In The Know: Manny Pacquiao, BIR’s former poster boy

Sarangani Representative Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Boxing icon and Sarangani Representative Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao used to be the taxman’s poster boy.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) tapped Pacquiao in March 2009 to do a 30-second television commercial reminding people to pay their taxes.

Pacquiao topped the BIR’s Top 500 Individual Taxpayers list, paying over P125 million in taxes for 2008.

Four years later, the BIR  filed a complaint with the city prosecutor’s office in Koronadal against the boxer for his alleged failure to submit complete tax records for the year 2010.

BIR Deputy Commissioner Lucita Rodriguez said Pacquiao ignored summons issued by the BIR office in Central Mindanao asking him to explain his failure to submit complete documents for taxation.

Not tax evasion

The case against Pacquiao is not politically motivated, said presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.

“The case filed against Manny Pacquiao is not tax evasion. It was contempt. He was asked to submit documents and he failed twice,” Lacierda said.

In a statement on March 26, Pacquiao insisted that the case was without basis.

“Over the years as a boxer, a product endorser and a businessman, I have not shortchanged the government for what it is due,” he said.

He vowed to question the legality of the tax case filed against him.

Pacquiao said the BIR violated its own rules when it served the subpoena to a person unknown to him. He also questioned why the BIR served the subpoena in General Santos City when he is now a resident of Sarangani. Schatzi Quodala, Inquirer Research

Source: PDI Archives, mannypacquiao.com