PACQUIAO VOWS TO FOCUS ON NONTAX REVENUES
Boxing champion and presidential candidate Sen. Manny Pacquiao wants to increase the state’s earnings from nontax sources to fund antipoverty projects and stamp out corruption, if he wins the May elections.
In a presidential forum on Friday, Pacquiao repeatedly stressed the need to lessen dependence on revenues on taxes, saying much of these earnings are lost to corruption.
“We should improve our nontax revenues because our revenues are lost to corruption, and this is why our country is suffering. We are spending more than we are earning ... Nontax revenue only contributes 6 percent of the government’s income,” he said.
“We need to focus on that so that people won’t suffer and they will have a little comfort in doing business,” he said.
It was unclear as to how he plans to improve earnings from nontax income, which refers to the government’s collections in exchange for services rendered, assets conveyed, penalties imposed, etc.
Tax revenues, on the other hand, refer to taxes on income and profits earned or received by an individual or corporate taxpayer, taxes on the use or sale of goods and services, import and customs duties, real property taxes, etc.
‘Mega prison’
As to his anticorruption drive, Pacquiao reiterated his plan to build a “mega prison,” which will serve as a detention facility for those arrested or convicted of corruption, and will even help decongest jails and prisons.
“We will also strengthen the Presidential Commission on Good Government. What is meant for the government, should be for the government ... Our country has suffered because of thieves in government, so we must stamp that out,” he said.
Asked on how he plans to implement his platform of government amid questions over his lack of experience, the retired boxing champ-turned-lawmaker said he would be a strict leader and “appoint trustworthy, honest and capable people to government agencies.”
Pacquiao also weighed in on issues such as online cockfight games, reclamation, infrastructure projects and the creation of the Boracay Island Development Authority.
Pacquiao said cockfighting was part of Filipino culture and that its online form only needs to be regulated and managed to keep minor bettors out.
“It only needs to be regulated. If people want to place bets, that’s up to them. We should teach them discipline in managing themselves and their income. I am not in favor of closing down e-sabong,” Pacquiao said. Online cockfighting is estimated to be bringing around P400 million a month in earnings for the government.
He said he was not against reclamation but said projects should be assessed carefully with the local community’s interests in mind.
He also said he would also pursue big-ticket infrastructure projects, such as the Mindanao railway project and even extend it to his home turf, General Santos City, Maguindanao and Zamboanga.