Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Rejects Manny Pacquiao’s Disciplinary Bid

[gangster]

Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Kim S. Jacinto-Henares rejected Tuesday the request of boxing icon Sarangani Lone District Representative Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao to “discipline” revenue officials in Cotabato for filing criminal charges against him for alleged non-presentation of his 2010 books of accounts.

Pacquiao’s counsel, lawyer Abraham Espejo, said the boxing icon is contemplating on filing graft and corruption charges before the Ombudsman against Cotabato Revenue Regional Director Rozel Lozares for lodging the contempt complaint before the Koronadal City Prosecutor’s Office.

Espejo disclosed during the early morning radio show of Noli de Castro over radio station dzMM that Pacquiao was not given due process as the charges were hastily done.

He pointed out that his client did not personally receive such BIR notices, or subpoena as required by law, and which documents were accepted by people unknown to the solon.

He requested Henares to “discipline” Lozares for filing the unwarranted criminal complaint, which he claimed to be tantamount to harassment and persecution.

The BIR chief, however, stood behind the embattled Lozares saying that he was just doing his job following the standard operating procedure (SOP).

Records showed the BIR routinely files such contempt cases in court for violation of Section 266 of the Tax Code if the taxpayer refuses to present his tax records despite several notices sent to him or her.

The BIR chief stressed that the case was “no big deal” and would be withdrawn if Pacquiao will show the required documents.

The tax records being sought include earnings of his various businesses in General Santos City, including a shopping mall, building-for-rent, restaurant, beauty salon, convenient store, and a water refilling station.

The BIR regional office based in Koronadal City also acquired jurisdiction in auditing proceeds from his 2010 fights with Joshua Clotty and Antonio Margarito, and his income from advertisements since he transferred last year his MP Promotions from Pasig City to his home province.

Espejo said Pacquiao was annoyed over the contempt charges as it destroyed his reputation, causing him to lose several foreign commercials, mostly in the United States (US).

He noted that companies in the US shy away from using celebrities in endorsing their products if they have tax problems.

Pacquiao has been one of the country’s top individual taxpayers, and according to Espejo, the boxing icon has been remitting an average of P100 million in income taxes yearly, much higher than the remittances of the country’s billionaires and multi-millionaires.

BIR sources explained that under the tax treaty between Manila and Washington, Pacquiao’s earnings from his bouts held in the US are subject to withholding tax by its Internal Revenue Service, which payment is deductible from his tax due here.



--MB