Aksyon Demokratiko chairman Ernest Ramel on Thursday, March 3, dared former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong Marcos” to directly answer the public about the P200-B Marcos estate tax debt, projects, and educational background.
“Ang pag-iwas sa pagbabayad ng obligasyon na nararapat bayarang buwis mula sa ‘estate tax’ na ipinag-utos na mismo ng Korte Suprema ay pagpapakita ng abuso sa kapangyarihan, pagbalewala sa mga batas na ipinapatupad ng ating pamahalaan at kawalan ng respeto sa mga mamamayan na nagbabayad ng takdang buwis na ipinapataw sa kanila (Evading your obligation to pay estate tax as ordered by the Supreme Court is a demonstration of abuse of power, disregard for the laws implemented by our government and lack of respect to the people who pay their taxes),” Ramel said during a press conference at the headquarters of the Isko Moreno Domagoso for President in Intramuros, Manila.
Ramel said this kind of character and behavior should not be taken as an example and should not be elected as a president.
“Kung talagang sinsero sa sinasabi niyang ‘kilusan ng pagkakaisa’ si Marcos Jr, nararapat lamang na magbayad sila ng takdang buwis na ngayon ay nasa P200B na (If Marcos Jr. is really sincere in what he calls a ‘unity movement’, it is only right that they should pay their tax that has already reached P200 billion),” he pointed out.
Presidential aspirant and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso on Monday, Feb. 28, said he would go after the Marcos family’s estimated P200 billion in estate tax debts if elected in the upcoming elections.
Domagoso said he will use the proceeds from these tax debts to help Filipinos who were affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
“Alternatively, bahagi ng nasabing halaga ay maaring din magamit upang mapondohang makapagpatayo ng 17 world-class regional hospitals tulad ng Ospital ng Maynila na kanya ng nabanggit bilang bahagi ng kanyang plataporma (Alternatively, part of the said amount can also be used to fund the construction of 17 world-class regional hospitals like the Ospital ng Maynila which he mentioned as part of his platform),” said Ramel, adding this will also create more job opportunities to thousands of construction workers and medical professionals.
Ramel also took a swipe at Marcos for still claiming Bangui windmills as his project in his advertisements and TV commercials.
“Gusto lamang namin talagang malaman, ideya po ba niya talaga ito at plano? Proyekto po ba ninyo ito? (We just really want to know, was it really his idea and plan? Is this your project?),” he said.
Ramel said the only major projects that Marcos did when he was a governor was “The Dap-Ayan Center” and “the Plaza del Norte Hotel and Convention Center”.
"If, in nine years, you have hardly seen the accomplishments of governing a province, what about the whole country?"
The Aksyon Demokratiko chair also hit Marcos for repeatedly claiming that he received a full diploma from the University of Oxford.
Ramel then cited a Bloomberg report titled, "Oxford University Says Marcos Jr. Did Not Complete Degree”.
"According to our records, he did not complete his degree but was awarded a special diploma in Social Studies in 1978,” the report said.
"The special diploma was not a full graduate diploma."