Domingo hits Abalos on realty tax refund issue

Former Mandaluyong City Vice Mayor Ernesto "Bibot" Domingo accused yesterday incumbent Mayor Benhur Abalos of deceiving the people with his move seeking clarification from the Supreme Court on the P500 million realty tax refund before acting on it.

Domingo said Abalos should not think twice about returning the people’s hard-earned money which they illegally collected with the Feb. 20 ruling of the Pasig City Regional Trial Court ordering City Treasurer William Marcelino and City Assessor Ruben Guinobatan to return the excess tax collections since 1995.

He said the Supreme Court’s decision on June 14, 2000 and entered into the High Tribunal’s Book of Entries of Judgments on Aug. 16, clearly ordered the city government to refund the said illegally collected taxes embodied in Ordinance No. 119 passed in 1993.

Abalos, Domingo said, should not mislead the people by saying that the Mar. 25, 1999 court ruling on the case filed by Belen Figueras favoring the city government on the real estate tax increase is preventing him from acting on the refund.

Earlier, Abalos, citing the Mar. 25 court decision said he would ask the Supreme Court for a clarificatory ruling on the conflicting two court decisions before acting. He said he is not against the tax refund or tax credit but only out to clear the issue once and for all.

Abalos blamed former Vice Mayor Ramon de Guzman and Domingo for the mess saying they failed to lift a finger to remedy or rectify the matter during their respective terms. De Guzman was vice mayor in 1993 when the ordinance was passed and Domingo succeeded him.

However, Domingo tossed back the blame to Abalos. "In fact, it was Benhur who actually had the power to correct the illegal tax ordinance as he was councilor at the time.