Akbayan urges BIR to file complaint vs. Marcoses over estate tax

The Akbayan party list on Thursday urged the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to file a criminal case against former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family over their refusal to pay the P203 billion estate tax debt.

In a  letter-petition filed before the BIR, Akbayan said the agency should not allow Marcos to use the presidency as a “tax shield.”

"The presidency is not a tax haven for tax evaders and plunderers. It is not a tax shield for looters,” Akbayan spokesperson Justine Balane said.

“We call on the BIR to file the appropriate criminal cases against the Marcoses for their willful refusal to pay their multi-billion tax liabilities. Matagal ng past due sina Bongbong. It's time for them to pay in Pesos and with long jail terms.”

The party also called on the BIR to exercise its power to examine bank deposits to divulge information on the family’s estate.

It deemed the non-payment of the tax liabilities as a “criminal act.”

According to Balane, the tax liabilities of the Marcoses may be used to augment social services and programs.

“According to our estimates, the P203 billion can create 2 million jobs for workers, increase fuel and transportation subsidies, and fully subsidize the online classes for 1 year of more than 10 million students," Balane said.

Further, the party said the agency should be more relentless in collecting taxes from big-time tax evaders.

“Kung masipag ang BIR sa paniningil ng buwis sa ordinaryong mamamayan, mas lalo dapat silang magpursigi sa paghahabol sa mga convicted na magnanakaw at big-time tax evaders. Tax the Marcoses, not the poor people," Balane said.

The party of Marcos previously said that the Supreme Court ruled with finality that the Marcoses owed P23 billion in estate tax but the remainder of the P203 billion that has ballooned over the years may still be subject to reconciliation. -NB, GMA News