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

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more