Supporters of presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. have misrepresented recent reports about the estate tax liability of the heirs of the late dictator.
Several online posts have made it appear that the Marcoses have already settled the issue on the non-payment of their taxes, citing stories published by Manila Bulletin and Manila Times on April 3 and 4, 2022, respectively.
However, the news reports were mainly based on opinions of unnamed officials of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and private “tax and legal experts.”
Another netizen urged Marcos critics to “thoroughly read” the Manila Bulletin article, which claimed that the heirs and administrators of the controversial Marcos estate cannot be compelled to pay the inheritance tax deficiencies – according to unidentified sources in the BIR.
The Manila Times, meanwhile, quoted tax and experts who said that Marcos Jr. cannot be faulted for his family’s failure to settle the tax liabilities.
Officials have confirmed that the government is pushing for the collection of the unpaid estate taxes.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominquez III also said on April 5, 2022 that “the Department of Finance and the Bureau of Internal Revenue are intent on collecting all taxes due from the Marcos estate.”
Originally amounting to P23 billion, these liabilities are believed to have ballooned to P203 billion due to penalties, interests and surcharges.
Read the full story on Fact-Check Patrol.
