Actress Carla Abellana took to Instagram to call out what she described as “blatant corruption” involving the property tax declaration process in the Philippines.
In a series of Instagram Stories, Abellana shared screenshots of a conversation with a person assisting her in processing real estate paperwork. The messages revealed that officials allegedly offered to reduce the declared value of her property—but in exchange for 60% of the savings that would result from paying lower taxes.
“They gave an option to lower the price, meaning the value of your house, but they wanted to share 60% of the savings,” one message read. Abellana reacted with a single word: “Corruption.”
Visibly upset, the actress wrote in one caption: “Welcome to the Philippines, where corruption is top tier.” She also questioned the logic behind a 60% assessment level and a 2.5% tax rate. “Who chose that percentage?!?” she asked.
One of the screenshots also showed both handwritten and printed calculations that appeared to break down how the illicit earnings would be divided among those involved.
“What do I do with a predicament like this when corruption is being done right smack on your face?” she added.
Abellana has recently been vocal about various public service concerns, including her dissatisfaction with PrimeWater and Converge ICT. She criticized PrimeWater—owned by the Villar group—for alleged inaction over service issues in her Tagaytay property, despite the company claiming they visited the site. She also aired her frustration at Converge ICT’s customer service, citing difficulties in reaching real human agents and being redirected to bots instead.
