Customs, BIR execs face illegal wealth charges

Officials of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) are facing corruption charges as finance officials filed complaints following investigations that led to the discovery of unexplained wealth.

The Department of Finance (DOF) reported yesterday that BIR Region 4 revenue officer Amado Q. Navarro was charged with corruption while six officials of the BOC in Mindanao were charged in connection with the alleged oil smuggling by Petroline which was reported last week.

According to Finance Undersecretary Emmanuel Bonoan, who heads the DOF’s Revenue Integrity Protection Service (RIPS), complaints were filed against Navarro who was found to have "unduly enriched himself in office by acquiring properties and accumulating wealth disproportionate to his earning capacity."

Bonoan said Navarro began working for the BIR in 1980 as a revenue examiner with a monthly salary of P992 and at present earns a monthly salary of P20,573 as revenue officer.

Bonoan reported that Navarro had accumulated unexplained land holdings in Baguio including three parcels of land along Rimando Road, Aurora Hill, two parcels of land along Quirino Highway in Irisan and two lots in Leonila Hills with a total acquisition cost of only P750,000.

RIPS’ findings also indicated that as revenue officer, Navarro was able to construct two multi-story buildings and a two-story residential and commercial building also along Rimando Road.

Bonoan said Navarro himself reported in his statement of assets and liabilities that he had acquired 11 huge parcels of land in Naguilian, La Union, some of which were used to build a resort complex, a commercial building and commercial stalls.

Bonoan said the DOF also filed complaints against several BOC officials, namely Aniceto Sanches, BOC collector II; Roberto Ellivera, operations officer II; Ebenezer Arellano, Antonio Michael Plata and Antonio Ordona, BOC personnel at the Davao City port; and a certain Allan Niel Ibanez, a BOC employee at the Hijo plantation port in Tagum City.

Bonoan said the DOF complaint requested the Office of the Ombudsman to file appropriate criminal and administrative charges against the officials and employees in order to start proceedings for forfeiture and reversion of unlawfully acquired properties.

He explained that the BOC officials and employees were charged in connection with the smuggling case filed against Petroline which was officially authorized to import oil and service the requirements of banana boats in the region.

Arellano and Sanches, in particular, were charged for approving Petroline’s request for permission to withdraw diesel fuel from its bonded warehouse. Bonoan said the two officials approved the request without the authority to do so.

"After the approval of its request, Petroline proceeded to load its imported diesel to vessels other than banana boats, in violation of the conditions specified in its authority to operate," RIPS reported.

On the other hand, Bonoan said RIP’s complaint against Sanches and Ellivera centered on their failure to pass the DOF’s lifestyle checks, acquiring assets that were beyond what they declared in their statements of assets and liabilities.

"Corrupt people personify the evil that corruption breeds in our system if they remain unchecked," Bonoan said. "We knew that Petroline’s smuggling activities were made possible by corruption, so we’re running after them."