BIR men charged for faking ages

Three top officials of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) were criminally charged before the Ombudsman yesterday for submitting fake public documents and making false statements to make it appear that they were younger than their actual age.

Charged with falsification of public documents and perjury were assistant revenue regional director Aguinaldo Miravalles, assistant revenue district officer Kamil Bajunaid and former revenue district officer Godofredo San Jose Jr.

Presidential chief of staff Rigoberto Tiglao said the three accused were charged based on evidence gathered by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission.

Tiglao said an administrative case will also be filed before the Department of Foreign Affairs against BIR employee Juanito Valdecantos for violation of the passport law.

In a statement yesterday, the Department of Finance (DOF) said the BIR filed charges against Miravalles, Bajunaid and San Jose after the conclusion of its months-long investigation into reported irregularities committed by officials of the agency.

"By making false statements and through false pretenses, these officials managed to convince judicial authorities or the Civil Service Commission to order a change of their birth dates on their official records," the statement said.

The DOF has been "quietly investigating" BIR officials in the last few months and the primary targets were BIR officials who falsify official records to allow them to stay in office beyond the age of retirement, the statement added.

The DOF said the falsification of the documents has allowed the accused to stay in the BIR and "reap the financial rewards of their other illegal acts."

The offenses carry a maximum prison term of six years, permanent dismissal from the service as well as cancellation of their retirement benefits, the statement added.

The DOF said it was also investigating reports against BIR officials implicated in graft and corruption.

BIR Commissioner Guillermo Parayno said these reports have been turned over to the DOF and the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC).

"It is best that the investigation be conducted by bodies external to the BIR," he said. "This way, the result will be more credible in the eyes of the public."

Parayno said it would "fuel suspicion of possible cover-up or outright whitewashing" if the BIR were to conduct the investigation.

The bureau would concentrate on "re-engineering" its setup and completing the reorganization he initiated last week, when nine top BIR officials were reassigned to various positions after a comprehensive performance audit, he added.

Parayno said the BIR, PAGC and the DOF’s central management and information office have signed a memorandum of understanding yesterday to formalize responsibilities in the investigation of the BIR officials.

Since some of the officials were presidential appointees, the PAGC would be primarily responsible for investigating their conduct and the rest would be investigated by the DOF, he added. – Mayen Jaymalin, Des Ferriols