By Beatrice Puente
(March 28, 2022) – The political party of Manila Mayor Isko Moreno has asked the Supreme Court for a certification proving that the unpaid estate taxes of the family of presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos Jr. were already final and executory.
Ernest Ramel Jr., the chairman of Aksyon Demokratiko, on Monday said he already wrote to deputy clerk of court Atty. Basilia Ringol to seek a copy of the document to dispute the claims raised anew by Atty. Vic Rodriguez, the spokesperson of Marcos. The letter was received by the Supreme Court last March 22.
“Umulit na naman sa kanyang sinabing kasinungalingan, itong si Atty. Vic Rodriguez. Matagal nang tapos ang kaso ng estate tax. May final ruling na ang Korte Suprema noong 1997,” said Ramel in a Facebook post.
Last Saturday, Rodriguez rehashed his claims that the case is still pending in the Supreme Court, stressing that the owner cannot be determined yet without the final ruling. He also blasted the rivals of Marcos, the standard-bearer of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas in the 2022 elections, for digging up the issue.
“Sadly, this is all about politics,” alleged Rodriguez. “The fair and just tax base to be used in computing the estate tax cannot yet be established with certainty.”
But Ramel pointed out that Rodriguez cannot make such claims when the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) already said the decision of the Supreme Court more than two decades ago was already final. He added that even the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) confirmed asking the Marcoses to pay.
In 1997, the Supreme Court affirmed the ruling of the Court of Appeals that pegged the estate tax liabilities of the late dictator’s family to P23 billion. Former Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio believes that the amount has already grown to P203 billion given the interest rates incurred from decades of non-payment.
PCGG chairperson John Agbayani also noted in their response to Aksyon Demokratiko that the statement of Rodriguez on the alleged verbal agreement was inaccurate since the BIR already executed its final assessment in 1993. It affirmed that the case was already final and executory.
“Ang P203 bilyon ng mamamayang Pilipino kung makakatsamba si Marcos Jr. ay siguradong mawawala na lang na parang bula. Kitang kita ito sa inyong mga kilos, pananalita, kasinungalingan at mga palusot. Tama na, sobra na, Atty. Vic Rodriguez at Marcos Jr. Ibigay na ninyo ang para sa Pilipino,” said Ramel.
Moreno, meanwhile, has vowed to go after the unpaid estate taxes, if he gets elected, to augment the sources of funds for aid to various sectors.
“What matters most ay makokolekta ‘yun dahil marami pa naman silang pag-aari na maaari naman nating makuhanan at mapunan ‘yung pera para sa estado,” said Moreno in an interview on Ted Failon and DJ Chacha sa Radyo 5 last week.
(PM)
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