Zamboanga court convicts BIR revenue officer for money laundering — DOJ

A Zamboanga court has convicted a revenue officer of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in Zamboanga City for multiple counts of money laundering, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Monday.

In a statement, the DOJ said the Zamboanga Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 12 convicted the officer to seven to 13 years of imprisonment for the first six money laundering cases. It imposed a P3 million fine for each count.

The court also convicted her to four to six years for six other cases with a P1.5 million fine for each count.

"Public office demands a higher standard of accountability and integrity,” Justice Secretary Fredderick A. Vida said.

“Those entrusted with the privilege to serve must not only perform with excellence, but also uphold the highest degree of candor in all their dealings,” he added.

According to the DOJ, court records showed that the officer was initially apprehended in May 2022 for alleged extortion amounting to P500,000.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council later found that she maintained 36 bank accounts across four banking institutions.

The DOJ said that as a revenue officer, she had a monthly income of P49,835 with an annual income equivalent to P598,020. However, it said she deposited an average of P93,000 from May to August 2022.  —RF, GMA News