MANILA, Philippines — While his predecessor was more categorical about collecting the Marcos family’s estate tax liabilities, the new Bureau of Internal Revenue chief who was just appointed last month was noncommittal about it as he vowed to study the issue.
“We will study this and ensure that all our actions will be in accordance with the law. That would be the only thing that we will do,” BIR commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. told reporters in Filipino on Tuesday.
In contrast, former BIR commissioner Lilia Guillermo vowed to collect the Marcoses’ estate taxes as long as she has the correct figures.
"I'm going to tell [Marcos] that if the BIR really has to collect. I'll say, 'you won't pay this amount, it's the estate. Can you be a role model?' The Marcoses will pay their taxes because they comply with the law," Guillermo said in an ABS-CBN News Channel interview in mixed Filipino and English.
It is not known what happened to Guillermo’s appointment, which was announced prior to Marcos taking his oath as president. She was replaced by Lumagui in November.
Even though the president himself called the estate taxes owed by his family to the government “fake news,” the Supreme Court in 1997 affirmed that the Marcoses owed at least P23,293,607,638, as assessed by the BIR. — Xave Gregorio with a report from Kristine Joy Patag