Non-filing of tax returns different from tax evasion, says Bongbong spox

Published November 4, 2021 11:40am The non-filing of income tax returns is different from tax evasion, lawyer Vic Rodriguez, spokesperson for presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said Thursday. Rodriguez explained this in an interview with CNN-Philippines, claiming that the petition lodged against Marcos is just a propaganda of “yellow wannabe political assassins.” “Alam mo propaganda ito ng mga yellow wannabe political assassins…Walang tax evasion na kaso si presidential aspirant Bongbong Marcos. ‘Yung kaso po na yan ay simply non-filing of ITR,” Rodriguez argued. (This is just a propaganda of the yellow wannabe political assassins. There is no tax evasion in the case of presidential aspirant Bongbong Marcos. His case is simply about his non-filing of ITR.) “Maling-mali na siya ay tax evader. Ang naging hatol lang ay hindi nakapagbayad ng income tax return,” he added. (It is wrong to call him a tax evader because the conviction is on the basis of his non-filing of income tax return.) From 1982 to 1985, Rodriguez said Marcos was sitting as governor of Ilocos Norte and his taxes should have been filed by the provincial capitol. “Kung 1985 yan ay tingin ko s’ya ay governor…May nangangasiwa sa kapitolyo na dapat mag-file niyan…basta ang usapin lang dito, walang conviction for tax evasion, only for the non-filing of ITR, because the non-filing, puwede ka i-penalize at nauwi lang ito sa pagbabayad ng penalty,” he said. (If that is 1985, then I think he is sitting as a governor. There is someone from the capitol who manages the filing of their taxes. Nonetheless, the issue here is there's no conviction on tax evasion, only for the non-filing of ITR because the courts can penalize you for the non-filing, and in this case, he was jsut asked to pay for the penalties.) ‘Propaganda’ Furthermore, Rodriguez tagged the petition against Marcos as “nuisance,” adding that the Commission on Elections is being used as a platform for propaganda. “Walang sinasabing moral turpitude. This is, by any stretch of imagination ay napakahinang kaso,” he said. (There is no moral turpitude in his case. This is, by any stretch of imagination, a very weak case.) “At naawa kami sa Comelec sapagkat binubuhusan nila ng kanilang propaganda, ginagawa nilang platform to use Comelec as their propaganda venue. Launchpad ng propaganda,” he added. (We feel sorry for the Comelec because they are being used as their propaganda venues, a launchpad for propaganda.) Rodriguez maintained that the tax case against Marcos has already been litigated and answered many years back. On Tuesday, several human rights groups raised Marcos’ conviction on July 27, 1995 for failure to file income tax returns several times from 1982 to 1985. They said this made the son and namesake of the late dictator is ineligible to run for office because he was a "convicted criminal." Marcos has since refuted the allegation, saying it is a mere political ploy. — Hana Bordey/RSJ, GMA News