AS THIS CORNER HAS BEEN SAYING ALL along, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was behind the kidnapping of Irish priest Michael Sinnott in Pagadian City.

It’s a good thing Interior Secretary Ronnie Puno revealed that the government’s partnership with the MILF in the efforts to rescue Sinnott was a hoax.

Puno probably could no longer stand the charade, and if he continued to tell lies—like other government officials on the Sinnott kidnapping—he might get sick.

This is the first time Puno told the truth.

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Sixto Esquivias IV said he was so ashamed of a collection shortfall by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) this year that he had to resign as its head.

“I feel ashamed to stay [on],” Esquivias said.

If all officials in the Arroyo administration have Esquivias’ kind of decency, there would be no one left to man the fort.

But then, the possibility of someone following Esquivias’ example—resigning out of shame for not performing up to par—is very remote.

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Actually, Esquivias resigned because he didn’t like the head of a parallel collection agency based in Malacañang looking over his shoulder, according to my sources.

The head of that collection agency is the husband of a close ally of President Gloria.

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If all collections by the BIR were turned in by its officials and employees, the government’s premier revenue collection agency would always meet its yearly target.

Always, no matter how high the collection target is.

A BIR insider estimates that only 40 percent of the agency’s revenue collection goes to government coffers.

The rest— 60 percent—ends up in the pockets of most BIR officials and employees.

And that’s only a conservative estimate, according to my source who claims to be honest.

The rough estimate could go up to 80-20. Eighty percent for corrupt BIR officials and employees and 20 percent for the government.

My BIR spy said that if the bureau’s revenue collections were all turned over to the government, there would have been no need to pass the Expanded Value Added Tax (E-VAT) Law that imposed a 12 percent tax on all purchases and services.

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A brother of a high government official who used to be a public servant himself allegedly bought a huge rest house in Boracay for P250 million.

The house was reportedly bought from a member of a prominent family in Metro Manila.

Maybe the rumors are without basis, but can you blame people for believing the rumors?

The guy earned billions of pesos from motor vehicle owners when he was still in government.

I went to the Manila Yacht Club a couple of months ago and a boatman pointed out to me a yacht that this guy bought from a multi-millionaire.

From the size of the yacht, it must cost him a fortune.

This man doesn’t know how to hide the fruits of his corruption.