Tax scam suspect leaves for abroad

The main suspect in a multibillion-peso tax credit scam has left the country after the Sandiganbayan granted him a month-long travel permit, despite objections by prosecutors.

Faustino Chingkoe boarded Cathay Pacific Flight CX-912 bound for Hong Kong at 11 a.m. last Wednesday, and is expected to later fly to the United States and Canada to visit his family.

He was allowed by the anti-graft court’s fourth division to travel overseas from March 16 to April 11 after he posted a P2.5-million cash bond.

Prosecutors have filed a last-ditch effort to stop Chingkoe, saying he is a "flight risk" because he holds "four passports," namely Philippine, Fijian, Canadian and Korean. They said his family resides in Canada.

Government lawyers likewise stressed that Chingkoe’s business interests in the Philippines have "dwindled," as he has already failed to submit the quarterly financial reports of his companies to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Prosecutors fear this gives Chingkoe all the more reason to evade prosecution and stay abroad.

Last year, Chingkoe was allowed by the same court, headed by Justice Gregory Ong, to go to China to attend the graduation of his daughter.

Chief Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa Ignacio said the anti-graft court should not have allowed the main accused in the tax scam case to leave the country because Chingkoe faces not only one or two charges of graft, but a total of 83 cases filed in the anti-graft court.

Prosecutors charged that Chingkoe and 11 of his companies had conspired with several officials of the Department of Finance to avail of tax credit certificates for tax exemptions, although they were not entitled to them. — Delon Porcalla