Tag Archives: Congress

Business, Law Enforcement, Politics, Travel

MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES: NEW CAR BUYERS MUST ALSO PURCHASE PARKING SPACE

November 3, 2014 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Manila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – The average cost to purchase a brand new car in the Philippines is 800,000 Pesos (approximately $18,000). Now, if a new bill in Congress is passed, it would cost the car buyer more than double that amount.

The reason? No one will be allowed to buy a new car if there is no space to park it.

House Bill No. 5098 or The Proof of Parking Space Act, which was filed by Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian, requires buyers of brand new cars “to execute an affidavit indicating the availability of existing parking space for the vehicle to be bought.”

The proposal is aimed at preventing cars from being indiscriminately parked in streets which is one of the factors that contribute to Metro Manila’s nightmarish traffic problem.

In anticipation of the bill’s passage, Toyota Motors which sells the most number of new cars in the Philippines, has come up with a new buyers’ program whereby the cost of a new vehicle already includes a guaranteed parking space at the buyer’s choice of location. It’s a two for one deal that would start at 1.5 Million Pesos, depending on the car model chosen.

So, Toyota is not only in the car business. It is now also a real estate agent.

Another proof that ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines!’

International, Politics, Sports

MANNY PACQUIAO IS AMONG TOP FIVE FILIPINO CONGRESSMEN

October 22, 2014 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Manila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – World boxing champion Manny Pacquiao was honored by his fellow lawmakers today for being among the top five Filipino Congressmen. Pacquiao is an elected member of the House of Representatives, representing his native Saranggani province.

House Speaker Sonny Belmonte praised Pacquiao, who is also a playing coach of the Kia Sorrentos basketball team in the country’s Professional Basketball Association (local counterpart of the NBA in the U.S.), for being in the top 5 leading congressmen – absentee congressmen, that is. The boxer ranked No. 5. Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who remains in hospital arrest in connection with plunder charges filed against her, is in the No. 1 spot.

Belmonte said that Pacquiao has attended 31 and missed 38 sessions in his current congressional term. “He is to be commended for his attendance record given his very busy schedule as a professional boxer and basketball playing coach. He truly brings great honor to our country,” Belmonte added.

Pacquiao is being investigated by the Philippines’ Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for tax evasion in connection with his earnings from his championship boxing fights in the U.S., to which he has said, “this is purely a witch hunt by BIR Commissional Kim Henares who seems to enjoy going after celebrities like me.”

Economy, Law Enforcement, Politics

MICHELE BACHMANN PROPOSES TO CREATE 51ST U.S. STATE FOR AMERICAN EXPATRIATES

September 15, 2014 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Washington, D.C. (The Adobo Chronicles) – There are approximately 7.6 Million Americans living overseas, and if they were to become a separate state of the U.S., they would constitute the 13^th largest population, next only to the state of Virginia.

That is exactly what Michele Bachmann (R-Minnesota) is proposing in a new bill she filed today in the House of Representatives.

Bachmann filed H.R. 707 creating the 51^st state of the U.S. and is calling it the “At-Large State.” All Americans living abroad would automatically become voting citizens of the new state and they will be able to vote by absentee ballot for their representatives to Washington, D.C. Currently, expatriates don’t have a voice in Congress, especially when it comes to taxation.

High taxes have become a hot button issue among American expatriates. The number of Americans giving up their citizenship mainly because of tax issues surged to 3,000 in 2013 – three times more than the previous year.(This is not to mention U.S.-based corporations moving their headquarters abroad to significantly reduce their tax liability).

Another point of contention among expatriates is a federal law called the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act or FATCO which compels foreign banks and other financial institutions to provide information to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service about Americans holding accounts. It is meant to catch American expatriates who don’t pay enough taxes, or not pay at all.

Bachmann’s bill is brilliantly crafted. The senator had previously announced that she would not be seeking reelection to her Congressional seat in 2014. Sources say she plans to move to Istanbul after her current term expires. If her bill becomes law, she would automatically become a citizen of the 51^st At-Large State and would be eligible to run for a seat in the House of Representatives or the Senate.

It would be the best of two worlds for Bachmann.