MANILA, Philippines — With the April deadline for Filipinos to file their income tax returns, Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has urged the Marcos family to likewise pay their P203-billion estate tax debt.
“What matters most, ang taongbayan, April 1 ngayon, magsisimula ng magbayad ng buwis uli. Sana all. Sana all nagbabayad. Dahil nga siguro sikat sila, pinagpala silang pamilya, siguro makapangyarihan silang pamilya, kaya sa inyo, ‘yung batas applicable, sa kanila hindi applicable,” Moreno said in a media interview in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro last Friday.
(What matters most, this April 1, the public will start paying taxes again. I hope all. I hope all will pay. Maybe because they are famous, they are a blessed and powerful family, that is why the law applies to you and not them.)
“Ngayon, uulitin ko, Abril ngayon, bayaran ng buwis. Sana all,” the presidential bet lamented.
(Today, I repeat, is April, payment of taxes. I hope all will pay.)
Moreno reiterated that his push to settle the Marcoses’ estate taxes is not a matter of politicking as former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is likewise vying for the presidency.
READ: Marcos camp on estate tax case: It’s all about politics
“It has nothing to do with politics. It’s about our obligation. Obligasyon ng bawat mamamayan ‘yon, lalo na pag ikaw ay tatakbo sa (It is every citizen’s obligation, especially if you will run for) public office,” said Moreno.
“Just the same, I did not come out with that, it was there for 30 years. Ayaw lang nilang sundin ang batas (They just do not want to follow the law),” he added.
Moreno earlier pledged to run after the Marcoses’ P203 billion estate tax debt to use it in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
READ: Isko Moreno vows to go after ‘certain family’s’ P203B estate tax, use it for ‘ayuda’
On March 9, 1999, the Supreme Court said that the 1997 decision on the P23 billion estate tax has become final and executory.
The amount has swelled to P203 billion due to interests and penalties.
READ: In BIR bid to collect P203B from Marcoses, benefits already listed