By JONAS ALPASAN
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — Martial law victims said the Marcoses are continuing to rob the people because of the family’s unpaid estate taxes.
“Not only have they shamelessly refused to return what they have stolen: they also continue to lie about the billions of unpaid taxes to the government — money which could be used to aid millions of Filipinos suffering the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic and the skyrocketing prices of oil and basic necessities,” the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law said in a statement.
The Philippine government, through the Bureau of Internal Revenue, has earlier confirmed that it has been trying to collect at least P23 billion (as of 1997) worth of unpaid taxes by the Marcoses, and liabilities has reportedly reached a total of P203.8 billion ($3.9 billion).
The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) has also debunked claims of the camp of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son and namesake of the late dictator and currently a presidential candidate, that the family is still awaiting PCGG’s final assessment and decision on their upaid estate taxes.
CARMMA, in a statement, said it has been 25 years since.
“That Marcos Jr. has the audacity to run for president amid his and his family’s refusal to pay their dues is nothing short of abominable. A liar, convict, and tax evader should never be allowed to run for any public office — especially the highest position in the country,” the group said.
Meanwhile, Mimi Doringo, an urban poor leader from Kadamay, said the unpaid estate taxes can be used to aid poor families.
As it stands, poor families are set to receive $4 monthly to ease the impacts of the increasing prices of oil and other staples, instead of addressing calls to suspend excise tax on oil and the scrapping of the oil deregulation law. This aid, Kadamay said, is “so tiny, the government is purposefully scrimping the people while spending billions on political ambitions.”
“The people are going hungry and the Marcoses must be held to account. The government seems to be rushing to find funds when the person that should pay the government is right there running for public office,” Doringo said. (RVO) 
