On 9th of May 2022, the Filipino people will again cast their votes and decide on the direction of the country. However, before the polling centers are flooded by voters, the candidates will tirelessly court the Filipino people (registered voters, specifically) to get their support – and eventually their votes.
Positive and negative campaigns are expected. In their narratives, one will boast their achievements and accolades that aim to convince the people of making them deserving of the post; while some will seek holes into the character of their opponents with the intention of chipping away from their adversaries’ support base. All these, they do, for that victory on election day.
Recently, one of the narratives played in the campaign was about the Estate Tax issue of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. – the leading presidential aspirant who solidified his position at >50% in recent surveys as of writing. This issue is even magnified due to his family’s reputation during the Ferdinand Marcos regime from 1965 to 1986.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue has stated that they have sent a written demand to the Marcos clan to settle the unpaid taxes. In defense, the Marcos camp insists that it is still pending in court.
‘Receipts’ and proofs have been posted online to further the cause of making the Marcoses pay the tax. In line with this, notable individuals have voiced out their opinions on the issue. For instance, several current and aspiring political officials are urging Bongbong Marcos to pay the taxes while former assistant Commissioner Edwin Abella stated that Bongbong is not liable to do so. Then, the debate goes on and on and on.
With these in mind, I would like to take this opportunity to put emphasis on the first of my two points in this piece: Taxes should be paid and collected.
Taxes are the lifeline of a country’s policies. It is the main fiscal resource being utilized in the implementation of the country’s program, projects, services, and activities – which are all supposedly intended to uphold, protect, and promote our welfare.
Notably, through these policies, the government is able to provide its citizens with public goods and services that are essential for us to go through with our daily lives.
For instance, the asphalt and cement roads that make travelling from our homes to the nearest market more safe and convenient is the product of a public policy implemented and funded by taxes.
The stop lights, that assist the vehicle users on when to stop or go, ensure that road accidents are minimized (if not eradicated) and maintain the orderliness of traffic. That is also a product of a public policy implemented and funded by taxes.
The streetlights that help us journey in the evening with ease, when the moon and stars aren’t bright enough to show our roads, are products of a policy implemented accordingly because of taxes.
Basically, taxes give the government the capacity to provide essential public goods and services that are too difficult (if not impossible) for the public to provide for themselves. In doing so, it provides a certain level of equality in accessing essential things in life among the population.
As such, the people should pay their taxes and the government should collect these taxes so that the government has more capabilities to provide the people with the goods and services that would have been difficult for the people to provide for themselves.
Now, it’s not enough that we pay our taxes and the government collects it. These resources – though relatively reliable to realize public policies – are still extremely limited. As such, it is our duty as citizens to ensure that these taxes are being spent properly and in accordance with the betterment of the lives of people.
These taxes are intended to better our lives. We pay the government these taxes so that they can provide the things that we’ll be challenged to provide for ourselves (and for our consumption). That is why we should be very vigilant on how it is being utilized by our government.
The quality of our lives can improve if the government is crafting and implementing public policies that ought to do so. If the people need reliable healthcare services, then they should demand their government to act on these issues – and the government should use their resources to resolve them accordingly.
In the event that the people want to receive education that will allow them to become globally competitive, then the government shall create and implement policies that will improve the public education system and reach these levels of demand..
Again, these taxes are being paid by the people so that the government will be able to provide each of their citizens with the goods and services that are essential to their citizen’s daily life. In this regard, we should put an emphasis on how these taxes are being spent by the government.
Conclusion
The issue on taxes will be there as we near the election day. Moreover, such issues will emerge every now and then across the various government branches and levels as we go through our daily lives.
Therefore, steering away from personality politics, let us focus on the importance of why we should pay taxes and why the government should collect it – regardless if you (or your clan) came from a background of prominence.
Again, we should pay our taxes and the government should collect it because it is the lifeline of our policies. Only through these can the government have a reliable source that will allow them to provide us with essential goods and services that would have been difficult to acquire if we did it on our own.
Nonetheless, all of us should be vigilant on how the government should use these taxes. Let us ensure that they use it to better the lives of its citizens and not to enrich the wealth of a chosen few.
So, again, are taxes a big deal?
YES, IT IS – and we should be more serious about it.