BIR investigating 'discrepancies' in Corona SALNs
(Updated 4:50 p.m.) Citing "discrepancies" in impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Monday said that they are investigating the chief magistrate outside of the impeachment court.
Testifying before the Senate, which is sitting as the impeachment court, BIR Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares said their agency is in the process of investigating Corona in connection with his tax declarations and SALNs from 1992 to 2010.
"There's a letter of authority notice that we sent [to CJ Corona] telling him that certain revenue officers are auditing his income tax returns," Henares said.
The BIR chief said they sent the letter to Corona after she was called to testify in the impeachment trial.
Henares said based on their comparison of Corona's SALNs, Income Tax Returns, and Certificate of Authorizing Registrations (CAR), they found the following "discrepancies":
CARs are certifications issued by the BIR attesting that the transfer and conveyance of land, buildings or improvements or shares of stock arising from a sale, barter or exchange have been reported and the taxes due have been fully paid.
Earlier in the hearing, the prosecutors also presented a deed of sale for shares at the exclusive The Palms Country Club from Filinvest to Corona and his wife. The shares were supposedly not declared in Corona’s SALN.
Henares also initially testified on the alleged inability of the daughters of Corona — Carla and Charina — to buy pricey properties.
Persecution?
During the day’s trial, lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas asked Henares if she does not find "anything wrong" with conducting the probe while the impeachment trial is ongoing, which he said "smacks of persecution."
Henares was unmoved. "No sir, if the public expects us to do it. If there is something wrong, you should investigate it," she said.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, the presiding officer, likewise asked whether they have already issued a tax deficiency assessment. Henares said they have only sent the letter of authority.
"You have not completed the investigation. Why are you now talking about the discrepancies? You have not determined whether there is any tax liability involved," said Enrile.
Henares, however, said that before they issue letters of authority, they conduct a preliminary study of the taxpayer’s tax profiles and determine if there is a need to investigate further.
"Because of the analysis done, we saw there is a need for a letter for authority," she said.
Enrile, however, said these are just "tentative data" which gives them authority to examine a taxpayer for possible tax deficiency.
Because of this, Cuevas moved to strike this part of Henares' statement from the record. Enrile, however, allowed it to be a part of her testimony.
The impeachment court is currently tackling Article II of the impeachment complaint which accuses Corona of failure to properly disclose all his assets in his SALN. - KBK, GMA News
Testifying before the Senate, which is sitting as the impeachment court, BIR Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares said their agency is in the process of investigating Corona in connection with his tax declarations and SALNs from 1992 to 2010.
"There's a letter of authority notice that we sent [to CJ Corona] telling him that certain revenue officers are auditing his income tax returns," Henares said.
The BIR chief said they sent the letter to Corona after she was called to testify in the impeachment trial.
Henares said based on their comparison of Corona's SALNs, Income Tax Returns, and Certificate of Authorizing Registrations (CAR), they found the following "discrepancies":
- 2002: he did not declare nine properties in his SALN
- 2003: he did not declare nine properties; the property in La Vista was valued at P3 million instead of P11 million; another property worth P2.5 million was declared as P821,080; his net worth was P7 million when it should have been P14 million
- 2004: same discrepancy; another property in Diliman, Quezon City was not included in the SALN; his net worth was was reported at P7 million instead of P21 million
- 2005: same discrepancies; his declared net worth was P8.3 million when it should be P31.2 million
- 2007: his net worth should be P24 million but he only declared P11 million
- 2008: his net worth should be P25 million but he only declared 12 million
- 2009: his net worth should be P52 million because of the Bellagio I property but he only declared P14.5 million
CARs are certifications issued by the BIR attesting that the transfer and conveyance of land, buildings or improvements or shares of stock arising from a sale, barter or exchange have been reported and the taxes due have been fully paid.
Earlier in the hearing, the prosecutors also presented a deed of sale for shares at the exclusive The Palms Country Club from Filinvest to Corona and his wife. The shares were supposedly not declared in Corona’s SALN.
Henares also initially testified on the alleged inability of the daughters of Corona — Carla and Charina — to buy pricey properties.
Persecution?
During the day’s trial, lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas asked Henares if she does not find "anything wrong" with conducting the probe while the impeachment trial is ongoing, which he said "smacks of persecution."
Henares was unmoved. "No sir, if the public expects us to do it. If there is something wrong, you should investigate it," she said.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, the presiding officer, likewise asked whether they have already issued a tax deficiency assessment. Henares said they have only sent the letter of authority.
"You have not completed the investigation. Why are you now talking about the discrepancies? You have not determined whether there is any tax liability involved," said Enrile.
Henares, however, said that before they issue letters of authority, they conduct a preliminary study of the taxpayer’s tax profiles and determine if there is a need to investigate further.
"Because of the analysis done, we saw there is a need for a letter for authority," she said.
Enrile, however, said these are just "tentative data" which gives them authority to examine a taxpayer for possible tax deficiency.
Because of this, Cuevas moved to strike this part of Henares' statement from the record. Enrile, however, allowed it to be a part of her testimony.
The impeachment court is currently tackling Article II of the impeachment complaint which accuses Corona of failure to properly disclose all his assets in his SALN. - KBK, GMA News
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