Beneco officials cleared of tax evasion charges

BAGUIO CITY—The Department of Justice dismissed the tax evasion charges filed against several former and current officials of the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) in relation to the under-declaration of the purchase value of its real property on South Drive and the under-remittance of the supposed taxes due to lack of probable cause.

An 18-page resolution approved by Prosecutor-General Claro Arellano states that the tax evasion charges filed against Beneco general manager Gerardo Verzosa and former members of the board of directors Victorio Palangdan, now Itogon Municipal Mayor, Benny Bomogao, now a city councilor, and George Montes and a certain Kenneth Lopez, had no ground to stand on in court.