Chinese businessman Michael Yang, former economic adviser of President Rodrigo Duterte, and other personalities, including Pharmally executives linked to the alleged multi-billion government deals involving COVID-19 medical supplies failed to pay correct taxes, Senator Franklin Drilon said.
During the 13th hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee on the alleged misuse of the Department of Health’s funds for the procurement of personal protective equipment, face masks and face shields, Drilon said Yang paid only P7,600 in income tax in 2018. He did not pay his duties from 2014 to 2017.
Drilon presented before the committee, chaired by Senator Richard Gordon, a BIR certification showing that Yang did not file ITRs (Income Tax returns) for fiscal years 2014 to 2017.
While Yang had a taxable income of P208,000 in 2018, Drilon said he only paid P7,600 to the BIR.
However, Drilon also noted that the ITR records of Yang in 2019 and 2020, as provided by the BIR, were not readable.
Drilon also cited the alleged non-filing and incomplete ITR records of former Undersecretary Christopher Lloyd Lao, chief of the Department of Budget and Management Procurement Service.
When the transactions for the COVID medical supplies were made, Drilon said Lao did not file an ITR in 2020.
Lao allegedly declared zero taxable income in 2017 and had filed ITR through electronic BIR forms for years 2018 and 2019. But Drilon said these filings could not be viewed by the BIR.
Drilon also said the BIR had no information on the ITR of Pharmally corporate secretary and treasurer Mohit Dargani for 2018.
He said Mohit’s taxable income for 2019 and 2020 were both unreadable but he had paid P22,062 and P97,241, respectively.
Mohit’s sister, Pharmally president Twinkle Dargani, paid P29,187 for her ITR in 2018 and P1,000 only for her ITR in 2020.
However, BIR records on Twinkle’s taxable income for 2018 and 2020 are both unreadable. Also, BIR has no information on her ITR for 2019.
“The ITRs of the Darganis are incomplete and have several unreadable portions, but the taxable incomes and taxes paid appear to be very low, especially considering that they were able to buy luxury cars during relevant periods,” Drilon said.
