Pacquiao busy training, leaves tax case to lawyers

Rep. Manny Pacquiao AFP FILE PHOTO

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines — Saying he was busy training, world eight-division boxing champion and Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao refused to comment on reports that the Supreme Court had ordered him to answer the motion for reconsideration filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue regarding a freeze in the tax proceedings against him.

The government agency is seeking the lifting of the temporary restraining order on its bid to collect P3.2 billion in taxes from the champion boxer.

“I will not comment on that. I’m leaving that to my lawyers. They know what to do,” Pacquiao told the Philippine Daily Inquirer during the brief break of his training here Tuesday afternoon.

“Right now my focus is on my training. I will not be distracted by any issue that would crop up along the way,” he added.

Pacquiao has been training for a 12-round non-stop offensive against undefeated American boxer Chris Algieri. He will be defending his World Boxing Organization (WBO) Welterweight crown against a 5’11 Algieri on November 23 at Venetian Hotel in Macau, China.

The Supreme Court earlier stopped the enforcement of a Court of Tax Appeal order requiring Pacquiao and his wife Jinkee to post a P3.2-billion case bond or a P4.9-billion surety bond in exchange for the lifting of the warrants of distraint and levy and of garnishment issued by the BIR on the properties.

The BIR earlier filed a case against Pacquiao for tax liabilities amounting to P2.2 billion. The required bond included surcharges and penalties.

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