MANNY Pacquiao must think that because he won for the country world championships in eight divisions and the title of best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, aside from being the wealthiest congressman, he should be handled by tax collectors with, ah, kid gloves.
With lawyers and accountants, Pacquiao has come out from his corner, not with fists flying but with a torrent of complaints against the BIR.
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He’s being harassed, he said, with the criminal charge against him “railroaded.” No way to treat a hero who has brought honor to his country.
Pacquiao is accused of failure to submit complete tax records for 2010. He declared assets of P1.3 billion and no liabilities at the end of that year.
BIR thinks he earned a lot more and when Pacquiao snubbed its summons, it filed a criminal complaint that could send him to jail for two years.
Lament
A reply with the evidence in his favor would’ve been enough. Without proof, his lament about unfairness and injustice showed the petulance of a VIP not being treated like one.
Since he keeps records, it’s his burden to prove he paid the right amount of taxes.
BIR suspects he earned a lot more from fight money, endorsements, and other sources.
In the 1940 Eugene O’Neill play “The Iceman Cometh,” Hickey the iceman realized he must cling to the lie that he was a nut who killed the wife he loved before “the ton of guilt” would be lifted off his mind.
Pacquiao didn’t kill anyone; he probably just fell short in tax remittances. And, unlike Hickey, Manny has no need for illusions. He just has to prove his claim or pay up.
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