There was not much of a difference between the CNN Presidential Debate and the Comelec Presidential Debate. Even if the standard had been set by the SMNI Presidential Debate which utilized an impartial panel from different sectors of society, the organizers of the Comelec debate still stuck with one moderator and the usual inane questions.
The lack of qualifications of most candidates was on full display again. Not for anything but most of them, even one who has extensive experience in government, do not have a grasp of basic public finance. They cannot even distinguish between PPP and BBB in terms of financing by commercial banks or by ODA. To think that all of them actually have college degrees.
At certain points, it was not a debate at all but more like bashing the Duterte administration for its policies and Ferdinand Marcos Jr., for his absence. This is odd considering the Duterte administration will be exiting with the highest approval and trust ratings of any post-Marcos administration since 1986. The President himself is the most popular post-Marcos President. On the same point, Marcos is leading all surveys with an average voter preference of 50%. In the D and E economic brackets, Marcos is at 60% as per Pulse Asia. Why cannot the candidates just thank the President for his efforts and present their platform for continuity moving forward with positivity and hope? Why is it that our politics is toxic and dysfunctional?
Politics has become a bloodsport. There is no respect for the rule of law. Senators are proud of their description as twenty-four independent republics in a chamber. Think of how Dick Gordon’s Blue Ribbon Committee has caused pain and suffering for the principals of Pharmally who have been summarily detained because the committee found them in contempt. The investigation was not in aid of legislation. It was in aid of election and meant to tarnish the image of the President and the administration’s candidates in the 2022 election.
The debate was nothing but one. In the end, it came down to Marcos-bashing over the P203B estate tax issue which was raised by Isko Moreno’s Aksyon Demokratiko, whose Chairman queried the BIR Commissioner if it had sent a demand letter to the Marcos family for the payment of the same. The Commissioner responded in the affirmative and now it has become an election issue because Isko claims that the amount would not be collected under a Marcos administration and the public stands to lose P203B. This coming from a candidate who pocketed excess campaign funds from his 2016 Senatorial run and justifies the same with his paying taxes on what he declared as income. Why does not anyone ask Isko for an accounting of what he kept after this 2019 Mayoral run? Did he declare the excess amount, if any, and paid taxes on the same?
In another letter to the PCCG, its present Chair John Agbayani replied to the question raised by Ramel about the claim that there was ongoing negotiations with the PCGG and the Marcos’ about the assets it had seized and sold.
In its letter, PCGG said there was a “verbal understanding” between it and BIR to collect estate taxes on all Marcos assets except those that had been seized by the government, as well as Swiss funds in escrow.
“It may not be accurate to state that the said agreement was ‘to determine with accuracy the fair and just tax base to be used in computing estate taxes, if any’ because as early as 1993, BIR already executed its final assessment when it levied and sold 11 real properties in Tacloban City,” it said.
The PCGG said the agreement with the BIR in 2003 was only to exclude from the estate tax computation other properties that are sequestered or subject of a recovery case in court.
This means Marcos’ estate tax liabilities should not cover unlawfully acquired properties being claimed by the government.
The government would be able to recover tax claims on these properties once it wins the forfeiture proceedings in court.
“While it is true that… there was a 2003 verbal understanding between the BIR and the PCGG, it may not be accurate to state that the agreement was ‘to determine with accuracy the fair and just tax base to be used in computing estate taxes, if any,’” the PCGG said, quoting Rodriguez’s statement.
“Because as early as 1993, the BIR executed its final assessment when it levied and sold 11 real properties in Tacloban City and as early as 1997, the judgment on the tax case had become final and executory,” it added.
The tax cases against the Marcos’ were filed after their return from exile in 1991. These include the same case for which Marcos Jr. was found guilty of which was not filing an income tax return and tax deficiencies from the time they were forced to leave the country in 1986.
Debate moderator Luchi Cruz-Valdes showed her bias against Marcos by constantly referring to the candidate as “absent” or “it would have been Mr. Marcos’ turn to answer if he were present.”
It has become evident that the attacks on Marcos are going to be concerted as each of his rivals make a play to peel away as much votes as they can from the double-digit lead he established since last year after teaming up the Sara Duterte.
There is desperation in his rivals seeing as how there are effectively only four weeks left in the campaign after the Holy Week break in the middle of April. It has gone to the extent that the candidates themselves are questioning the veracity of the surveys since Marcos’ numbers have remained consistent despite claims that he has peaked.
What the opposition does not want to accept is the reality that the greater majority of Filipinos, particularly those in the C, D and E economic brackets, have had enough of their leadership and have no intention of returning them to power.
Robredo’s support base is not in the lower economic brackets which she refers to as the laylayan but more in the A and B as the Publicus survey showed as its focus demographic. But her biggest problem is, Marcos is dominating across all brackets from A – E.
Marcos has taken the worst of what the opposition can throw at him since 2016 and he has not gotten weaker but only stronger. Perhaps if the only the opposition would listen to what the average pundit says about underdogs.
Pinoys love them. This is why he is leading. And this is why he will probably win on May 9.
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