Several urban poor groups supporting the presidential bid of Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso demanded the national government to build more affordable housing units for the poor with the use of P203-billion estate tax of the Marcos family.
The Primo Isko, Barkadahan ng Marikina, and the Samahan ng mga Lehitimong Taga-Kalayaaan (SALEKA) protested outside the Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD) in Quezon City on Wednesday, April 20, to demand for the collection of the P203-billion estate tax of the Marcos heirs.
The group leaders said the national government should run after the P203-billion estate tax liability of the Marcoses and use the funds for housing projects instead.
“According to the DHSUD, the Philippines has a total of 6.8 million housing units backlog,” said Nato Agbayani, chairman of Primo Isko.
“P203 billion is such a huge amount. If properly used, this can greatly reduce the country’s housing backlog,” he added.
The groups also blamed the government for its poor tax collection and the practice of evading taxes by the rich, stressing this is the reason for the country’s socialized housing backlog.
A total of 406,000 socialized housing units can be constructed with a budget of P500,000 per unit from the P203-billion unpaid estate taxes of the Marcoses, according to a study conducted by policy research group IBON Philippines.
The groups reiterated that proceeds from the Marcoses’ P203-billion unpaid estate taxes can be used for various projects and programs that will help uplift the lives of many Filipinos.