The Bureau of Internal Revenue admitted at a congressional hearing Tuesday the supposed tax liability of Del Monte Philippines Inc. was settled at P65 million; and the assessment was only P8.7 billion for 2011 to 2013 and not at P30 billion.
“With all due respect, wala po akong hugas kamay dito [I am not washing my hands here] because the DMPI’s case did not have to pass through the office of the commissioner,” BIR commissioner Cesar Dulay told lawmakers during the hearing by the House committee on ways and means, chaired by Quirino Rep. Dakila Cua.
Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez himself said he was disappointed with Dulay’s statement.
Alvarez said he found it unacceptable that Dulay was not aware of the said tax payments even as he proposed to change the BIR’s internal procedures.
“What kind of a commissioner are you? May compromise na pero hindi mo alam? [There is already a compromise but you are not aware of it?]” Alvarez asked.
“Nahihirapan kami ditong ipasa ang tax reform bill pero kayo ay nagsasayang lang ng pera ng taumbayan? [We are having a difficult time passing the tax reform bill but you are wasting the people’s money?]” Alvarez asked.
He appealed to public officials to reciprocate President Duterte’s hard work by helping his efforts to rid the government of corruption.
Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe raised a similar concern.
“How come there seems to be no accountability here? There is no signature of the commissioner. You have to be careful to exercise due diligence on this,” Batocabe said.
Alvarez and other House leaders earlier asked the BIR to explain the allegations following the supposed plunder complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman against Dulay and 17 other officials and personnel in connection with the alleged reduction of the tax liabilities of DMPI resulting in the reported loss of billions in potential revenues.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, Dulay’s superior, earlier vowed to look into the plunder complaint against the BIR chief and some of his men even as he pointed out that Del Monte Philippines Inc., whose tax liabilities from 2011 to 2013 were allegedly slashed by the BIR to just P65.4 million, had not committed a criminal act.
DMPI denied the purported tax irregularities covering 2011 to 2013 as alleged in the plunder complaint filed against Dulay and other BIR officials.