Who among Pacquiao’s rivals can dictate on BIR’s big boss?

In our midst and times, it is unfortunately quite easy for most everybody being haunted by a court case, or before the bar of public opinion, to outright shout to the four winds, “Ah, that’s nothing more than political harassment!”

I refuse to believe politics is behind the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s P2.2-billion tax case against Manny Pacquiao. With all due respect, those who think otherwise may have either been just unduly overwhelmed by extreme idolatry (or by the sheer fancy theory that a hero can’t do anything wrong) or are simply lacking common sense.

We can all agree that very few Filipinos may yet match Manny in the success he has achieved in practically all fields he chose to belong to: boxing, movies, cockfighting, religion, politics, to mention only a few. We can all bet everything we have that no one may beat him in any elective post he might run for in his region, or even probably in a national election years from now. And so there is always the likelihood that his present or prospective political foes may do things as early as now to destroy his public image or political career.

The big question, nevertheless, is who among them is in a position to dictate upon the internal revenue commissioner to investigate his income tax returns by way of political harassment? Definitely, not one among his political foes in his region! Only President Aquino, perhaps. But why would P-Noy even think of doing that, assuming Manny, given his monumental popularity, intends to run for the highest position in the land? It is a matter of plain common sense that

P-Noy’s political interests will all end at the end of his term. Let me, then, most sincerely ask: Who does Manny have particularly in mind in saying there is politics behind his existing tax woes with the government?

Alas, it is high time for Manny, who is also my idol, to stop feigning martyrdom before the public’s eyes. Rather, he should be man enough in facing the tax bureau and eventually the Court of Tax Appeals (to convince them that the P2.2-billion tax case against him is baseless) as he is when he faces his opponents on the ring. In that regard, I sincerely wish him all the good luck there is on Planet Earth.

—RUDY L. CORONEL, [email protected]