Task force head blames BIR, BOC for losing tax scam cases

The controversy over the Special Task Force 156 escalated over the weekend as officials of the ad hoc body blamed the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for neglect and failure to see tax scam cases through the courts.

The task force tagged a number of prominent companies such as Pilipinas Shell, Petron Corp. and the Columbia Motor Inc.

Finance Undersecretary Inocencio Ferrer Jr. told reporters over the weekend that these companies were involved in anomalous use of fraudulent tax credit certificates but the BIR and the BOC either "neglected" the cases or "surrendered" them outright.

Ferrer is under fire at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee for allegedly demanding bribe from key witnesses in exchange for immunity from prosecution in several cases under investigation by Task Force 156.

Ferrer denied the allegations, pointing instead at the BIR and the BOC for losing the cases built up by the task force.

"The BOC may have been negligent in the handling of cases," he said, adding that the handling of the cases of BOC is now subject of a separate investigation.

Ferrer pointed fingers specifically at customs deputy commissioner Gil Valera whom he accused of compromising the cases against Columbia Motors and Steel Asia Manufacturing.

"As early as March last year, we have asked that Valera be investigated on why he entered the compromise agreements," Ferrer said, adding that the task force also recommended that the cases of tax credit scam be removed from his jurisdiction.

Ferrer said that Steel Asia was involved in a case worth P118.906 million while Columbia had collectible liabilities of P39.743 million. He alleged that Valera had compromised the collectibles and the BOC ended up getting only P37.195 million from Steel Asia and P11.425 million from Columbia.

Valera was unavailable for comments over the weekend but BIR associate commissioner Kim Henares bellied Ferrer’s allegation, saying that the BIR was still appealing the cases against Shell and Petron before the Court of Tax Appeals.

"We did not surrender the cases, we are still arguing before the CTA," Henares said. "They voted that our right to collect from Shell and Petron has already lapsed but we are arguing that it hasn’t and we still have a pending motion for reconsideration."

Ferrer met with Finance Secretary Juanita Amatong for at least three hours last Friday where Amatong said she requested Ferrer to report on the operations and controversy surrounding the task force since she and Ferrer were co-chairpersons.

According to Amatong, the meeting covered the recent operations of the task force but Ferrer’s tenure was not discussed. "As far as I am concerned, it’s the status quo," she said.

Amatong said she has not made any recommendations to the president on what to do with Ferrer’s pending courtesy resignation although it was reported that it would be accepted once the Task Force’s mandate expires in October.