While the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines expressed its opposition to the increase in VAT (as well as Charter change), and members of other Christian denominations are protesting in the streets against the VAT bill, the Iglesia ni Manalo–errr, Iglesia ni Cristo (INC)– is reportedly supporting it.

INC is among the religious groups which include El Shaddai and a break-away group of the Philippine Independent Church that endorsed Arroyo last year. This time, INC is again one with Arroyo in pushing for a law that is widely viewed to cause added burden for the Filipino masses.

Sadly for members of the INC, they are not allowed to oppose their leaders. Their tenth commandment is this: “You should neither rebel nor contend with the church administration.”

Arroyo is indeed lucky to have such religious cults with a very strong sense of “unity and brotherhood”–whatever the fuck that means!

Franchise tax for telecoms, P2 per liter oil excise tax, sin taxes (the latter one I approve of), these are just some proposals to remedy our growing budget deficit. I could imagine my brother saying, “Anlaki-laki ng tax na binabayaran mo, saan naman napupunta?!” As if the unequal distribution of wealth in the country isn’t worse enough. What’s next? Television watching tax?

Presidential spokesperson (apologist?) Ignacio Bunye explains, “We are all in this together and let us not make this another stage for national division and political strife.” Oh no, Mr. Spokesperson. This is not another stage for national division. We have already been divided not by tax measures but by our social classes.

My take is that our lawmakers should concentrate on tax measures that may not be fair for the wealthy but “just” for the common tao. But then what would you expect from lawmakers who drive Jaguars and live in posh condos with their big-boobed escort ladies?

I know of someone who owns more than 10 luxury cars and lives in the plush village of Forbes but I see more of those hardworking and honest taxpayers, struggling to make ends meet.