Four presidential bets on Saturday said that they will push the Marcoses to pay for the family’s tax liabilities worth P203 billion.
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, Senator Panfilo Lacson, Vice President Leni Robredo, and labor leader Leody De Guzman have agreed on this move during the debate organized by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).
Moreno first raise the issue, where he said Filipinos can depend on him to collect the Marcos family's P203 billion tax liabilities.
"Kukunin ko yung P200 billion na 'yan, ibibigay ko sa magsasaka, ibibigay ko sa driver, bilang ayuda ng taongbayang nangangailangan ng tulong ngayon," he said.
(I will get that P200 billion. I will give it to farmers, I will give it to drivers, as an aid for Filipinos who need help now.)
Lacson agreed with Moreno's statement, especially since the tax packages passed by the government only attained P101 billion.
"Mayroon ngang P203 billion na sisingilin na lamang, nandyan na, bakit ayaw singilin ng BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue)?"
(There is P203 billion waiting to get collected, it’s already there, why is the BIR not collecting it?)
Robredo added on to Moreno and Lacson's statements, saying that the uncollected tax liabilities from the Marcos family can become a form of aid amid the pandemic and surging oil prices.
"Kasi ngayon ang pinag-aawayan, ayaw nating i-suspend 'yung excise tax kahit napakataas ng langis dahil wala tayong pera," she said. "Kapag nasingil natin ito [P203 billion], hindi na natin pwedeng kailangang tipirin ng ating kababayan."
(The issue now is they do not want to suspend excise tax despite high oil prices because we do not have money. If we collect this [P203 billion], we can give more to Filipinos.)
De Guzman later added to this and agreed with Moreno.
"Kailangan nating kunin 'yung P203 billion na 'yun," he told the Manila mayor.
(We need to get that P203 billion.)
The BIR last week confirmed that it sent a written demand to the Marcos family to pay for their estate taxes liability that is worth P203 billion.
Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. was not present at the debate to answer his family's estate tax liability, but he previously claimed that there was "a lot of fake news involved there."
