Comelec debate: Bets tackle tax issue of no-show Marcos

All the presidential candidate, except for former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., showed up at the Comelec debate on Saturday, March 19, 2022. (SCREENGRAB FROM BROADCAST)

MANILA, Philippines — Due to his absence in Saturday night’s presidential debate organized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was unable to defend himself from criticism over his family’s nonpayment of P203 billion in estate taxes, an issue recently raised by one of this rivals.

Four out of the nine presidential candidates in attendance gave their views on what could be done with the money owed by the family of ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos, whose son has consistently topped preelection surveys for the presidential race.

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, whose campaign team dug up the issue in the media last week and who has publicly called on the Marcos heirs to pay up, said the hefty sum they owed could be used to aid drivers and farmers coping with rising costs of fuel and basic commodities.

“I just want to follow up on what Ka Leody (de Guzman) said about where we will get the money for the aid for farmers struggling with the high prices of fertilizer. You can count on me, that I will see to it that we will collect the P203-billion estate tax from a certain family. I will collect that and give it to the farmers and drivers as aid, to those who need aid badly,” Domagoso said.

No need to scrimp

Sen. Panfilo Lacson echoed Domagoso’s position, noting that the earnings from the Duterte administration’s two tax packages under the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program had only amounted to P101 billion.

“We have over P200 billion that we only need to collect and it’s there. Why is the Bureau of Internal Revenue not collecting payment?” Lacson said.

Vice President Leni Robredo, who defeated Marcos in the 2016 vice presidential race but now trails him in the surveys, also weighed in: “We are arguing over suspending the excise tax even if fuel prices are so high, because we don’t have money. We are having second thoughts over the revenues the government will lose. We will only give P 200 in aid, which is measly. This P200 billion, if we collect this, will allow us not to scrimp anymore on our countrymen.” As earlier announced by his team, Marcos was the only no-show in the Comelec debate.

But he still gained mainstream media mileage on Saturday—via state television. Minutes before the debate began, the government-run PTV aired an interview of Marcos by Communications Secretary Martin Andanar and anchor Erwin Tulfo (whose brother Raffy is running for the Senate).

It was the second episode of Andanar’s show “The Chatroom” featuring the presidential candidates. The show was launched on Thursday, with Domagoso as first guest.

As the PTV show was airing, Marcos and his running mate, Davao Mayor Sara Duterte, were campaigning in Marikina City.

BIR demand

Earlier this week, the BIR confirmed it had sent a written notice to the Marcoses demanding payment of their estate tax liabilities, which have remained unsettled since the death of Marcos Sr. 1989.

The younger Marcos also faced tax-related legal problems on his own and was convicted of not filing income tax returns in the early 1980s when he was serving as vice governor and later governor of Ilocos Norte.

The debate moderator, TV journalist Luchi Cruz-Valdez, repeatedly cited Marcos’ absence in the proceedings, where he could have responded on the tax issue.

Moreno said that even if the government loses P65 billion with the proposed suspension of the excise on fuel, it would still have billions available “which we can give to the people.

‘True leaders show up’

“It’s a matter of management and fiscal management, and certainty of law,” he said.

“I agree with you,’’ De Guzman said. “We really have to get back that P 200 billion.”

Taking another swipe at the absent candidate, Robredo said: “Let’s not look for those who don’t want to face us … True leaders show up and man up.”

Lacson, in the course of touting his credentials as a lawmaker and former national police chief, similarly spiked one of his lines: “Among all the presidential aspirants, be it those present here or the one who is always absent, it is only me who had actually laid his life on the line to save others in danger.”

For much of the debate, candidates generally repeated their platforms.

Most of them vowed to continue the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program. Lacson and Robredo said future projects should be carried out through public-private partnership, instead of loans or official development assistance.

Domagoso called the Duterte program a success, saying he would continue it but with more focus on housing, schools, and postharvest facilities.

Critical of “Build,” De Guzman said that while its projects would be useful, it bloated the country’s debt to P13.4 trillion.

Ernesto Abella, a former Palace spokesperson who served under Mr. Duterte, said the program was a success and he would continue it. Same for Faisal Mangondato and Jose Montemayor.

Norberto Gonzales said he would study the rationale behind the program as infrastructure affects the behavior of people and society.

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