By Robina Asido

Four presidential aspirants want to collect the P203 billion pesos supposedly unpaid tax from Marcos family to aid the people affected by the increasing prices of oil products.

During the first presidential debate hosted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Saturday, Manila Mayor Francisco ''Isko Moreno'' Domagoso assures that he will collect the amount if he will become the next president.

"Rest assured that a family with 203 billion debt in estate tax, I will make sure that we will collect the 203 billion to give to help the farmers, I will give this to drivers as assistance to the people that need help," he said.

"If I will be able to collect the 203 billion debt for the estate tax of a family I will decrease the tax in crude and electricity at 50 percent we are going to lose 65 billion pesos, I will 203 billion minus 65 (billion) I still have more to help the people it's a matter of fiscal management and certainty of law," he added.

His plan to collect the 203 billion unpaid tax of the Marcos family was supported by Vice President Leni Robredo, Senator Panfilo Lacson and labor leader Leody De Guzman.

"I'll just want to add to what Mayor Isko said, that is right, we passed the tax packages. There are a lot of it. What have just attained is 101 billion pesos, TRAIN 1, TRAIN 2, there is 203 billion (pesos) that is already there and just need to collect. Why does the BIR do not collect it?" said Lacson.

"I also want to add to what Mayor Isko and Senator Ping said, now there are disputes about the suspension of excise tax. Although the price of oil is very high because the revenue will not go to the government. The aid that we will give for Pantawid Pasada is 200 pesos. It is too small. If we collect this 203 billion pesos, we do not need to (be) thrifty to our people," Robredo said.

As he emphasized the need to collect tax from wealthy people, De Guzman also expressed belief that the unpaid tax of Marcoses should be collected.

"We should impose wealth tax on all the billionaires in the country so that we will generate funds but I also agree that we need to collect the 203 billion," he said. DMS