MANILA: The Supreme Court yesterday issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s P3.2bn tax case against Filipino boxing icon and Sarangani Rep Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao.
The high tribunal’s Third Division issued a resolution dated August 18, stopping the implementation of a Court of Tax Appeals decision requiring Pacquiao and his wife, Jinkee, to post a cash bond of P3.2bn or a P4bn surety bond.
The high court also stopped the BIR from collecting P2bn worth of taxes from Pacquiao. The Court of Tax Appeals and the BIR, moreover, were asked to comment on Pacquiao’s petition within a period of 10 days of notice. Pacquiao earlier sought relief from the high court on July 24 through in a 75-page petition seeking to reverse the appellate tax court’s order allowing the BIR to collect the amount and denying the petitioner’s motion for partial reconsideration.
The couple, through their lawyers, said the requirement was “effectively an impossible condition” as their net worth is only P1.18bn. The couple accused the Court of Tax appeals of grave abuse of discretion in requiring them to post the amount within 30 days.
Petitioners also accused BIR Commissioner Kim Henares of violating the procedural requirements for summary tax collection remedies under Section 208 of the Tax Code when she failed to serve petitioners with warrants against their bank accounts.
THE PHILIPPINE STAR
