Presidential aspirant and former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s political party believes the Marcos family owes the government only P23 billion in estate tax and not P203 billion as it may still be subject to reconciliation.
“‘Yung sinasabi nilang finality, ang final diyan yung assessment ng P23 billion,” Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) general counsel George Briones said to CNN Philippines.
In 1999, the Supreme Court ruled with finality that the late former dictator Ferdinand Marcos’s family owed the government P23 billion in estate tax.
Briones said that the remainder of the P203 billion of the Marcos debts may still be subject to reconciliation.
“Kapag pagmamasdan mo ang balita ngayon parang ang sinasabi na yata yung P23 billion ay naging P203 billion. So, nadagdagan ng P180 billion,” he added.
The said additional amount is due to penalties and surcharges.
“What I am saying is, the figure of P203 billion is not final. Sapagkat subject po iyan for reconciliation,” Briones said.
Unpaid loan payments or mortgages for properties were usually exempted from penalties and surcharges mandated by commercial banks, Briones added.
“Ang binabayaran na lang po ng may utang ay ‘yung kanilang interest because that is the cost of money. Ayan po, standard ‘yan sapagkat ang bangko hindi naman po iyan real estate company. Aanuhin nila ang lupa?”. Ronald Espartinez