Moreno party asks to see BIR demand for Marcoses to pay estate tax
MANILA, Philippines — The political party of presidential aspirant Isko Moreno continues its offensive against fellow bet Ferdinand Marcos Jr., this time asking the Bureau of Internal Revenue for a copy of its letter demanding the latter's family to pay its estate tax amounting to P203-billion to the government.
"This is considered a public document imbued with much public interest and we see no impediment for the release of said letter," Aksyon Demoratiko chair Ernest Ramel wrote in the letter dated March 21 and released to the media Monday.
To recall, Aksyon Demoratiko first wrote to the BIR asking for confirmation that the bureau indeed demanded the Marcos family pay its taxes. The BIR eventually confirmed this in a letter response, which Aksyon released to the press.
Speaking to reporters at a press briefing Monday afternoon, Ramel urged the Duterte administration's Department of Finance to task the BIR to collect the taxes of the late ousted dictator's family.
Ramel took the opportunity to challenge Marcos anew to pay the taxes it owed the government. Marcos has called the situation an issue of "fake news."
"Through his influence and expensive lawyers, Marcos doesn't know how to comply with the government he is running to lead," Ramel said in Filipino.
Aksyon Demokratiko chair Ernest Ramel asks the Bureau of Internal Revenue for a copy of its letter demanding the Marcos family to pay its P203-billion estate tax, says the letter is a "public document imbued with much public interest." @PhilstarNews pic.twitter.com/Yc3Tlbhdao
— Franco Luna (@francoIuna) March 22, 2022
Moreno's camp has taken on the narrative that the P203 billion tax liability of the Marcos heirs will not be collected and will eventually be waived should Marcos become president in May.
Citing findings by a Special Audit Tax Team from the BIR, the Presidential Commission on Good Government, the agency created to recover ill-gotten wealth from the Marcoses and their cronies, said that the tax bureau determined the following liabilities in 1991:
- Deficiency Estate Tax Assessment against the Estate of Ferdinand Marcos in the amount of P23,293,607,638.
- Deficiency Income Tax Assessments against Ferdinand Marcos and Imelda Marcos in the aggregate amount of P184,159,289.70 for the years 1985 to 1986
- Deficiency Income Tax Assessment against Ferdinand Marcos Jr [for the years] 1982 to 1985 in the aggregate amount of P20,410.
Marcos Jr. filed a petition before the Court of Appeals, which dismissed the petition on June 5, 1999 on the ground that the estate tax assessment of BIR — amounting to P23,293,607,638 — had already become final and unappealable.
The Supreme Court would later affirm the Court of Appeals decision.
"Sir, the Supreme Court had already spoken. We are just waiting for you to pay your taxes. Stop hiding behind expensive lawyers who only confuse the Filipino people," Ramel said, addressing the Marcos camp.
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