Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III has filed a resolution calling for a Senate inquiry into the apparent failure of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to collect the estate tax obligation due on the estate of the family of former president Ferdinand Marcos.

In filing Senate Resolution No. 998 last March 28, 2022, Pimentel said it is imperative to hold the former and incumbent BIR officials accountable for their failure to collect the debt owed by the Marcos’ family to the government.

Pimentel said the amount that can be collected from the Marcos family can greatly help the government offset the effects of the ongoing battle against the Covid-19 pandemic and the effect of the war between Russia and Ukraine.

“The Filipino people are presently suffering from the effects of the recession due to the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the ongoing effects of the Russian-Ukraine war which have led to gargantuan fuel price increases almost overnight, and in turn, to great increases in the prices of basic commodities, transportation and services,” Pimentel said in the resolution.

“There is no clear funding source for these proposed subsidies and it is immediately obvious that the governmetn would be hard-pressed to source the much-needed funds in order to support these social alleviation measures,” he pointed out.

Therefore, Pimentel said, it is an “urgent and pressing need for the Senate to look into the reasons and BIR officials, past and present, who are responsible for the government, after almost 25 years, has failed to collect on these amounts which have already been adjudged with finality to be due and demandable against the heirs of Ferdinand Marcos.

“Now, therefore, as it is hereby resolved, to direct the proper Senate committee to conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation, on the failure of the BIR to collect on the estate tax monies due on the estate of Ferdinand Marcos since 1997 and identify the BIR officials, past and present, responsible therefore,” Pimentel said in the resolution.

Incidentally, Pimentel heads the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) which is supporting the presidential candidacy of Sen. Manny Pacquiao in the upcoming May 2022 elections.

Pacquiao is among the presidential rivals of former senator Ferdiinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. who is also running for the top government post in the May polls.

Incidentally, Senator Imee Marcos, brother of former senator Marcos earlier questioned the timing of the revival of the issue regarding their family’s estate tax and blamed it to “rotten politics.”

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Hannah Torregoza

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