Sunday, December 21, 2008 Gandarosa to fight till the end By Cong B. Corrales
"NO BASIS in executing such an order!" was the reply of embattled Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)-Northern Mindanao Regional Director Mustapha Gandarosa to the latest memorandum circular issued by Assistant Regional Director Alberto Olasiman.
Olasiman issued yet another memorandum circular, appointing himself the "sole authority" of the beleaguered government bureau.
Memorandum Circular 01-2008, issued by Olasiman himself, stated that he has the "sole authority to issue termination letters and letters of authority" and that only transactions made with him in his present capacity as officer-in-charge (OIC) regional director are considered valid.
The memorandum further stated that all previous transactions entered by any person beginning October 20 this year should be subject to review.
Gandarosa said the memorandum Olasiman issued is way beyond the authority of the latter's salary grade.
"(He) violates the revenue delegation order form from the BIR commissioner. Only salary grades of 21 and under -- that's the limit of his (Olasiman) authority," Gandarosa said.
Olasiman staged a coup last December 4 while Gandarosa was in Manila for an official business and took over the bureau's leadership, which affected at least 25 BIR employees who were denied entry at the BIR building for wearing IDs issued by Gandarosa.
Olasiman, who is the BIR assistant regional director, appointed himself as the acting regional director last December 2 after BIR Commissioner Sixto Esquiviaz issued Revenue Travel Assignment Order 221-2008, reaffirming the transfer of Gandarosa to the BIR Manila office.
But the special civil case, Special Civil case 010-07-2008, filed by Gandarosa in Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 7 in Tubod, Lanao del Norte, has yet to be decided.
Gandarosa is seeking a writ of injunction against the Revenue Travel Assignment Order (RTAO) 212-2008, promoting him as Chief of Staff of the Special Concerns Group in BIR's national office in Manila and removing him from the Northern Mindanao regional office.
The regional trial court handling the Gandarosa case is currently on recess for Christmas and New Year.
Gandarosa, however, maintains he is still the regional director of BIR pending the outcome of the case.
"I'm still the legitimate regional director. Let's wait for the outcome of the case in Tubod," Gandarosa said in an interview with a local radio station.
Gandarosa told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro recently that Olasiman might have taken his cue for the coup from the actions of Esther Palala, Revenue District Officer.
Gandarosa suspects Palala to be behind the recent campaign for his ouster as regional director.
"I intended to retire in next February because I think I have done my part in increasing revenue collection but with this case, I will stay and fight it out," Gandarosa said.
"If they take my job unjustly and irrationally, I will fight to the end. Do not oppress me because I don't want to oppress," Gandarosa said.
