No schedule yet for Marcos estate tax hearing: solon

MANILA – Senator Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel III said on Wednesday that he is now talking to the chairpersons of Senate Committees on Finance, Ways and Means, and Blue Ribbon to start the Senate inquiry into the alleged unpaid PHP203 billion tax estate of the Marcos family.

In an interview with CNN Philippines, Pimentel said there is still time to pursue the inquiry before or even after the elections.

“Yes, there’s still time. We have the whole of April and the first week of May. Pwede naman po and then kung hindi talaga kakayanin sa time before election, then we do it even after election. Pwede pa rin. So, technically speaking, we have the months of April and May (Yes, there’s still time. We have the whole of April and the first week of May. It is doable and then if we cannot do it in time before the election, then we do it even after the election. It is still doable. So, technically speaking, we have the months of April and May),” he said.

Pimentel said he is also waiting for Senate President Vicente Sotto III to designate a committee that will handle the issue.

Pimentel, however, said he has read some pronouncements from his fellow senators regarding his filed resolution.

“I think the Senate President himself supports the resolution,” he said.

Sotto, one of the vice presidential candidates, said in an interview on Monday that he is still not sure if he is attending the proposed Senate hearing.

His running mate, Senator Panfilo Lacson has also announced that he will not be attending if the hearing pushes through.

Pimentel called for the investigation of the alleged unpaid estate tax of the Marcos family through Senate Resolution No. 998 filed last March 28, which sought to direct the proper Senate committee to conduct an investigation in aid of legislation.

He is also looking forward to inviting as resource speakers BIR officials from the year 1990 to the present and the Marcos heirs including former first lady Imelda Marcos and her son, presidential aspirant Bongbong Marcos.

“Of course, BIR officials, the highest official of BIR, present and past, and the present custodian of all the records related to this particular estate tax, and we can also invite, just in case may questions po doon sa (to the) heirs, the administrator of the estate para kompleto na po at (so it is completed) in one hearing, we can ask questions. From what I have read from the Supreme Court decision, this would be Mrs. Imelda Marcos and Bongbong Marcos,” he said.