MALACAÑANG said on Wednesday that it “fully” supports the bid of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to ensure the proper collection of taxes due the government, including the planned seizure of the assets of former military comptroller Jacinto Ligot and his wife Erlinda.

Deputy Presidential Spokesman Abigail Valte made the statement in response to the recent pronouncement of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares that she is looking into the seizure of properties and assets of the Ligots at home and abroad to pay for their alleged tax liabilities.

“We are fully supportive of the BIR’s plan to avail of all legal remedies provided under the law to ensure that the government collects all rightful taxes due,” Valte said.

Henares had broached the possible tack to be taken by the government against the Ligots when the couple was nowhere to be found after the Court of Tax Appeals issued a warrant for their arrest.

The Ligots allegedly failed to pay the government P153.2 million in tax liabilities, excluding interest and penalty charges for taxable year 2003.

The Department of Justice (DOJ), meanwhile, asked the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) to issue a hold-departure order (HDO) against the Ligot couple.

The Ligot couple earlier posted a P40,000 bail in connection with the arrest warrant issued against them by the CTA who found probable cause in the P153-million tax-evasion case filed against them by the BIR.

Prosecutor General Claro Arellano said the prosecution team filed on Wednesday the request for the issuance of the HDO against the Ligot couple before the CTA.

The HDO, Arellano said, is aimed at ensuring that the Ligots will not leave the country and escape prosecution.