MANILA: Call centre agents and employees from different sectors called yesterday for a minimum of three-month tax holiday amidst the congressional pork barrel issue involving senators, congressmen and officials in the executive branch.
“Every pay day, almost 15 to 25 percent painful cut in the hard-earned salary of employees and workers. The collected taxes are supposed to be provided for social services and education of its people. The funds should be used by the government for the uplift of the condition of the Filipino people, however it was proven otherwise. We will not sit back amidst this evident corruption and plunder of the people’s money,” Raymond Palatino, a protester, said.
Call centre agents, who are members of the BPO Industry Employees’ Network or BIEN also expressed their disgust over the pork barrel system.
“Contributing $13bn worth of revenues to the national economy, we are dismayed to find out that a huge section of that revenue only goes into the pockets of big bureaucrats. We are disgusted that the government is quick to take away our hard-earned income and is just as quick in funnelling our income to the lavish lifestyles of politicians. We go through sleepless nights, endure dangers in going to work in the wee hours of the morning, and sacrifice time with our family for our work,” BIEN president Ian Porquia said.
“We deserve to receive our salary in full instead of adding more money to the funds that politicians can plunder,” Porquia added.
The Philippine star
