Pinoy Weekly | Workers back Pacquiao, ask BIR: ‘Why not Lucio Tan?’

Posted: 01 Dec 2013 11:20 PM PST

Workers group KMU showed support for boxing icon Rep. Manny Pacquiao. (Contributed photo)

Workers under the militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) picketed the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) main office in Quezon City and slammed the agency’s alleged persecution of boxing champ and Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao. The group said BIR officials have gone “over-the-top” in pursuing a tax evasion case against the boxing icon, but remain silent over big time tax evaders.

KMU cited the case of business tycoon Lucio Tan, who is accused of defrauding the government some P220 billion to P330 billion, which is the equivalent of the 60 per cent invested in Tan’s empire by former president Ferdinand Marcos from the latter’s ill gotten wealth.

In 2010, Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus, through House Resolution No. 2793, also sought to investigate the BIR’s handling of allegations that Tan’s companies refused to pay more than P1.2 trillion in taxes by making 27 dummy marketing companies grossly under-declare their assets.

“The BIR is going after a hardworking athlete even as it refuses to go after thieves who exploit workers,” said Elmer Labog, chairperson of KMU.

KMU added that the Aquino government allowed Tan to implement the outsourcing of functions of the Philippine Airlines to third-party service providers which has resulted in the retrenchment and contractualization of 2,600 workers.

Labog further said that the Aquino government, in pursuing the P2.2 billion tax evasion charges against Pacquiao in a most public manner, is shaming a world-class athlete who has brought honor to the country. “But it is actually causing shame to itself because of its reputation for corruption in relation to the pork barrel scandal and for incompetence in relation to its handling of supertyphoon Yolanda,” he said.

Rep. Manny Pacquiao calls for the immediate passage of P125 wage hike. (Macky Macaspac/PW file photo)

“The Aquino government is grossly mistaken if it thinks that being tough on Pacquiao would improve its international reputation. It is only enhancing its reputation as an insatiable parasite eager to collect taxes from its people even as it miserably fails to be of help during disasters like supertyphoon Yolanda,” Labog added.

Pacquiao, who is in Eastern Visayas distributing relief goods for Yolanda victims, is also pushing for the passage of the P125 across-the-board wage increase bill filed by Anakpawis Party-list.