Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 8) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should “walk the talk” and settle his family’s unpaid estate taxes allegedly worth over ₱200 billion in light of his appeal on Filipinos to pay their taxes on time, a lawmaker said on Wednesday.
Tama ang sinabi ni Pres. Marcos Jr. na dapat magbayad ng tumpak at napapanahong buwis but he should walk the talk,” House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said in a statement.[Translation: What President Marcos Jr. said about paying taxes on time was right but he should walk the talk.]Castro said the Supreme Court has long ruled with finality that the Marcos family owed the Philippine government ₱23 billion in estate taxes. The figure has allegedly ballooned to ₱203 billion.If Marcos fails to settle his family’s unpaid taxes, then “does not have the moral ascendancy” to make such statements, the lawmaker stated.On Tuesday, the President said the public must “pay the correct amount of taxes on time to support the country’s economic recovery and expansion.She said Filipinos have been suffering due to rising prices of goods and services and are in dire need of help.Kailangan na ngayon ng relief ng mamamayan,” Castro said. “Tanggalin muna ang taxes like excise tax and value added tax (VAT) sa langis at VAT sa basic commodities.[Translation: People need relief now. Taxes like excise tax and value added tax (VAT) on oil and VAT on basic commodities should be temporarily removed.]Filipino consumers have been coughing up more money to purchase goods and services since last year.
