Finance Dept files charges vs DOF, BIR, BOC employees

The Department of Finance through its Revenue Integrity Protection Service (RIPS) has filed administrative and criminal charges with the Office of the Ombudsman against five of its employees, including three officials of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and a deputy district commander with the Bureau of Customs.  

In a statement on Monday, it said Maria Paz Abadejos Javier of the Department’s Research and Information Office falsified information on her personal data sheet (PDS), as she answered 'no' to the question 'Have you ever been formally charged' in Item #37 of her 1998 and 2012 PDS,” it said.

It added that Javier has pending criminal cases against her “for violation of Batas Pambansa Bilang 22 since 1995, making her possibly liable for falsification and Perjury under Article 171, paragraph 4 and Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code.”

The DOF also said Javier failed to declare properties in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) for tax purposes, causing “undue injury and actual damage to the Government in terms of lost revenues.”

RIPS also filed administrative and criminal charges against BIR officials Ricardo Batongbakal Espiritu, chief revenue officer of Revenue District Office (RDO) No. 50-South Makati; Regional Director Alert Benedicto Alocilja, regional director of Revenue Region no. 14, Tacloban City; and Fritz Sarad Buendia, assistant revenue district officer of RDO No. 24-Valenzuela City.

According to RIPS investigators, Espiritu failed to declare in his SALNs several parcels of agricultural land, residential land and building in Bulacan owned by him and his wife. Espiritu also did not declare his wife’s business interest in a certain Esmont Realty Corporation, of which she is one of the incorporators, owning half of the total shares of stock.

Alocilja failed to declare several properties in his yearly SALNs as well.

Buendia's ability to pay for a house and lot in Pangasinan and several vehicles in cash was also questioned given his salary.

RIPS also filed charges against Rogelio Ilaga Rabanal, deputy district commander of the Customs Police District, Enforcement and Security Service (CPD-ESS) at the Port of Batangas for failing to file his 2009 SALN, as well as for failing to declare a parcel of property in a previous SALN. — BM, GMA News