Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr must have been stung by his own words at times.
During the launch of a national tax campaign, he asked the public to "pay the amount of taxes on time" to support economic recovery and expansion. His appeal could be construed with irony, not of statesmanship. Marcos owes the government 203 billion pesos (USD$3.6 billion) in estate taxes. Marcos and his mother, Imelda, are the administrators of the estate of the late dictator, Ferdinand Marcos Sr who was ousted by an uprising in 1986 and died in Hawaii in 1989. The estate taxes remain unpaid since 1998.
Marcos, through a spokesperson, also announced an ambitious digital media literacy campaign for vulnerable communities so they acquire the knowledge and tools to be "discerning of the truth". Accordingly, the government will hold a media literacy summit, create laws on media literacy and identify fake news peddlers. Perhaps Marcos should look no further than his own circle.
