Thinking. Pissed.

Since that I’m now an insomniac, I’m gonna blab about crap again here in my blog, that shells out no cash for me, nor anything that is useful for me. Well hmm. What kinda stuff can I talk about today? hmmmmm.. Well, I’ve blogged about songs, an electronic shop, a friend who never acts like one, work, thesis, and what not? Oh, let’s talk about what I would wanna do in my life! Wait, that’s kinda boring. OK. Then let’s talk about insomnia. Neah, that’s boring too. Ok, let’s talk about another piece of crap issue in our country, which by the way is one of the dirtiest in the world. (I know a lot of people would agree. Good thing GMA doesn’t know how to read blogs.) To make it more interesting, I’ll put it into a “conversation” type. X is a simple guy, hates theives (government officials), and doesn’t know how to be proud of the country with its current and future government. Y is a dumbass son of a rich OFW, and a woman who works in the stock market. He’s got a Benz, by the way.

X: The topic would be about the Great Book Blockade in the Philippines.

Y: What is it anyway?

X: Read it again,dumbass Do you even know what a blockade means? Damn, you’re dumb.

Y: Uh. Books aren’t allowed to enter the country?

X:  Well, practically, that’s it. The Bureau of Customs now impose duties on the importation of books in the Philippines

Y: Really? What duties should the books do?

X: Huh? Duties are taxes, dumbass!  It’s another scheme the greatest theives in the South-East Asia to steal, I mean get some money.

Y: Wow. How did it all start?

X: Well, the novel Twilight by Stephanie Meyer was quite a hit around the world. And when one examiner (Rene Agulan) opened a ship of books, he demanded taxes to be paid on it.

Y: Really? So that’s how it all started.

X: Well, that’s not all. The importer of Twilight mistakenly agreed to pay the tax. It was a mistake becausethe Florence Agreement, which is a UN treaty signed by the Philippines, guarantees the free flow of “educational, scientific, and cultural materials” between countries. Aside from this, it declares that imported books are free of tax. 

Y: Uh. So why did the bureau agree impose such a tax when they this agreement?

X: Well, Agulan told the importer that the books were not educational.

Y: Hold on a second, I gotta go pee.

*Dumbass goes to the restroom to sit and pee* (he’s a guy though)

*He goes back to the conversation*

Y: But isn’t Twilight “cultural”?

X: Yeah, it is.

Y: So how did they get the approval of imposing taxes on books?

X: Well, according to Robin Hemley, the officials gave reasons that had no sense. But the projected customs revenue would reach around thirty billion Pesos (PhP 30,000,000,000)! And as we all know, the higher your rank, the greedier you get.

Y: Wow. I want in.

X: Oh, I know you do. I bet your Benz ain’t enough, dumbass.

Y: Yeah. Anyway, didn’t they have a meeting on this?

X: Yeah.

Y: What happened in the meeting?

X: The Customs Undersecretary Espele Sales showed a powerpoint presentation of the Florence Agreement and the Philippine law RA 8047. It states “the tax and duty-free importation of books or raw materials to be used in book publishing.”

Y: So what does that mean?

X: She said that there was no comma (,) after the word “books.” Thus, her interpretation is that books can be used raw materials for publishing.

Y: But aren’t books the final product, not the raw materials?

X: Wow, now you’re using your head. Yes. But she claims otherwise. Also, she argued that the Florence Agreement can only protect educational books.

Y: So for more than 50 years, everyone has misinterpreted this agreement?

X: She was asked the same thing. She said “yes”.

Y: Haha. Dumbass.

X: That’s my line, Dumbass! Anyway, now bookstores are now being taxed for both educational and non educational books. (1% for educational, 5% for non-educational)

Y: Good thing I’m rich. I don’t have to worry bout this crappy issue.

X: Haha! Well, it’s gonna hit you in the ass someday, Dumbass!

*The end*

 This conversation was based on this: http://www.mcsweeneys.net/links/manila/1dispatch6.html