A presidential aspirant who grew up poor and hungry in the streets of Tondo has urged the government to collect the P203 billion estate tax owed by the family of former Sen. Bongbong Marcos, funds that can be used to provide close to 60 million Filipinos with a year’s supply of free rice.
Speaking to reporters in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer Isko Moreno said “kung mapapansin ninyo binigyan ko ng simple computation na kapag nasingil natin yung P203 billion makapag-papakain tayo, araw-araw ah, this is literally, araw-araw ng tao 59 million na tao na kumakain ang isang Pilipino ng dalawang sakong bigas sa isang taon.”
Moreno was the first presidential candidate to raise the Supreme Court ruling that involved the Marcoses’ unpaid P203 billion estate tax.
“So, ibig sabihin maitatawid natin, maiibsan natin yung hirap na dinaranas ng tao sa mahal ng bilihin kapad ito’y ibinigay na sa pamahalaan,” added Moreno.
“Now, may awa ang Diyos, sa tulong ninyo, basta ako susundin ko lang yung batas kasi yun ay final and executory sabi ng Korte Suprema. Kukunin ko lang yun, tutuparin ko lang ang batas, yung aking tungkulin ipapamahagi naman natin sa tao na mapakinabangan naman ng taong bayan.”
Moreno explained that the computations are based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which said that the per capita rice consumption per year among Filipinos is 103.25 kilograms or a little more than two 50-kilo sacks of rice.
Based on the PSA data, 203 billion pesos can buy 119.4 million sacks of rice, a quantity that can provide 59.7 million Filipinos two sacks of rice each worth P3,400 at P34 per kilo.
Moreno was the first presidential candidate to raise the Supreme Court ruling that involved the Marcoses’ unpaid P203 billion estate tax.
Moreno reiterated the issue and committed to collect the billions owed by the Marcoses to fund aid for marginalized sectors affected by the pandemic and rising gas prices.
At the recent presidential debate organized by the Commission on Elections, Moreno reiterated the issue and committed to collect the billions owed by the Marcoses to fund aid for marginalized sectors affected by the pandemic and rising gas prices––a proposal supported by other presidential candidates present at the debate.
According to Moreno, “umasa kayo mga kababayan, ‘yung isang pamilyang may utang na P203 billion na estate tax, sisiguraduhin natin sisingilin ko ‘yon. Kukunin ko ‘yung P200 billion na ‘yon, ibibigay ko sa magsasaka, ibibigay ko sa driver bilang ayuda ng taumbayang nangangailangan ng tulong na iyon.”