BIR commissioner says they will study Marcos estate tax case

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Tuesday said it will look into the P23 billion estate tax case of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family.

“Pag-aaralan po natin ‘yan at sisiguraduhin natin na lahat ng aksyon na gagawin natin diyan ay ‘yung naayon sa batas,” BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. said in an ambush interview.

(We will look into this and we will ensure that all actions regarding this are within the bounds of the law.)

Lumagui issued the remark when asked about the agency’s plans regarding the estate tax case, considering that it had been a subject of discussion under the previous administration.

GMA News Online reached out to Office of the Press Secretary officer-in-charge Cheloy Garafil and Senator Imee Marcos for comment but they have yet to reply as of posting time.

In 1997, the Supreme Court ruled that the family of late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. owed P23 billion in estate tax. The decision became final and executory in 1999.

Retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio said the amount

When asked about the President’s directive regarding taxes, Lumagui said he was ordered by Marcos to hold everyone accountable, whoever they may be.

“Ang sinasabi niya gawin natin ang lahat ng tama at naayon sa batas, ‘yan po. Kaya habulin natin kahit sino ‘yan. Siguraduhin natin na habulin natin ito,” he said.

(He said we should do everything within the law. So we will pursue whoever they may be. We will ensure that we will pursue them.)

For his part, Marcos earlier said that he wants to open the case.

SC Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo said that certain circumstances may permit the review of court decisions that have been accorded finality.—AOL, GMA Integrated News