EDITORIAL - Wrong answer

Oh oh. Still smarting from the series of BIR shame campaign ads targetting doctors and other professionals who allegedly do not pay the correct taxes to the government, the Philippine Medical Association, through its president Dr. Leo Olarte, lashed back at the BIR, challenging it to clean up its ranks first.

First of all, the challenge is valid. The BIR indeed ranks way up there among the most corrupt agencies of government. But just because the BIR is perceived to be corrupt does not make it now all right for anyone, especially high-earning professionals, not to pay the correct taxes.

Not paying correct taxes and the BIR being a corrupt agency are as different as apples and oranges. The challenge of Olarte is therefore useless and meaningless. And if his logic is sustained, it may even backfire, taken as an admission that doctors aren't paying correct taxes and will do so only if BIR cleans itself.

Doctors who do pay the correct taxes (remember, the BIR never said all doctors but merely cited some figures comprising a portion of the total, based on tax documents the doctors themselves filed) have to be wary of PMA officials speaking in public, especially if they carry the name of the association in their comments.

Doctors must ask themselves if Olarte is allowed to speak on behalf of the PMA every time he speaks. Or they can simply decide that the less is said about the matter and the more correct action is taken will spare the doctors more trouble than they already are in now.

Challenging the BIR to clean itself first only repeats what everybody else knows. There is nothing new in what Olarte has said. On the other hand, it does not answer the allegation made by the BIR, an allegation that has but one answer — show the public your income tax returns.

The BIR allegation does not demean all doctors. Those who pay the correct taxes are at peace with their consciences and their God. They can always hold their heads high and rub elbows with anybody, knowing they have done their civic duty. No amount of evil imputation can shake an honest man.

Challenging the BIR to clean itself first is no different from the tack adopted by politicians caught in the PDAF squeeze, who cry of being singled out. While it may be true they are being singled out, that does not in any way make questions about how they used their PDAF go away.