The camp of Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso on Tuesday urged Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez to order the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to collect the P203-billion tax debt of Marcos family.

In a press conference, Aksyon Demokratiko campaign strategist Lito Banayo urged Dominguez to tell Marcos to settle his family's unpaid debt.

“Ako’y nanawagan ngayon kay Sec. Carlos G. Dominguez ng Department of Finance at pinuno ng economic managers, sapagkat si Sec. Dominguez ay miyembro ng PDP-Laban (Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan), na ngayong nagkakandahirap-hirap tayo na humahanap ng pera para i-ayuda, siguro naman ang DOF utusan na talaga ang BIR na singilin ang P203 billion na ito para maitulong na ayuda sa mga nawalan ng trabaho at sa transport sector na naghihirap dahil dito sa krisis na ating hinaharap. (I am appealing to Sec. Carlos G. Dominguez of the DOF and head of economic managers, because Sec. Dominguez is a member of PDP-Laban, now that we are struggling to find money for financial aid, maybe the DOF can order the BIR to collect this P203 billion to help those who have lost their jobs as well as the transport sector suffering because of the crisis we face),” Banayo said.

“Yaman din lamang na ang PDP-Laban ay inendorso na si former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., bilang magkapartido, siguro naman kaya nilang pagsabihan ‘yung kanilang inendorso bilang susunod na pangulo ng Pilipinas na hilingin naman nila, bakit hindi mo naman bayaran ‘yung estate tax na dineklara na ng Supreme Court with finality and definitely executory (Since the PDP-Laban is endorsing Marcos, as party mates, they should be able to ask the presidential candidate they endorsed, why don’t you pay the estate tax the Supreme Court declared you owe the government with finality and definitely executory?),” he added.

Banayo noted that the proceeds from these tax debts will be enough to give the estimated 4.2 million workers who lost their jobs due to pandemic a monthly P4,000-cash assistance for a year.

The campaign strategist also suggested that the government can also collect the debt in other ways, mentioning the possible sale of paintings by Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, and Alfred Sisley that former first lady Imelda Marcos owns.

“Alam niyo ang isang painting ni Picasso na pag-aari ni Ginang Imelda Marcos, i-try mong i-auction (Did you know a painting by Picasso owned by Mrs. Imelda Marcos, try to auction it) by Sotheby’ or Christie’s, that will fetch about $200 million for a single painting. Meron pa diyang Monet, meron pa diyang Sisley (They also have Monet and Sisley),” he said.

“Bakit hindi puntahan ng BIR or ng PCGG (Presidential Commission on Good Government) or ng gobyerno yung condominium ng mga ito kung saan nakasabit hanggang ngayon si Picasso, si Sisley, si Monet (Why can't the BIR or PCGG go into the Marcos' condominiums where the paintings are hanged?),” Banayo said.

Aksyon Chairman Chairman Ernest Ramel also said he had asked the BIR for a copy of its letter demanding the Marcoses to pay its P203-billion estate tax, saying the letter was a "public document imbued with much public interest."