ROXAS BRINGS FIGHT FOR ZERO VAT ON OIL TO CYBERSPACE
FUEL PRICE PROTEST AT FIRST-EVER VIRTUAL RALLY

In a first in Net history, Senator Mar Roxas, President of the Liberal Party, launched the first-ever virtual rally in the Philippines as he pushed his proposal for the suspension of the value added tax (VAT) on oil.

"This is a chance for all to tell the government: we will no longer 'foot the bill' through this 'Katas ng VAT' without a fight," Roxas said, after a soft launching of the virtual rally before a group of bloggers last Friday.

The virtual rally (www.virtualrally.net) will be fully operational on Thursday. Roxas also launched last Friday his personal blog (www.marroxasblog.com).

"The poor have been sacrificing the most as a result of the VAT on oil. We want to debunk the administration's propaganda that the government's programs are hinged on VAT collections, which are a mere decimal point to the entire national budget of P1.3 trillion," he said.

The virtual rally site allows Internet users to pick from more than a hundred customized avatars that will represent them in a simulated EDSA Shrine rally.

"We wanted something more interesting and more fun than a regular online petition with a list of names. But the message remains the same: Zero VAT on oil," Roxas said.

The Senator filed Senate Bill No. 1962 back in December, when oil prices were just reaching the $100/barrel level. With prices having already reached $145/barrel, the administration, which holds sway in the House majority, has maintained its stonewalling of even short-term solutions to the problem and hindered Congress from moving on with the measure.

"Our government needs to change tack in dealing with changing circumstances. While the VAT on oil may have served its purpose three years ago, it only serves to burden the people today. What the people need now is the government to tighten its belt and collect more efficiently," he said.