PRESS RELEASE
Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines

CPP assails US for pushing VAT increase and anti-terror bill
May 6, 2005

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today decried statements made yesterday by US Deputy Secretary of State Robert B. Zoellick dangling access to funds in the $1 billion Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) in exchange for the implementation of more taxes and the anti-terrorism bill.

"This is undisguised US intervention in Philippine internal affairs," said CPP spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal. "Zoellick swaggers like a US colonial overlord."

Rosal condemned the US government for using so-called financial aid as leverage to advance its interests. "In pushing for higher taxes, the US government is merely interested in ensuring that the reactionary government is able to continue with its debt payments. It has utter disregard for the Filipino people who are already overburdened by onerous taxes and spiraling costs of basic goods and services."

Studies have shown that as much as 80-90% of new tax revenues will be earmarked for debt service, even as funds for social services continue to suffer cutbacks.

"This is an outrage," said Rosal, who noted that "it is precisely the neoliberal policies imposed by the US on the Philippines through the World Bank (WB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) that have condemned the Philippines to suffer a severe financial hemorrhage. Now the US government wants to suck every last ounce of blood from the Filipino," he added.

Rosal also condemned the US government for pushing the Philippine Congress to enact the Anti-Terror Bill. "Through their cohorts in Congress, US imperialism is directly meddling in the crafting of the anti-terror bill," Rosal said.

Rosal added that the US government wants to make sure that the anti-terror bill will be patterned after the US Patriot Act which curtails civil and political rights "in the name of the anti-terror dogma."

Reference:
Anne Buenaventura
Media Officer
Cellphone Number: +63910-240-3553



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