With the whole country country still incensed over the pork barrel fund scam, this proposal may not go down easy.
“Nueva Ecija Rep. Estrellita ‘Ging’ B. Suansing called on all political parties to support House Bill 3365, which seeks to impose a 10% ad valorem tax on softdrinks,” reports Ben Rosario in Manila Bulletin.
Softdrinks and other carbonated beverages are already subject to the value added tax or VAT, but Suansing insists that her idea to impose more tax on them is “urgent and necessary” because the amount collected “will be earmarked as Rehabilitation Fund and disbursed to calamity-stricken areas for livelihood development, mass housing, road construction, and other infrastructure projects.”
While there may be people who’ll support Suansing’s bill, there will be those who’ll say, “These days it seems that lawmakers will think of anything just to take more of our money.” Or, as one softdrink-loving netizen put it, “These politicians have enjoyed their pork for years, the least they can do is let us have our soda.”
Photo from MorgueFile
