'The taxman cometh'
Published Apr 2, 2022 12:05 am
PAGBABAGO
Dr. Florangel Rosario-Braid
A recent interview with former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio over the ₱203 billion estate tax of the Marcoses brought up the possibility that if Marcos Jr. wins the presidency, the government can no longer collect the money. “It is gone forever,” Carpio said. The latter, convenor of 1Sambayan who noted that the Bureau of Internal Revenue can sue citizens for “willful refusal to pay their taxes” wondered why the former did not do anything. “If they did, they should tell us. It owes the people an explanation,” he said.
He also explained the double standards – that if you are an ordinary person, they will demand that you comply. They will freeze all your assets and you cannot withdraw money from any bank. But if you are a high government official like a senator, a congressman or governor, they don’t. How much more when he becomes president, he noted. Carpio also noted why nobody questioned him when he ran for the presidency.
It will be remembered that the case became final in 1999 which is almost 25 years now. The Marcos family had not paid its estate tax despite a 1997 Supreme Court decision. Under the tax code, the heirs cannot get a single centavo from the estate of Marcos Sr. unless the taxes are paid.
“But as we have seen, the family had been fielding family members for election over the years. How could they do that since under the law you cannot transact with any financial institution if you had pending cases like this one. Your assets would be frozen and you cannot buy or sell any of your properties,” Carpio said.
How can we have allowed this to happen when we know that ₱203 billion can solve the problems of our hungry children as well as address the low salaries of our teachers, and hundreds of thousands of government employees.
The case reminds me of how we regard taxes – that like death, they are inevitable, unavoidable, inescapable, and cannot be prevented. Poetry, plays, TV shows had dealt with how citizens had regarded taxes by either faithfully adhering to rules or avoiding them. Taxes and their compliance are part of law and order. Incidentally, several episodes in the popular television series, “Law and Order” deal with tax compliance and citizen behavior. Shakespeare had written about the coming of the taxman. The game “Witcher 3,” which has a Netflix series, features a quest entitled "The Taxman Cometh," which confers awards to players who are able to demonstrate honesty, fair play, and other citizenship values.
This also reminds me of a good friend who, some years back, had been a recipient of a commendation by the local government in his district. For having paid the most taxes, given his income for the year. He said that the award meant more than others he had received before as it meant a recognition of exemplary citizenship, and a seal of adherence to good governance.
We therefore trust that our citizens would remain steadfast and relentless in their pursuit of justice. That they should continue to demand from Marcos Jr. and his family, positive action on this matter before election day. We should ask for no less. He can either do that, or step down as candidate for the presidency.
My email, florangel.braid@gmail.com
Dr. Florangel Rosario-Braid
A recent interview with former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio over the ₱203 billion estate tax of the Marcoses brought up the possibility that if Marcos Jr. wins the presidency, the government can no longer collect the money. “It is gone forever,” Carpio said. The latter, convenor of 1Sambayan who noted that the Bureau of Internal Revenue can sue citizens for “willful refusal to pay their taxes” wondered why the former did not do anything. “If they did, they should tell us. It owes the people an explanation,” he said.
He also explained the double standards – that if you are an ordinary person, they will demand that you comply. They will freeze all your assets and you cannot withdraw money from any bank. But if you are a high government official like a senator, a congressman or governor, they don’t. How much more when he becomes president, he noted. Carpio also noted why nobody questioned him when he ran for the presidency.
It will be remembered that the case became final in 1999 which is almost 25 years now. The Marcos family had not paid its estate tax despite a 1997 Supreme Court decision. Under the tax code, the heirs cannot get a single centavo from the estate of Marcos Sr. unless the taxes are paid.
“But as we have seen, the family had been fielding family members for election over the years. How could they do that since under the law you cannot transact with any financial institution if you had pending cases like this one. Your assets would be frozen and you cannot buy or sell any of your properties,” Carpio said.
How can we have allowed this to happen when we know that ₱203 billion can solve the problems of our hungry children as well as address the low salaries of our teachers, and hundreds of thousands of government employees.
The case reminds me of how we regard taxes – that like death, they are inevitable, unavoidable, inescapable, and cannot be prevented. Poetry, plays, TV shows had dealt with how citizens had regarded taxes by either faithfully adhering to rules or avoiding them. Taxes and their compliance are part of law and order. Incidentally, several episodes in the popular television series, “Law and Order” deal with tax compliance and citizen behavior. Shakespeare had written about the coming of the taxman. The game “Witcher 3,” which has a Netflix series, features a quest entitled "The Taxman Cometh," which confers awards to players who are able to demonstrate honesty, fair play, and other citizenship values.
This also reminds me of a good friend who, some years back, had been a recipient of a commendation by the local government in his district. For having paid the most taxes, given his income for the year. He said that the award meant more than others he had received before as it meant a recognition of exemplary citizenship, and a seal of adherence to good governance.
We therefore trust that our citizens would remain steadfast and relentless in their pursuit of justice. That they should continue to demand from Marcos Jr. and his family, positive action on this matter before election day. We should ask for no less. He can either do that, or step down as candidate for the presidency.
My email, florangel.braid@gmail.com