Rica Peralejo has backed calls for more transparency in government spending, questioning why taxpayers should not be able to track public funds as easily as they are now required to verify their tax registration.
Peralejo reposted a Threads post from a netizen who criticized the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) registration requirements for online sellers and digital earners.
‘Ya bakit nga hindi natin idemand ito,’ Peralejo wrote in the caption of her repost.
The discussion comes amid criticism of the BIR’s requirement for online sellers, freelancers, professionals, vloggers, influencers and other digital earners to display a Registration Seal Badge on their websites, e-commerce pages or social media business accounts.
Under Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 38-2026, issued in April, the badge serves as proof of a taxpayer’s registration with the BIR. Its QR code allows customers to verify the registration status of covered businesses and digital earners.
The requirement has prompted concerns among some online sellers and content creators over the public disclosure of their personal information, including their registered names, and the potential risks of identity theft and misuse of data.
Peralejo herself criticized the requirement in a separate Threads post earlier in October, saying she had been paying taxes since she was 13 years old as she questioned why she still needed to prove her compliance while those in power are bluntly stealing from Filipinos.
‘All of this would have been ok if only hindi tayo ninanakawan. Yung mga magnanakaw walang need patunayan pero ako na nagbabayad ng buwis ever since I was 13 years of age to now, 45, hanggang October 31 ang deadline para sa seal na kailangang ipaskil sa aking platforms. Ang sakit maging Pilipino,’ she expressed at the time.