Members of the Philippine National Police who are suspected of enriching themselves through illegal activities can count the days of enjoying a rich lifestyle.
Yesterday, a strategy was being mapped out by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to identify policemen suspected of enriching themselves.
BIR Commissioner Kim S. Jacinto-Henares made the disclosure yesterday after she briefed Interior Secretary Mar Roxas on how the agency conducts its investigation on taxpayers with untaxed wealth.
“Secretary Mar talked to me last week wanting to know how the BIR conducts a lifestyle check,” Henares said.
Roxas sought the advice and support of Henares in removing police scalawags from the service following the so-called “EDSA hulidap” incident where policemen are accused of robbing more than P2 million from two men they stopped on EDSA and brought to the La Loma police station.
Roxas suspects that many police officials are spending more than what they legally earn as evidenced by the discovery of criminal activities involving law enforcers.
Sources said it is also a common public perception that corrupt PNP members maintain lavish lifestyles by accepting bribes from illegal gambling and drug operators and other lawless elements.
Henares did not give details of her discussions with Roxas.
HOW AUDIT STARTS
A veteran tax fraud investigator said the audit usually starts at the Register of Deeds to identify properties listed under the name of the subject taxpayer.
Next, records of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) are secured to determine the number of vehicles registered under the name of subject taxpayer.
Lawyer Frederick Kapitan, former chief of the BIR Tax fraud division, said that the taxpayer usually registers his acquisitions under the name of other persons to avoid tax fraud investigation. But he said ownership of cars can easily be traced by identifying the frequent users.
FAMILY’S LIFESTYLE
The overseas travel records of the taxpayer and members of his family will also be checked with the Bureau of Immigration by the tax probers.
The schools where the children are enrolled will be identified. Likely, the children of the rich cops will be enrolled in exclusive schools or send them abroad to study, a source said.
Casino and five-star hotel records could also be a rich source of information about the lifestyle of an individual, he said.
BANK SECRECY LAW
Due to the bank secrecy law, the BIR is prohibited from prying into the bank deposits of the taxpayer suspected of illegal accumulation of wealth.
Henares said that like other tax investigations, the lifestyle check on policemen are confidential and results will be known only upon the filing of tax evasion cases before the Department of Justice.
Meanwhile, Malacañang yesterday said that the Philippine National Police (PNP) should welcome the lifestyle check among its ranks.
Conducting a lifestyle check in the government is not something new, Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.
“It’s not something new. That is something expected for all of us in government to see whether our lifestyle exceeds our means,” Lacierda said.
“I suppose everybody should welcome the call of (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas to look at the lifestyle of, in his case, the PNP,” he said.
“Let me just emphasize: this is not the first time that is happening in government. This has been ongoing. A lifestyle check has been ongoing in the other departments in the Executive branch,” Lacierda said.
“Yung lifestyle check naman lahat ng government officials, in one way or another, are also being subject to lifestyle check because we’re supposed to lead lives equivalent to the standards of our compensation, standards of what good governance should be,” he said. (With a report from Madel Sabater Namit)
source: Manila Bulletin
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