Pacquiao’s tax case is about money, not feelings

pacquiao

A Facebook post from a former journalist and, recently, a shill for a mining company on Manny Pacquiao’s tax troubles:

Welcome to the apathy of the Philippine government, they don’t care how much joy Manny gave to the people as long as govertment [sic] has something to steal.

And that seems to be the recent general sentiment over the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s garnishment of P1.1 million in two of Pacquiao’s bank accounts.

How dare a government agency, people–including people in government–are saying, actually do its job? What, they say, is a few million (the tax case involves P2.2 billion) against the hope and joy that Pacquiao’s victory brought the Filipino people by winning a boxing match so soon after the tragedy that hit the central Philippines?

The simple answer, really, is that the BIR didn’t. It did dare to run after a boxing champion, congressman, and patriarch of a fledgling political dynast. But that was not after the Pacquiao-Rios fight.

Nobody stood by the window of the BIR National Office Building, smoking a cigar in the dark, and said “Let us fuck over the Filipino people even more by taxing their national hero. If anything like that happened at all, it happened in 2011, when the case was first filed. read more »

Actually, Twitter Troll…

Twitter is a great tool for keeping tabs on your friends and on things that interest you. It is also a great tool for being a tool.

Like so:

Blacked out her name because she's clearly a minor whose identity should be protected. At least we hope she is a minor.

Now, the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) is sort of a big deal for many high school seniors, and the pressure of getting in is too much for some people. Still, that is a weak excuse for indulging in some of the most ill-informed sour graping in the history of talking shit.

Actually, @N___________, Republic Act 9500 or the University of the Philippines Charter of 2008 says passing the UPCAT does mean UP students can use your taxes. So does Republic Act 10147 and probably every General Appropriations Act passed since UP became a state school. Shit, government subsidy to UP even predates the Republic probably. More than enough time for you to understand that state schools are paid for, in part, by taxes.

Unfortunately, for you, @N___________, “just because” people pass the UP Law Aptitude Exam or get into the UP College of Medicine will also mean they get to use your taxes.

She hates UP and runs over homosexuals. What a classy kid.

 Well, at least there’s that. Try not to drive through floods while doing that, though. You’re obviously even less informed than that other guy. And at least he got into UP.

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Thx for the tip, Indolent friend Mrs. Dennis, Ang Taong Lobo!