Just two weeks ago, the pound-for-pound king, Manny Pacquiao has won a battle against Brandon Rios for the WBO International Welterweight title in Macau. Though coming home victorious, however, he is facing another fight in his home country - the P2.2 billion tax case filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue. His bank accounts were frozen and among them was his account meant for paying his employees and scholars that he supported. He admitted, because of bank freeze, he borrowed money that he used for his relief campaign to the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.
As a "sign of appreciation" to the fighting congressman of Saranggani, a local solon filed a bill that would grant a lifetime individual tax exemption to the champ. Given that Pacquaio has given an outstanding honor and pride to our country and has helped a lot of people using his hard-earned especially during disasters such as the recent one with Typhoon Yolanda, it is up to the state to give him some reward.. The congressman cited the case of Luz Marina Zuluaga, who, after been crowned as Miss Universe in 1958, was given by the Colombian government, a lifetime tax exemption. So, if the Colombian government can provide a lifetime tax exemption to an individual, why can't our government provide one to Pacquiao who had brought countless honors for our country?
There is no doubt that Pacquaio is one of the greatest boxing icon of all time. Having 8 world division titles under his wing, the first one to do so, the world stops whenever this icon has a fight in the ring. Streets in the Philippines becomes traffic congestion-free during his fight and the national police registers zero crime rate throughout that day. As the media says that there is such unity whenever this champ go up to the ring. Pinoy Pride, whatever it is, the Filipinos identify themselves with him as he goes up, punches and knocks his opponent down just as they're fighting their everyday opponents, poverty and corruption. His defeat is their defeat, much as his success as their own. Thus, a distinction of lifetime tax exemption is tantamount to giving the highest recognition to the People's Champ, right?
In the history of taxation in the Philippines, no individual had ever been granted a lifetime tax exemption. And if this House Bill will push through to become a law, Manny Pacquaio will be the first and only individual in the Philippines to have such a rare privilege. However, things wouldn't go smooth sailing. Malacañang thumbs down that bill citing that it is unreasonable. Even, most netizens doesn't welcome the idea, saying that this is quite unfair to other people. Though Manny Pacquiao brought honor and pride to our country and helped people, most especially impoverished ones, it is not enough as a basis to grant him exemption from paying taxes. Paying right taxes is a duty of every citizen in our country whether rich or poor, famous or anonymous. If he is given such a rare privilege, it is contrary to his image as makabayan. A nationalistic Manny Pacquiao who is the pride of the Philippines doesn't need to pay taxes? Quite the opposite. This rare privilege is unfair to Filipinos who had also brought home victories from other countries such as in international games, beauty pageants and even, talent shows abroad.
If there is one thing that our Congress could do for Manny Pacquiao, I say, recognition, monuments and others are all nothing compared to making our country a better place than what it is today. The Congress should formulate laws that would bring down poverty, protect those in need of the law and drives off corruption in the government. Bills such as the Freedom of Information bill needs to be pass on Congress. By driving corruption out in the government, this would bring back the trust of the people that was tarnished by controversies like PDAF scam. This would relieve tax-payers like Manny that the taxes they're paying would be used for the people, not for corrupt politicians.
