The second gap of the Visayas leg of the PiliPinas Debates 2016 remained fiery as the four candidates continued to be combative.
On this part, issues about tax reform, corruption, and disaster rehabilitation were tackled.
The four candidates that were present were Vice President Jejomar Binay, former Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas, Senator Grace Poe, and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
TV5’s Luchi Cruz-Valdes moderated the debate, which was held in the University of the Philippines in Cebu.
TAX REFORM. The question for Binay was about his proposal to remove income taxes for employees that earn P30,000 and below.
Journalist Tony Abad asked Binay how he can push for more infrastructure projects if the lack of taxes can result to a deficit.
Binay talked about several “compensatory measures” that the government can rely on.
“Do you know that we are losing P250 billion pesos from agricultural smuggling?
“Do you know that yung mawawala na income tax, yun naman gagastusin din ng tao?
“So, 'pag ginastos yun, kikita naman yung mga negosyante, at magkakaroon din naman ng pera na babalik.
“Isa pa, e, di kung kailangan magbenta tayo ng mga government offices na kailangan, e, ibenta na,” he said.
Binay also said the government has enough money, and he hit the current administration for underspending.
“Ang dami nating savings.
“The government is guilty of underspending.
“May pera, trillions of pesos. That’s what I cannot understand, you know?
“Tanong mo sa NEDA [National Economic Development Authority]. Bakit hindi natin taasan ang suweldo ng mga empleyado?”
The moderator asked Roxas to rebut, because the current administration was mentioned.
“Mahirap mag-react, e, medyo convoluted yung analysis of thinking, ‘no?” Roxas hit back.
He continued by boosting his own tax reform efforts.
“Simple lang po ito. Unang-una, sa lahat sa amin dito, ako lang, ako lang ang nakapagpasa ng batas kung saan ang minimum wage earner, in fact, exemptions up to the the first hundred thousand pesos ng tax earner per year ay hindi na bubuwisan.
“Yan, nagawa ko yan nung ako ay nasa Senado.”
Poe chimed in and said tax reform should also include corporate taxes.
“Kasabay ng pagbaba ng income tax, kailangan din natin babaan ang corporate income taxes.
“Bakit? Sapagkat dito sa Pilipinas, nasa 30 percent ang ating corporate income tax.
“Sa ibang bansa sa ASEAN, ang average ay 25 percent.
“Bakit sila mamumuhunan dito kung sa ibang bansa mas mura,” she explained.
CORRUPTION TALKS. Duterte then took the discussion to corruption. He said tax reforms won’t work if corruption is still at play.
“Estimated 30 percent of the total budget only goes to corruption. Kung walang corruption, there’s little problem in our country,” he said.
Roxas had to appropriate this statement.
“Natutuwa ako na si Mayor Digong ay sinasabi niya ang aming motto na 'kung wala corrupt, walang mahirap.'
"‘Yan ang ating ginagawa sa Daang Matuwid.”
But Poe hit Roxas for an alleged narrow implementation of his motto.
She said Roxas will not come after corrupt members of his Liberal Party (LP).
She said, “Alam niyo po, yun ang kanilang slogan.
“Kaya nakakalungkot na hanggang slogan.
“Sapagkat bagamat marami nang nagawa, yung Freedom of Information, hindi pa rin napapasa.
“At ang napapansin ko, kung hindi ka kaalyado, may kaso ka.
“Kung ikaw ay kaalyado, may project ka. Parang hindi naman yata tama yun.”
Roxas was quick to reply.
“Ang katotohanan, Luchi, LP kinakasuhan. Ang aming sariling gobernador...”
Poe was about to interrupt Roxas but he remained firm and reminded her that he is still on his time to talk. “Oras ko po ito.”
He added, “Una, LP, non-LP lahat nakakasuhan, natatanggal sa puwesto.
“Makikita po ninyo ‘yan. ‘Yan ang record. ‘Yan ang totoo, hindi po ‘yan kathang-isip.”
Poe had another rebuttal.
“Ang mga kinakasuhan lang ng LP ay ang mga latak nilang miyembro.
“Pero yung mga miyembro nila na importante sa kanila, katulad ni Secretary Jun Abaya, na pumirma ng maintenance contract ng APT Global, ay nandiyan pa rin at hindi man lang kinasuhan ng Ombudsman.
“Kaya’t para sa akin, kung hindi ka nila kailangan, kakasuhan ka nila.
“Pero kung importante ka sa kanila wala kang kaso.”
Binay joined in on the action.
“E, kung sinasabi niyong walang mahirap kung walang corrupt, e, madami nga ho ang mahirap, e.
“Kasi laganap ho ang corruption, kasi yung mga kaalyado mo, katulad ni... yung mga nagnanakaw ho sa minahan ay nandiyan. Hindi nahahabla.”
Roxas reminded Binay of his own corruption charges.
“Alam po ninyo ang Sandiganbayan, diyan po may kaso ang inyong pamilya sa pagnanakaw.
“Diyan po sa Sandiganbayan, makikita po nila.
“Liberal Party, non-Liberal party, basta nagnakaw, basta may ebidensiya, kakasuhan ka, at diyan huhusgahan ka kung guilty o not guilty.”
Because the discussion was becoming heated and off-topic, the moderator had to stop them so they can move on to the next topic.
YOLANDA REHAB. The question for Roxas is the alleged failure of the Aquino government to fully rehabilitate Yolanda-stricken provinces.
But the administration candidate denied this allegation.
“As of now, mahigit 93 percent na ang completed diyan sa mga projects na ‘yan.
“Gayunpaman, tama na ba ‘yan? Hindi pa.
“Mayroon pa ring mga nangangailangan, lalung-lalo na sa housing.
“Ang alam ko, sa 2016, there is 46 billion pesos na ire-release at diyan sa 46 billion pesos na ‘yan, 30 billion ay mapupunta sa NHA para magpatayo ng mga bahay para dito sa mga nasalanta ng Yolanda.”
Poe talked about the infrastructure projects that need to be completed.
“Kailangan pa natin ng about 154,000 housing units na kailangang matapos.
“Two hundred fifty classrooms, at about 54 or more than 40,000 hectares na kailangang tamnan ng mga niyog na mga nawala dahil sa bagyo.”
She also criticized the administration’s disaster preparedness during the 2013 tragedy.
“Ang problema kasi, cellphone lang ang ginagamit. Wala man lang SAT phone.
“Kailangan talaga ng pagpaplano. 'Pag kukuha tayo ng isang lider, kailangan isang leader na may management style.”
Binay then spoke up about the perceived corruption of the DILG funds for Yolanda.
“Mr. Roxas, kung totoong yung per na na-budget, e, ginastos na ninyo, bakit hanggang ngayon, e, hindi ka pa nakakapag-liquidate dun sa 7 billion pesos na napunta sa opisina mo?” he asked.
Roxas denied this accusation.
“Ang liquidation po ay nasa COA na. Tapos na po yun.
“Ang binabasa po ninyo ay ang 2014.
“2016 na po tayo, nangyari po ito, yung paggawa nito lahat, 2015.”
Binay did not back down.
“Iba yata ang sagot mo, Mr. Roxas, kasi ang ipinalabas mo sa diyaryo, hindi pa namin ito nili-liquidate kasi hindi pa tapos ang project.”
But Roxas stood his ground.
“Ninety-three percent tapos na.
“Yung 7 percent na hindi pa tapos, obviously, hindi pa mai-liquidate ‘yan.
“Pero yung 93 percent na tapos na, na-liquidate na ‘yan.
“Ang papeles ay nandun sa COA. Tapos na po as of 2015.
“Yung datos na binabasa ninyo ay 2014, Vice President.
“Kung gusto mo lang na siraan ako o magtapon ka ng putik, at least gamitin mo current data.”
The end of this gap featured a "Taas-Kamay" segment where the four candidates were asked to raise their hands if they are in favor of the given issue.
The issue for this round was divorce, and none of the candidates raised their hands, signifying that no one agrees to institute a divorce law when they are elected.