Purisima on graft raps: It's harassment

MANILA, Philippines - Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima yesterday described as mere “harassment” the graft charges filed against him before the Office of the Ombudsman, ostensibly by purported smugglers affected by the government’s vigorous anti-smuggling campaign.

In a statement released to the media last night, Purisima said, “The alleged graft charges being hailed against me, together with Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez and Guillermo Parayno, former Bureau of Internal Revenue commissioner, (are) a sloppy smear campaign full of factual errors and baseless allegations.”

To prove his point, the Department of Finance chief said collections for the first quarter of 2011 have surged by as much as 42 percent, which includes the 14 percent increase in the collections of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC), according to Purisima, has also “improved its cash collections” even if duties have been decreased.

Purisima, Parayno and Alvarez have been charged before the Ombudsman due to the alleged continued proliferation of smuggling in the country.

In an eight-page complaint, the employees of the BOC complained that the nefarious activities of past administrations remain undeterred in the administration of Aquino, who has vowed to curb large-scale corruption.

Purisima said Parayno has never been an undersecretary of the department.

“Furthermore, e-Konek Pilipinas has been operating legitimately and legally as one of the three-value-added service providers of Customs even before the new administration took helm,” he said, referring to the service provider that the employees are complaining about.

“In addition, we have been checking with the Ombudsman for a copy of the charges referred to by news reports but until now we could not be provided with copies of formal charges,” he said.

Alvarez could not be reached for comment as of press time but he has repeatedly said in earlier interviews that the fight against smugglers has not been easy.

No need for explanation

Purisima is one of the few members of the Aquino Cabinet whose appointment has yet to be confirmed by the Commission on Appointments (CA).

The CA bypassed the confirmation of Purisima in January this year, and deferred it again when Congress went on recess before the Holy Week.

But presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said it is no longer necessary for Purisima to explain in detail before the CA the alleged discrepancies in the statement of assets and liabilities he filed.

“We see no need for the investigation of Secretary Purisima’s income tax statement because that has already been amplified in the documents he submitted to the Senate,” Lacierda said.

Lacierda was referring to the purported discrepancies in the incomes and assets the finance secretary declared from 2006 to 2009.

“The statement of Senator (Francis) Chiz (Escudero) was culled from the documents submitted by Secretary Purisima before his confirmation to the Senate. Secretary Purisima has sufficiently explained his income tax returns,” he stressed.

Escudero, a member of the influential body, wants Purisima to explain the issues raised against him so as not to undermine his agency’s ongoing crusade against tax evaders.

Purisima has denied any wrongdoing, saying that in the years that he did not declare income, he had no salary as he was unemployed.

“I left the government in 2005. In 2007, I helped my friend Mar Roxas with his political plans. I had no salary,” he said. – With Iris Gonzales