THE Dengvaxia scandal is a product of corruption and fraudulent abuse of people in power to achieve certain ends, aside from making bundles of money. The rush to look for savings as ordered by former President Noynoy Aquino to his partner Budget Secretary Butch Abad and blindly Department of Health Secretary Janet approving and implementing it despite the red flags was harmful to public interest, but not the former officials’ interests.
That year, it was only few months before presidential elections, and carrying the administration banner was the President Noynoy’s buddy, the former Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government Mar Roxas. The latter was lagging on the surveys. In a presidential hustling billions are needed. Television commercials cost nearly P800 thousand per 30 seconds. More exposure on the idiot box are needed. The areas which have more votes are the National Capital Region (NCR),Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog regions. The ignorant public, particularly their young children in school were given the shots. Some 830,000 were inoculated. And there were more by some counts. The number will reach million. The Dengvaxia shots. Now the death and anguish. "Nakakatulog pa ho ba kayo sa gabi." It is not a merry Christmas to the many families who are worried.
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Who are poor? Who are rich? Who belong to the middle classes, upper and lower?
How come statistics can be able to determine the percentages?
Recently, survey firms are telling us that 9.4 million households rated themselves poor. So it was those who were interviewed who said they are poor. Maybe many of them are not really that poor. Us, or shall we say, many of us, we really don't tell what we is real and true.
I remember a story told many times by friends in the tennis club where we play cards on weekends. One friend of mine is "kristo" in a cockpit and he always remind us that only in a boxing match you will know who won, because the referee will raise the hand of the victor.
Try to ask anyone among the aficionados who who's racking up bets, and more than 80% will say they are losing. Those with big wins will tell you they are just but even. And those who are losing few pesos will claim they already parted with bundles. In short, nobody is really telling the truth. Sorry to say to the SWS people that they can never been close to accuracy.
Even the unemployment rate in the Philippines will be very difficult to determine. I don't have the number of cockpits in the country, but there are at least one in a town and two or three in big cities. The "kristos" are never considered to be employed. And 'runners', gaffe men, cock trainers, vendors, referees and several other works are available during cock derbies.
Jueteng bet collectors cannot be considered poor. I know many of them personally and they were able to send their kids to college. They enjoy family outings on weekends at the malls and sometimes they throw lavish birthday parties.
But in a public meeting, if someone from a government agency will ask who are poor and request that those who are may raise their hands, expect a majority. But with the imposition of new taxes after that tax reform package sponsored by Senator Sonny Angara and signed into law by President Digong many will really be poor. That’s an easy way to make more Filipinos poor. Thanks, but no thanks.
Was President Duterte really comfortable when he was saying that the tax reform bill he signed the other day was his Christmas gift to the Filipino people? Are you kidding Mr. President? The high excise taxes on oil and fuel in what you signed will increase basic prices to the roof. No outrage yet. Wait in mid-2018. As they say, some people in high places always assumed that outrage easily die down in this country.