BY some coincidence, President Donald Trump of the United States (US) and our own President Duterte found themselves facing questions about their incomes this week.
President Trump has never disclosed his income tax returns despite repeated promises during the 2016 election campaign. Previous American presidents have done so, but Trump chose to ignore this tradition. Last week, Rep. Richard Neal (Democrat, Maine), chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, sent a letter to the Internal Revenue Service asking for Trump’s federal income returns, along with those of eight entities linked to him.
White House Chief of Staff Dick Mulvaney said Sunday the Democrats will never see Trump’s tax returns. Legal experts, however, believe that while the law generally protects tax confidentiality, there is a law authorizing Congress to ask the IRS for the President’s tax returns. The legal battle is expected to go all the way to the Supreme Court.
There is no legal issue in sight in the case of President Duterte’s income tax return which, along with the returns of his daughter Davao City Mayor Sarah Duterte Carpio and son former Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, were the subject of a series of articles by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. Their incomes, the PCIJ said, had significant increases while they were in office.
“What we earned outside is none of your business,” the President said. “Our law firms and what happened to our business partnership – it isn’t your goddamn business.” He also said he inherited wealth from his late mother.
There is a law, RA 6713, requiring all government employees to submit Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Networth (SALN), but we don’t expect anyone to file any tax case against the President.
Two presidents being asked about their income tax reports, but with a big difference. US President Trump refuses to reveal his tax returns, while President Duterte is open about his returns, saying only that it’s not the PCIJ’s business.
We expect a long drawn-out legal battle in US courts over Trump’s tax returns. We don’t see that happening here; opposition candidates may make use of the issue in the ongoing election campaign but most people, more likely, will keep their opinions to themselves until they finally decide what they will choose to believe and then act accordingly.
