BIR chief Henares makes a pitch for right tax payments in ad
MANILA — She has been running after TV and movie stars allegedly behind their tax payments. This time, Bureau of Internal Revenue chief Kim S. Jacinto-Henares is stepping in the spotlight.
On Wednesday, the BIR launched the new TV commercial for its “Angat Pa, ‘Pinas” campaign, in which Commissioner Henares appeared towards the end of the over one-minute ad, muttering the line “Sa patuloy n’yong pagbayad ng tamang buwis, patuloy ang pag-angat ng Pilipinas.”
Soon to be aired on TV, this ad will showcase education, health and infrastructure projects, which Henares pointed out in a press conference was funded by increasing tax revenues.
The latest government data showed that the combined revenue collections of the BIR as well as bureaus of Customs and the Treasury jumped 12 percent year-on-year to P1.945 trillion during the first 11 months of 2015, reflecting improvement in tax administration.
“This commercial has a more mature messaging—we showed where your taxes go,” Henares said of the advertisement shot in Cagayan de Oro City early this year, where the new government-built airport figured prominently on the background, alongside new health centers, schools and road infrastructure.
“I made sure you see the surroundings; we did not ‘photoshop’ anything there,” said the feisty BIR chief, who has been criticized for launching a virtual shame campaign on tax-deficient firms and personalities by regularly announcing to the media the court cases BIR filed.
Also appearing in the video were Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson as well as Health Secretary Janette Garin.
In recent years, the BIR has been coming out with public advocacy campaigns, including the catchy “RFP: Register, File and Pay” and the controversial print ads showing, for instance, a sick patient carrying a tax-evading doctor, through financial support from the United States’ Millennium Challenge Corp. and Millennium Challenge Account-Philippines.
It is only now that Henares has agreed to appear in such an ad.
“They were asking me for the longest of time, but there may be misinterpretation. [This time], hindi naman ako kakandidato, hindi rin mangagampanya, kaya pumayag na ako (I will not run for public office, I will not campaign so I agreed to do the ad),” she said.
No less than President Benigno Aquino III reportedly asked Henares to join the administration’s 2016 senatorial lineup, but Henares decided to stay on in the country’s biggest tax-collection agency, where she is poised to become the longest-serving head post-Marcos era.
Since she has been interviewed by media countless times and has guested on TV talk shows many times, Henares said shooting the commercial was a breeze.
“Nasanay na ako sa inyo,” she told the media interviewing her. “Sa TV, radio, print.” (I have become used to the TV, radio and print media because of you.)
Henares said she never felt self-conscious delivering her line.
She will be BIR commissioner only until June—unless the new president re-appoints her—but Henares said the next Internal Revenue chief could still use the ad campaign to sustain the inroads she started to shore up tax collections. “The next commissioner can just cut my scenes.” SFM
