Senator Aquilino Pimentel III on Wednesday, June 22 said the media should keep pressuring incoming Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Lilia Guillermo on the unsettled Marcos estate tax case.
‘’But in the meantime give her some time to act. Let us first wait for her to assume her position as BIR Commissioner. Then monitor her actions,’’ Pimentel, the incoming Senate Minority Leader, told Senate reporters.
But Guillermo and incoming Department of Finance (DOF) Benjamin Diokno should collect the correct taxes, he pointed out.
Guillermo said she does not know whether the uncollected estate taxes amount to P203 billion or P23 billion.
Asked whether Diokno or Guillermo would succeed is another matter ‘’because the 'figures' is the argument of the Marcoses,’’ Pimentel pointed out.
‘’They will be a 'success' only if the other party cooperates and pays. Eh di (Does it really) start with the principal or the uncontested amount. P23-billion?’’ Pimentel asked aloud.
Guillermo was qouted as saying during a media interview that she has yet to see documents about it and needs time to go over them, even though the matter has been settled way back in 1997.
In particular, she wants to know if the floated P203-billion figure is accurate.
‘’The Marcoses paid their taxes because they have to comply with the law, it came from the Supreme Court. It’s final and executory.’ That’s what I will say to him but I should have the correct data. I should know what really is in that decision.)
“I have not seen any documents about it. final and executory, then it is our mandate to collect. That’s one of the mandates of the BIR, collection enforcement,” Guillermo said.
She stressed that she has not discussed the matter with Marcos Jr.