MANILA – Some lawmakers have disagreed with the Malacañang’s remarks that appeared to downplay the effects of inflation after the rise in consumer prices reached the highest level in five years in June.
After the Philippine Statistics Authority reported inflation of 5.2 percent last month, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque had said the higher-than expected rate is “not something to worry about.”
In a statement, Albay representative Edcel Lagman said “apologists” for President Rodrigo Duterte have errantly minimized as “not alarming” the impact of the inordinately high inflation rate.
“Inflation rate over 2.0 percent is always problematic because it stifles the economy even as the already low purchasing power of the poor is further eroded as prices of goods and services, particularly the basic items, continue to skyrocket,” he said.
The lawmaker said the masses have not benefited from new round of income tax exemptions “because lowly-paid workers have long enjoyed tax reliefs.” He also slammed the P200 unconditional cash transfer for poor families under the TRAIN, which he said was “too minuscule to offset spiraling prices of goods and services.”
Lagman also called “grand deception” Roque’s statement saying the country is bound to have inflation as money is going around from free tuition fees in public colleges and universities (SUCs) and tax exemptions under Tax Reform from Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN).
Free tuition, Lagman added, covers a mere percentage of the total expenses of a college student who still has to cough up money for board and lodging, transportation, meal allowance, and books and instructional materials.
He further pointed out that the same free tuition is enjoyed by students from well-off families. He also cited data in claiming there are more students enrolled in private universities and colleges who are not accommodated in SUCs or prefer to study in private institutions.
Akbayan party-list Representative Tom Villarin also criticized the Palace statement.
“It is insulting and downright hypocritical to say that 5.2% inflation in June is not alarming,” Villarin said, adding it would negate the economic growth last year.
“Inflation is killing the poor slowly yet surely,” the lawmaker added.
He claimed Duterte’s economic managers were trying to allay fears of runaway inflation and a downward spiral of the economy.
“Yet reality bites hard and it is the poor that suffers most,” he said. “Unfortunately under the Duterte administration, his policy of targeting the poor ends up them being killed.”
The 5.2 percent inflation rate last month breached the 4.3- to 5.1-percent the central bank had predicted, and the 4.9-percent outlook of the Department of Finance. (GMA News)
