Moreno to Marcos family: Pay estate taxes

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Mayor and presidential candidate Isko Moreno has again called on the Marcos family to settle its P23-billion estate tax, the assessment of which by the Bureau of International Revenue was declared final and executory by the Supreme Court way back in the 1990s.

“Bayaran nila ang P23 billion. Final na pala, nasaan na (Pay the P23 billion. It’s final, so where is it)?” Moreno told reporters, as he made a hand gesture of begging.

He renewed his call before the start of his campaign in Roxas town, Oriental Mindoro yesterday.

Earlier, George Briones, legal counsel of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas which has Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as standard-bearer in the May elections, admitted that the SC decision on the P23-billion estate tax debt of the Marcos heirs became final and executory in 1997.

However, he pointed out the P180-billion worth of penalties imposed for non-payment of the estate tax could still be “subject to reconciliation.”

It was earlier reported the P23-billion estate tax that should be settled by the Marcos family may have swollen to P203 billion.

Moreno said he was “happy” that his insistence that the Marcoses pay their estate tax liabilities was no longer “fake news” in view of Briones’ admission.

“Whether P23 billion or P203 billion based on final assessment, what matters most is there is P23 billion that needs to be paid,” he said.

He asserted that settling the Marcoses tax dues would greatly help the government implement measures to cushion the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“You have so much money, with P23 billion just for taxes alone. How much do you have left? Anyway that’s your problem not mine. Someday you will have to pay. If you’re really good people or if you’re really for the people, then you have to pay it now,” Moreno said.