The Aksyon Demokratiko party on Wednesday, March 9, wrote a letter to the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) to seek clarification on the issue of P203 billion tax liabilities of the Marcos heirs.
In a letter addressed to PCGG Chairman John Agbayani, Aksyon Demokratiko Chairman Ernest Ramel sought clarification on the statement of Atty. Vic Rodriguez, spokesman of former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., that there is already an “agreement” between the PCGG and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on the P203 billion estate tax of the Marcos family that remains unpaid.
"In fact, even the BIR and the PCGG have arrived at an agreement for the BIR to wait for the decision on the said case before any collection enforcement activities and to establish ownership of the subject properties with certainty to determine with accuracy the fair and just tax base to be used in computing estate taxes, if any," Rodriguez earlier stated.
Ramel, meanwhile, asked Agbayani directly if the statement of Marcos camp was true.
“As a taxpayer and a citizen of the Republic, I now ask you, the PCGG Chairman, if there is an iota of truth to the statement of Atty. Rodriguez,” Ramel wrote.
“The question is very simple, answerable by ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’ Did the PCGG and BIR have an agreement regarding the P203-Billion Marcos debt to the Filipino people?,” he added.
Should Agbani answer “Yes”, Ramel said the PCGG must disclose the details of such an agreement as the issue is a “matter of public interest.” “If your answer is ‘No,’ then this is another proof that the camp of Marcos Jr. has again lied as they always do in so many issues about their family, including their ill-gotten wealth,” Ramel pointed out.
Ramel had also earlier appealed to BIR to renew written demands to collect on Marcoses' P203.819-billion tax debt.
“The aggregate amount of P203.819 billion which the Marcos heirs owe the Philippine government is such a big amount that Mayor Isko , if elected president, promised to give as “ayuda” to millions of Filipinos who lost their jobs during the pandemic,” Ramel said in the letter addressed to BIR Commissioner Ceasar Dulay dated March 7.
“On behalf of all taxpayers and citizens of the Philippines, I would like to seek a reply to the simple question: Did the BIR under your watch sent a new written demand to the Marcos heirs regarding the P203 Billion which they owe the Filipino people.”
Read more: Aksyon Demokratiko appeals to BIR to renew written demands to collect on Marcoses' P203-B tax debt, Aksyon Demokratiko dares Marcos to directly answer P200-B estate tax debt, other issues