Prelate asks Palace: Why is Pagcor exempt from eVAT?
MANILA, Philippines — If Malacañang is serious in using expanded value-added tax (eVAT) to benefit the poor, why does it not collect from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor)?Lingayen-Dagupan archbishop and anti-gambling crusader Oscar Cruz posed this question Friday as he cited reports that Pagcor refuses to pay eVAT.”Such are the awesome and troublesome attributes of Pagcor. Directly under Malacañang with but a staff function, it becomes understandable though unacceptable that the government gambling corporation appears ultimately untouchable. But for it to claim exemption from paying not only income tax but also value-added taxes is not only interesting but also intriguing,” he said in his web log (ovc.blogspot.com),”Cruz said.He cited reports that Pagcor owes the Bureau of Internal Revenue some P6.8 billion as of end-2007, and that it owes the BIR some P5 billion in VAT for the last three years.Cruz said this is unconscionable since Pagcor repeatedly advertises that i
