Bury ‘Frankenstein’ text tax, group tells House

Consumer advocacy group TXTPower today called for a “solemn, final burial” for the proposed text tax, a day after the House of Representatives backpedaled on its approval by the House ways and means committee.

“Consumers nationwide now demand to have this Frankenstein to be finally buried. With support from the Palace, Congress has called this proposed levy many times from its grave but the silver bullet of consumer protest will always slay this monstrosity,” said TXTPower president Anthony Ian Cruz.

TXTPower noted that the Arroyo government has repeatedly tried to enact a text tax every year since 2001.

“No further reconsideration is needed. The national consensus is that this new tax is bad for consumers, for business and for government. It must be buried now,” said Cruz, as he urged the House to archive the bill.

Cruz pointed out that the House should consider that their Frankenstein text tax will be dead on arrival at the Senate, with most senators assuring the public that they will reject it.

According to TXTPower, the House can still provide funding for early computer education for pupils by reallocating non-productive portions of the national budget towards education and eliminating wasteful
spending like junkets of public officials led by President Arroyo.

“The hearings for this Frankenstein bill also laid bare the abuses of telcos, including arbitrary pricing. The next step the House should take is to probe these telcos, set new and lower rates, and enact new laws to regulate the industry,” said Cruz.

Cruz said “the time for lower rates and prices is now, and the House should exercise its powers to assist consumers and to hold telcos accountable for abuses and arbitrary pricing”.

“The text tax was a vain attempt to fool everyone that its about the telcos. Not true. The House has pampered the telcos for so long by ignoring consumer rights and welfare,” said Cruz. ###