P8.4- trillion “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program, which aims to build more roads, bridges, airports, seaports, railways and irrigation
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Star Wars sequel intergalactic flop LOS ANGELES, United States—With “Solo: A Star Wars Story” proving an intergalactic dud on its opening weekend, analysts have been pondering whether Lucasfilm’s enviable license to print money might just have expired. Next page
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UDGET Secretary Benjamin Diokno on Wednesday said Filipinos should be “less of a cry baby” over the rapidly rising prices of goods and services as a result of the government’s tax reform law.
Tobacco tax hike pushed to offset losses from oil tax
By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Othel V. Campos
SENATOR JV Ejercito on Wednesday called on economic managers to consider raising taxes on tobacco products to offset the loss that would be incurred by suspending the excise tax on fuel. “For me, there are a lot of people who are calling for the suspension of the TRAIN Law, especially the excise taxes on petroleum. My solution in order for us not to lose revenue is to get it from the tobacco tax,” Ejercito said.
Under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, the excise tax on fuel can be suspended once the world price of crude oil reaches $80 a barrel. Ejercito said that he had already suggested increasing the tax on tobacco products and lowering oil taxes during the debates on TRAIN. “We will be hitting two birds with one stone,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. “We will get much-needed revenue for the government, and at the same time, it will be a health measure that will cut the
DFA: 100 protests filed vs China; PH keen on UN ruling S’pore revives longest flight SINGAPORE—Singapore Airlines s a i d on Wednesday that it will relaunch the world’s longest commercial flight in October, a journey of almost 19
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Every minute, smokers get through nearly 11 million cigarettes and 10 die from the habit. —United Nations on World No Tobacco Day
By Maricel V. Cruz, Nathaniel A. Mariano and Vito Barcelo FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Wednesday the Philippines has filed close to 100 diplomatic protests against Chinese actions in the West Philippine Sea in two years even as National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. insisted that the country is not abandoning the favorable ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. In a briefing with the House special committee on West Philippine Sea, Cayetano said the Philippines has been filing diplomatic protests for two years already, but they chose not to announce these regularly. “The critics want us to announce it loudly and to confront China each and every time to the media. That is not conducive [to] the ongoing talks,” he said. He also said he has assured acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio—an outspoken Next page
SECURITY CONCERNS. National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. clarifies some issues Wednesday regarding the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay. He gave assurances the country has not abandoned the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the South China Sea disputes, stressing the Philippines will take full advantage of the tribunal’s ruling ‘at the proper time.’ Norman Cruz
Duterte shields SolGen from brickbats By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday came to the defense of Solicitor General Jose Calida who is being criticized for cornering several government contracts owned by his family’s security agency. In his speech during the destruction of smuggled motorcycles at the Bureau of Customs, Duterte said Calida’s family had owned a security agency long before he was named Solicitor General. “Why should I fire him? He is good, he is also from Davao but Ilocano,” Duterte said.
“Don’t we have the right to put up our [own] business?” But opposition lawmakers on Wednesday called on Calida to resign or for Duterte to remove the government’s top lawyer amid allegations of conflict of interest Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Wednesday said he will review the Justice department’s contracts that were awarded in 2017 to the familyowned security firm of Solicitor General Jose Calida. He said he will find out if all the proper procedures were observed, and that he will call the Bids and Awards committee to confirm.
“To satisfy everyone, we’ll take a look,” Guevarra said. Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros said Wednesday Calida’s admission already pointed to his guilt after admitting he had yet to divest his business interest in his family’s private security company that had bagged more than P150 million in contracts from various government agencies since 2016. “Mr. Calida has virtually admitted to allegations of corrupt practices and conflict of interest. Case closed. Game over,” Hontiveros said. Senator Leila de Lima criticized Calida for his alleged hypocrisy after Next page
House okays BBL; Senate takes turn By Maricel V. Cruz, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Sara Susanne D. Fabunan TRUE to their promise to President Rodrigo Duterte, congressmen on Wednesday approved on final reading the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law. Voting 226-11-2, the House of Representatives, presided by Deputy Speaker and Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu, passed House Bill 6475 that was certified as urgent by Duterte. Reps. Celso Lobregat of Zamboanga City and Abdullah Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte abstained from the voting. Next page