Duterte to impose travel ban on tax evaders, send cops to their homes

President Rodrigo Duterte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC

DAVAO CITY – Pay your taxes or you won’t be able to travel.

This was the warning President Duterte gave to businessmen who have not been paying their taxes.

“If you are a violator, mayaman ka (you’re rich) and you travel, you cannot travel anymore,” Mr. Duterte said in a press conference on Monday night.

“I will tell the immigration ‘stop him kasi may violation yan (he has committed a violation),’” the President added.

Mr. Duterte vowed to order the Bureau of Internal Revenue to file cases against businessmen who have not been paying the correct taxes.

“Once it’s pending in court, your freedom of movement is (restricted),” Mr. Duterte said, adding that tax violators would be treated like common criminals who would be barred from leaving the country.

“It’s always a crime if you do not pay your tax correctly. But if you pay what was assessed, I tell you that you will have no problem,” Mr. Duterte said.

The President earlier said he was would send the police to homes of businessmen who failed to pay the correct tax.

“I ask media to accompany the police,” he said.

“The police will go there to ask why are you not paying proper tax,” the President added.

But Mr. Duterte also said if a businessman has been paying correct taxes, “then you are free of any worry.”

“Otherwise, I will send the police to your house and ask why you have not paid your taxes,” the President said.  SFM