Pacquiao is now top taxpayer in Philippines

Manny Pacquiao. File photo

MANILA, Philippines - Boxing champ Manny Pacquio emerged as the top taxpayer in the country, according to a list released by the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

The BIR's list of top individual taxpayers for 2013 was based only on regular income tax payments made as of November 24, 2014.

Pacquiao, who is battling a tax case filed by the BIR, paid P163.84 million in regular income taxes in 2013. The tax evasion case against Pacquiao stemmed from his P2.2-billion tax liability based on an assessment by the BIR.

In second place was Juanito Pornuevo Alcantara, whose business has yet to be ascertained, who paid P99.61 million in income taxes.

Top lawyer Estelito Mendoza was in third place with P73.18 million.

A certain Reynaldo Benoza Chico, Jr. was in fourth place with P67.34 million.

Megaworld Corp. founder and chairman Andrew Tan ranked fifth on the list with income tax payment of P67.18 million. Tan, fourth richest man in the Philippines, is the top businessman taxpayer on the list.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. president Lorenzo Tan was sixth on the list with income tax payment of P60.89 million, followed by Palawan Governor Jose Alvarez with P55.62 million.

Ranked 8th, Mercury Drug president Vivian Que Azcona was the top individual taxpayer for 2012. She paid P51.61 million in income tax.

Ninth on the list is Meralco president Oscar Reyes with P51.44 million. Rounding out the top 10 is Insular Life chairman and CEO Vicente Ayllon with P50.08 million.

Celebrities

Actor Piolo Pascual ranked 14th on the list with an income tax payment of P42.53 million, followed by actor John Lloyd Cruz with P41.97 million.

"Queen of All Media" Kris Aquino, who was the top taxpayer in 2011, ranked 16th with an income tax payment of P40.48 million.

Actress Sharon Cuneta-Pangilinan was 19th on the list with P39 million, followed by comedian Willie Revillame with P38.3 million.

Actress and host Anne Curtis-Smith ranked 36th on the list, paying P28.23 million in income taxes in 2013.

In 44th place, actress Judy Ann Santos paid P24.32 million in income taxes.

Actor Coco Martin ranked 52 with P22.49 million, followed by comedian and host Vic Sotto on 53rd place with P22.4 million.

Pop princess Sarah Gerononimo placed 99th on the list with income tax of P16.12 million.

Actor Dingdong Dantes finished just outside of the top 100 list, ranking 101 with P15.7 million.

Businessmen

The country's top businessmen and executives also made it to the top taxpayers' list.

San Miguel Corp. president Ramon S. Ang ranked 12th, paying P46.47 million in income tax.

Federico R. Lopez, chairman and CEO of Energy Development Corp., ranked 17th on the list with income tax payment of P39.89 million.

Erramon Aboitiz, CEO and president of Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., was in 22nd place with P35.81 million in income tax payment.

Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, CEO and chairman of Ayala Corp. ranked 26th place with P32.22 million in income tax payments. His brother Fernando was in 32nd place with P29.69 million

Metro Pacific Investments Corp. chairman Manny Pangilinan was in 27th place, paying P31.63 million.

Oscar M. Lopez, chairman Emeritus of First Gen Corporation, ranked 34th with P28.54 million in income taxes.

Tycoon George Ty ranked 40th with P26.28 million in income tax payments, while ports billionaire Enrique Razon Jr. was in 50th place with P22.87 million.

Henry Sy, Sr., the country's richest man, paid income tax of P18.5 million, which placed him on 85th spot. His son Henry Jr. was in 71st place with P19.86 million, while daughter Teresita Sy was in 97th place with P16.2 million.

ABS-CBN Corp. president and CEO Charo Santos Concio ranked 121th with an income tax payment of P14.56 million.

In 275th place is ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio Lopez III who paid P9.49 million in income tax in 2013.