Opposition coalition 1Sambayan on Saturday, April 2, denied Senator Imee Marcos’ accusations that the matter of her family’s P203-billion estate tax debt was a smear campaign against his brother, former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., even though it has been 23 years since the Supreme Court ruled with finality on the debt.

In a statement, the group stressed the January 1999 ruling by the High Court that the estate of the late dictator, former President Ferdinand Marcos, owed the country P23.3 billion in estate taxes.

With accrued interests, this amount has ballooned to some P203 billion.

“FACT: This money owed to the Filipino people remains unpaid by the Marcoses,” 1Sambayan said, adding that the right “timing” for the debt was for it to have been paid 23 years ago when the SC decision became final and executory in 1999.

“This is not a smear campaign against Bongbong Marcos—these are facts,” the statement stressed, referring to Marcos’ younger brother, who is running for the country’s highest post in May 2022.

READ: Carpio asserts: SC order for Marcos family to pay P203-B in estate taxes ‘final’

“Timing is not an issue here. The issue here is that the estate taxes remain unpaid. There is no best time to bring this up because the best time for the Marcoses to pay what is due to the Filipino people is more than 23 years ago. They should pay right now,” 1Sambayan said.

The response came after Senator Marcos questioned the timing of the issue raised by one of 1Sambayan’s lead convenors, retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.

READ: Imee questions timing of the revival of Marcos’ family estate tax issue

In 1997, the High Court affirmed a Court of Appeals (CA) ruling dismissing the Marcoses’ plea against a 1993 levy and sale on 11 Tacloban properties meant to settle the delinquent tax debt.

“In view of all the foregoing, we rule that the deficiency income tax assessments and estate tax assessment are already final and (u)nappealable -and- the subsequent levy of real properties is a tax remedy resorted to by the government, sanctioned by Section 213 and 218 of the National Internal Revenue Code,” the Supreme Court stated.

Marcos Jr. was the petitioner in this case.

The issue stemmed from the billions worth of estate taxes that the heirs of former President Marcos neglected to pay when they inherited the properties.