Imee on Marcos estate tax: Imelda yet to receive BIR demand letter

The Marcoses have yet to receive any communication from the Bureau of Internal Revenue demanding payment for a multi-billion-peso tax on the estate of the late former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, his daughter Senator Imee Marcos said on Friday.

Imee 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 set at P23 billion but has reportedly ballooned to P203 billion over the decades.

“Ang problema kasi, ‘yung nanay ko, wala pa raw natatanggap. Tinanong ko sa kanya, e ‘yung mga abogado niya, wala pang natatanggap. So nakikipaguganayan sila sa BIR na makakuha ng kopya at makipag-meeting," Imee said in a radio interview.

"Matagal na naming hinihingi rin ito e, kasi pati kami nalilito e,” she added.

According to the senator, the legal counsels of Imelda and her brother, presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., have been looking for the demand letter from the BIR, claiming that they only knew about it from the media.

“Kasi nakita lang namin sa media. Wala kasing kopya na buo ang nanay ko at hinihingi nga ang buong dokumento para upuan na once and for all, kasi nakakailang beses na rin kami na nakikisuyo sa kanila na upuan na natin at sumahin na ng total,” Imee said.

Earlier, the BIR said it has sent a written demand to the Marcoses regarding their tax liabilities amounting to P203.819 billion last year.

On March 30, the Department of Finance said the BIR continues to demand the Marcos family to settle their estate tax debt.

An entry of judgment from the Supreme Court showed that the assessment of multi-billion estate taxes already became final and executory in 1999.

Imee questioned the timing of the estate tax issue, tagging it as part of the dirty politics.

“Ang akin lang, ang dami dami ng taon, bakit bigla ngayon lumabas, talagang parang paninira naman yata ito ng bulok na politika. Inuungkat ito,” Imee said.

“At tiyaka sa totoo lang ‘wa epek’ na e dahil masyadong sawang-sawa na yung tao sa paulit-ulit na paninira sa amin. Parang hindi naman tumatalab na. Ang akin, ‘yung kaso tuloy-tuloy yan kahit sino pa man ang manalo. ‘Yung mga kaso tuloy tuloy sa korte, walang problema yan. Hindi naman ‘yan haharangin ng pamilya naming kailanman,” she added.

It was the party of presidential candidate and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno who first raised the issue of the Marcos family’s estate taxes.

Other presidential candidates namely, Vice President Leni Robredo, labor leader Leody de Guzman and Senator Panfilo Lacson, said the government must collect the tax debts of the Marcos family so that it may be used for financial aid and other assistance for the public.

Meanwhile, Imee said that any liability owed to the government should be settled.

“Kung may utang sa gobyerno, kailangan bayaran, kami sa pamilya namin, lahat ng kaso namin, hinarap namin. Hinaharap pa rin dahil marami pa,” the senator stated. —NB, GMA News