News Briefs: BIR charges 2 company execs for tax evasion
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Tuesday brought criminal complaints against executives of two private companies, including a Korean national, with the Department of Justice for their alleged failure to pay taxes amounting to P132 million.
BIR assistant commissioner James Roldan said a tax evasion case was filed against Roderick Salem, Elvie Kang and Yoo Beongsun of Hyheavy Industrial Inc. for not paying P99.83 million in income taxes, including surcharges and interests. A similar criminal complaint was lodged against businessman Efren Melosantos of Cabanatuan City over his tax liability in 2011 amounting to P32.13 million. —Marlon Ramos
Parojinogs cleared of graft raps due to probe delay
Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog and his daughter, Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog, have been cleared of their graft case due to the Office of the Ombudsman’s “inordinate and capricious” delay in its investigation.
In its resolution, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division granted the Parojinogs’ motion to quash the graft case arising from the mayor’s award of a gym renovation project to her daughter’s firm, Parojinog & Sons Construction Company, in 2008.
The antigraft court said the Ombudsman violated the two officials’ constitutional right to the speedy disposition of their cases, because it took five years and 11 months before the charges were filed in court on Nov. 23 last year. —Vince F. Nonato
Police exec allowed to travel for ‘war on drugs’
The Sandiganbayan has granted travel permission to a high-ranking police official facing graft charges—who invoked the Duterte government’s war on drugs in his travel motion.
Senior Supt. Eduardo Acierto, officer in charge deputy director for administration of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG), said he would attend an operational meeting with the Taiwan Coast Guard next week.
The antigraft court’s Sixth Division on April 6 allowed Acierto to leave the country from April 16 to 20. As former chief of Firearms and Explosives Office Firearms and Licensing Division (FEO-FLD), Acierto was one of the police officials charged with graft in connection with the award of the exclusive license delivery contract to Werfast Documentary Agency Inc. —Vince F. Nonato
PNCC officials off the hook for Radstock debt deal
The case against several officials of the state-run Philippine National Construction Corp. over an anomalous P6.1-billion debt settlement is the latest casualty of alleged investigation delays by the Office of the Ombudsman.
In its resolution, the Sandiganbayan First Division granted the motions to dismiss filed by former board chair Renato Valdecantos, president and chief executive officer Ma. Theresa Defensor, president and CEO Rolando Macasaet, and chief operating officer Arthur Aguilar.
Also cleared were former board members Erwin Tanunliong, Hermogenes Concepcion Jr., Ottomama Benito, Enrique Cuejilo Jr., Roy Eduardo Lucero, Fermin Lusung Sr., Jeremy Parulan and Antonio Villar.
The Sandiganbayan faulted the Ombudsman for failing to take action on the August 2006 compromise agreement with Radstock Securities Ltd., as soon as former PNCC president Luis Sison began assailing it that year.
The deal with Radstock was allegedly disadvantageous to the government. —Vince F. Nonato
