Mactan-Cebu International Airport. (CDN FILE PHOTO)
The Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) paid P101 million for its business taxes to the Lapu-Lapu City government yesterday.
Cyril Apao, the MCIA Authority’s legal department chief, turned over a check for P101,149,018.48 to Lapu-Lapu City Treasurer Elenita Catag-Catag.
The amount covered the airport’s accumulated business taxes since 1998.
Catag-Catag said the airport still has a balance of P202.3 million as of April 2015.
The Lapu-Lapu city government is still demanding payment for P1.3 billion in real property taxes since 1997.
But the Supreme Court recently ruled that the MCIAA, its land, buildings and properties are exempt from real property taxes because it is a government instrumentality and its properties are “within the public domain.”
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza welcomed the payment of business taxes.She said the amount will go to the general fund which will be used to build schools and other projects.
“As soon as we get a copy of the Supreme Court’s ruling on the case, we will refer it to the legal office and maybe we can appeal the decision,” Mayor Radaza told reporters.