Isko’s camp urges BIR to garnish Marcos bank accounts

Manila Mayor and presidential candidate Isko Moreno, through his political party Aksyon Demokratiko, has asked the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to garnish the bank accounts linked to the estate of the late former President Ferdinand Marcos to settle the family’s tax liabilities. 

Aksyon Demokratiko chairperson Ernesto Ramel Jr. wrote to BIR Commissioner Ceasar Dulay, requesting the agency “to immediately and continuously implement collection efforts, whether civil or criminal manner of collection, including distraint/ garnishment of the bank accounts relating to the estate of the late dictator Marcos Sr.” 

“We believe that it is in the best interest of the Filipino people that the taxes to be collected be put [to] public use, especially in this time of pandemic,” according to the letter dated April 21. 

The bureau is mandated by the Tax Code “to pursue the enforcement of its collection powers and duties,” said Ramel. 

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s camp said the properties involved in the case are still being litigated and the BIR and the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) agreed to wait until the court cases were completed before collecting the taxes. 

The PCGG said while there was a “verbal understanding” between the PCGG and the BIR in 2003, it may not be accurate to state that the agreement was to “determine with accuracy the fair and just tax base to be used in computing estate taxes, if any.” 

The BIR earlier said it sent a written demand to the Marcoses regarding their tax liabilities on December 2, 2021. 

A media request for a copy of the demand letter was denied by the BIR , citing “sensitive personal information.” 

The request was made after Senator Imee Marcos said her mother, Imelda, and her lawyers have yet to receive a demand letter for the unpaid estate tax, which court records showed was initially at P23 billion but reportedly ballooned to P203 billion due to penalties and surcharges.