[imc-qc] News: Thousands join prayer rally vs. bombings, VAT

[Tonyo Cruz]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE			
February 16, 2005					

Thousands join prayer rally
vs. bombings, VAT rate hike

Bangon Pilipinas chairman Bro. Eddie Villanueva today led thousands in a 
prayer rally near the Philippine Senate and “implored to God to save the 
country from the twin acts of the violence of bombings and daily violence 
of poverty that will be made worse by the VAT rate increase and new taxes.”

Originally set as the first salvo in a renewed campaign to defeat the VAT 
rate hike proposed by Malacanang, the prayer rally opened with a 
remembrance for the victims of yesterday's bomb blasts in Makati, Gen. 
Santos and Davao cities.

Bangon initiated the formation of the Magkaisa Kontra-KulimVAT Movement 
that now includes the Jesus is Lord Worldwide Church, Cibac, Philippines 
for Jesus Movement, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, People Opposed to 
Warrantless Electricity Rates, TXTPower and minority solons led by Rep. 
Chiz Escudero, Joel Villanueva and Teddy Casiño.

Villanueva said “the nation mourns the deaths of innocents in the Feb. 14 
bomb blasts and we are united in praying to God that justice be meted in 
favor of the victims.”

On the VAT rate hike, Villanueva said that “the Senate should set aside the 
Malacanang proposal because it promotes regressive taxation whereby the 
poor pay more and suffer more.”

Villanueva chastised Malacanang for “failing to stamp out corruption and 
inefficiency resulting in loss of revenues and public funds to all sorts of 
scandalous transactions.”

He reiterated Bangon's counterproposal for the renegotiation of the 
country's foreign debt obligations towards a “mutually acceptable and 
mutually agreed debt relief” in order to rechannel government funds to 
vital social services like education, health and housing.

Bangon also challenged Malacanang to stop “imprudent” tax exemptions that 
reach P299-billion pesos, an amount equivalent to the budget deficit. 
“Foregoing these exemptions for just one year would result in a balanced 
budget.”

The “Magkaisa Kontra-KulimVAT Movement” will announce its next action which 
Villanueva said would be “bigger” in order to persuade government to stop 
the avalanche of new taxes and tax increases. ###

Ref: Tonyo Cruz
Mobile No. 0917-8928277