TACLOBAN CITY – The militant Bayan Muna-Eastern Visayas chapter said it was dismayed by the region’s 12 representatives to Congress who voted for the approval of the two percent increase to the value-added tax (VAT), saying they are “anti people.”

As this developed, Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone, in a press statement, urged President Macapagal-Arroyo that any revenue that would be raised out of this tax measure must be “used for pro-poor projects.”

According to him, the people will eventually support this proposed VAT increase “if they feel benefit form it.”

“The main reason why these people resist taxes is because they are not convinced that they would benefit from these taxes. We must see to it that he people know where their taxes go…which are for the pro-poor projects,” Evardone, spokesperson of the Union Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) an umbrella organization for local government units, said in a press statement sent to Leyte Samar Daily Express.

Melvin Anino, regional secretary-general of the Bayan Muna-EV, told Express that the region’s congressional representatives should have been the very first ones to reject this measure considering that they come form one of the country’s most depressed regions.

“We are dismayed by their decision to vote in favor of the approval of this 12 percent VAT. This VAT increase, whether they will admit it or not, is another burden to the poor Filipino people,” Anino said.

“This only means that they don’t really care about the plight of their poor constituents. We just hope that they would change their minds and recall their votes in favor of the VAT increase,” the Bayan Muna regional secretary general added.

But Leyte Rep. Remedios Petilla (1 st District) said that she voted yes for the approval of the said measure believing that “it would benefit the nation.”

“We should help our national government raise the needed funds. And with this measure, there would be no doubt that we would achieve it,” she said. Petilla also dismissed the allegations of the militant group that her voting of the measure made her “anti-people.”

“They should not brand as such for that single vote of mine,” she told Express, referring to her decision to favor the passage of the VAT increase.

Congress recently approved on third reading the VAT measure, which would add two more percent to the existing 10-percent VAT being imposed. There are also exemptions in the imposition of tax, like raw food like meat and vegetables and tuition fees, among others.

Anino also said that contrary to the claims of the President, the income that would be generated out of this proposed VAT increase and other tax measures to be implemented of her government, would not benefit the poor Filipino people.

“It is safe to assume that the revenues that will be generated but the VAT hike, like the revenues generated from other new tax measures, will be intended to pay for maturing foreign loans. Therefore, the new revenue measures are not intended to increase the budget for social service which will benefit the people,” he said.

He also called that this particular tax measure would “trigger widespread increases affecting the most basic commodities and services.”

“Not even the noodles that sustain poor families on their daily diet. Several congressmen make it appear that the proposed VAT hike would not affect poor families, by guarantying exemptions for noodles, sardines, milk and other processed food products.

However, in reality, products, which will go various levels of processing and production, will be charged with additional VAT. In the end, it will still be the consumers who will be made to pay for all these added cost.” Anino added.

Yesterday, the group of Anino staged a rally at the Old Bus Terminal located at the Quezon Boulevard of this city as they denounced this proposed VAT increase. The rallyists, numbering close to 100, distributed noodles to some passers-by.

According to Anino, if this 12 percent VAT would be approve, “the large segment of poor Filipinos may just have to contend to eat noodles as their main staple food.”