SC spokesman to BIR: Go ahead, assess SC but don’t blame Corona

MANILA, Philippines—Supreme Court Spokesman Jose Midas Marquez on Tuesday told the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to go ahead and assess the Supreme Court but that it should not blame Chief Justice Renato Corona for a practice that has been traditionally done by previous justices.

BIR Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares earlier said they would train their guns on the Supreme Court for failure to withhold taxes on allowances.

“Do not blame Chief Justice Corona. Ever since, this is being done during the time of Chief Justices [Reynato] Puno, [Hilario] Davide and the other former justices,” Marquez told reporters.

“This is a practice even before the Chief Justice (Corona) became a justice of the Supreme Court,” he said.

Henares, citing Section 51 of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended, said that compensation income earners, like justices who either receive incomes that were not properly withheld or derive income other than their compensation earnings, are obliged to file ITRs and pay the corresponding tax due.

Henares’ comment came after a chief judicial staff officer of the Supreme Court testified before the impeachment court that it only withholds taxes on justices’ salaries and yearend bonuses in excess of P30,000.

Testimonies at the Senate also revealed that from 2002 to 2011, Corona received some P21 million in allowances and benefits including those received as a member of the electoral tribunals.

Marquez said that if the BIR will charge the Supreme Court for allowances received as part of the Senate and House Electoral Tribunals, then it should also look at senators and congressmen who are also members of the tribunals and receiving the same perks.