ROMERO Quimbo, arguably one of the staunchest pro-people lawmakers and the fightingest representative from Marikina City, deserves our support for his crusade to curb efforts by his own peers to legislate a new law to increase excise taxes on gasoline and cars now being sold and yet to be produced, as well.
The handsome representative said: “Why punish yet again our people for the crime of others? There is only one best remedy that I know of to increase public funds: Make the government’s revenue-collection mechanism as efficient and proficient as possible.”
I couldn’t agree more.
Haven’t you noticed? Almost always, our consumers get the brunt when moves to upgrade government revenues are being hatched. Even Rene So, our dear friend who is president of the Toyota Dealers Association, is very much worried over moves to jack up taxes in the motoring industry.
“It will not only hurt our end-users but our car manufacturers, as well,” Rene said. “My fellow car dealers are praying hard that our lawmakers should think not just twice but thrice, if not four times, before they even start to deliberate on new taxes levied on vehicle makers.”
Common sense tells us that when excise taxes are increased, the ultimate sufferers are the common folk through the sudden skyrocketing of prices of our basic needs. Ugh!
“Even our thousands of dreamers wanting to own a first-ever car are dismayed no end if and when vehicle prices are jacked up,” Quimbo said. “Those who would be hurt most are the middle class, who had risen to that venerable bracket by dint of hard work. It follows that finally owning a brand-new car would validate some sense of success on their part.”
Rightly so, your honor.
Subic auction
I got wind of a Subic statement making United Auctioneers, headed by Dominic Sytin, as the “first and only industrial auction company in the world to be ISO 9001:2008 certified.”
I raise a glass to that.
President Duterte should be raising his own brandy glass, as well as Sytin’s enormous efforts at making Subic a true hub of vehicle renaissance could only mean that the President’s massive infrastructure thrust (the infra budget runs to billions) is reaping fruits this early.
Middle of last year, I’ve heard of United Auctioneers as being already the biggest auction firm in the country when it comes to selling industrial trucks and heavy equipment. What set the firm apart from its Subic rivals is its US-style auctions. The off-loaded equipment from ships at the former US naval base are only sold in state-of-the-art bidding after they are “remanufactured” to world-class caliber.
The press statement says it all: “With the ISO-certified quality management system now rooted in the company’s core processes and procedures, our customers can rest assured that we are committed to providing the best quality remanufactured industrial trucks and heavy equipment, as well as providing a fulfilling customer experience.”
And how is Dominic Sytin related to Rommel Sytin, the Foton founder? If they are one and the same—or a couple, maybe?—perfect! Q is their middle name—as in Quality.
Petron pestered
Petron causing oil leak in its Limay, Bataan, refinery, and rashes on residents’ skin, as well living within the vicinity of the plant? Suddenly, the country’s No. 1 oil company has fallen prey to pester-driven folk disguised as environmentalists and “law-abiding” local government unit (LGU) officials?
C’mon, give me a break.
Petron has been there for the longest time, doing business in accordance with environmental and health laws granted, and providing livelihood to community folk since time immemorial.
And now this, a seemingly orchestrated demolition job. In a health study on alleged “victims” of ash by-products, the rashes were found to be scabies and higad (caterpillar) bites. Scabies is an infectious skin disease caused by a parasite (Sarcoptes scarbei) and not ash. Many of the alleged afflicted are informal settlers occupying restricted Petron properties.
So, what else is new?
When you are a big-league giant, law-abiding to the hilt at that, gosh, you are still microscope-prone. And the irony is, even some of our government factotums tasked to protect government partners for progress are in cahoots with purported social-oriented activists. Ummm…My ass, err, arse.
PEE STOP Here is one more prayer for a prosperous year to every motorman out there. Both big and small players deserve all the best in 2017. Cheers!… Happy birthday to January motoring boys Vernon B. Sarne and Ray Butch Gamboa. Wishing you many more birthdays to come! Mabuhay!…The Lexus RX350 was the best sprot-utility vehicle drive of 2016! Go, ask Valentin Dakuykoy, who heads CAKE—Car Awards Knockout Expo.
Image credits: pinoyexchange