UNA’s Iloilo City mayoral bet nabbed for tax evasion: Plain political harassment – Nancy

ILOILO CITY, Philippines  â€“ The mayoral candidate of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) in this city was arrested for alleged tax evasion during a campaign rally in Barangay Bito-on, Jaro district Wednesday night.

UNA senatorial candidate Nancy Binay, who was campaigning in Butuan City, said the arrest of Rommel Ynion was “plain political harassment,” noting that the warrant was served on Labor Day, a non-working holiday, and at 10 p.m.

Binay lamented that unlike the allies of the administration, opposition candidates were being subjected to political harassment. He cited the case of Commission on Elections Commissioner Grace Padaca, whose P70,000 bail bond for a graft case before the Sandiganbayan, was shouldered by President Aquino himself.

Ynion yielded only after a two-hour standoff on condition that he would be brought to the St. Paul’s Hospital for a checkup. His attending physician recommended hospital confinement after his blood pressure shot up.

The Department of Justice filed a P46.5-million tax evasion case against Ynion last March.

Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares said Ynion is facing 19 counts of tax evasion for failing to file value-added tax returns from 2006 to 2010.

Henares, who was here on Wednesday, said Ynion is also facing charges for failing to supply accurate information in his income tax returns in 2006, 2008 and 2010.

On the allegation that the arrest was a form of political persecution, Henares said she does not know Ynion or his political plans in the city.

Manuel Mejorada, Ynion’s political officer, criticized the way the arrest was carried out, saying the number of policemen “looked like a raiding team on an Abu Sayyaf hideout.”

UNA secretary-general and campaign manager Toby Tiangco said Ynion’s arrest was illegal because policemen from Camp Crame, specifically the Intelligence Group of the Philippine National Police, instead of the local police, carried it out.

– With Jose Rodel Clapano