Tuesday, January 02, 2007 Oro execs admit threats By Lizanilla J. Amarga
SOME Cagayan de Oro City Councilors are now receiving threats for investigating the tax mess at the regional office of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in Northern Mindanao.
Other city councilors are now reportedly being "over-assessed" and investigated by revenue officers for transactions entered into by their own businesses and professions.
The City Council has not only declared BIR officials as persona non grata but also authored a resolution asking four anti-graft agencies to investigate these officials led by BIR Regional Director Mustapha Gandarosa and Revenue District Office 98 district officer Ester Palala.
The agencies include the Office of the President through the Anti-Graft Commission, Office of the BIR Commissioner, Office of the Ombudsman-Mindanao and a separate office at the Bureau of Finance that looks into graft complaints.
But local journalists from different media outfits who visited the BIR office at Trinidad Building, Corrales Street Wednesday were told that Gandarosa and Palala were not around.
The media practitioners were referred to District Revenue Assistant Regional Director Bernadette Honculada but the latter said she cannot issue any statement on any controversial issue involving their office.
She said BIR legal division OIC-assistant chief Nenette Epon was designated to answer any queries regarding their agency's operations.
"Epon has been designated by our Commissioner since then to be the person to answer queries as to make sure that stories don't become distorted," she said.
Several local traders, sports game manager and other show organizers complained that some unscrupulous BIR officials have over-assessed.
In a mini-press conference at his law firm Wednesday, Councilor Edgar Cabanlas revealed that he received threats because of his call for investigation over the BIR tax scandals.
"These threats are those that even include physical harm. This is why I am now changing my routine and taking up security measures," he said.
"This may be because the officials who are involved are those who are well-connected."
When asked on whether other city councilors or those who are calling for an investigation over the tax mess at BIR also received such threats, Cabanlas replied that he has not yet talked this out with the other councilors yet.
However, this city councilor revealed that his colleague City Councilor Maryanne Enteria disclosed to them how she has received reports that business transactions entered into by fellow colleagues in the City Council and other dealings in the course of the practice of their profession are now being investigated by the BIR.
"But we want to tell them that they can never intimidate us. We have nothing to hide," he said.
Cabanlas personally authored the resolutions declaring all BIR officials as persona non grata and asking the Ombudsman, Office of the President, Department of Finance and BIR commissioner to investigate BIR officials led by Gandarosa and Palala.
He said what they want is to first "totally drive out" these BIR officials and then conduct a full investigation on these alleged tax mess.
"For until they are still there they will do their best to intimidate us and our businessmen," he said.
