DOF: Resorts World gunman dismissed for alleged graft, corruption

The Department of Finance on Sunday confirmed that Resorts World Manila gunman Jessie Javier Carlos was a former employee who was dismissed from service allegedly due to graft and corruption.

After news broke out identifying Carlos as the gunman, the Department of Finance said it was “checking his employment record,” adding that “he was dismissed in 2012 because of his SALN” or statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

In May 2014, the DOF said the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed Carlos, who was a tax specialist at the One-Stop-Shop Tax Credit and Duty Drawback Center, after being sued for “for failing to disclose all his assets in his SALN,” adding that his dismissal took effect immediately.

READ: Resorts World gunman identified as Jessie Javier Carlos, a Filipino

Another DOF press release in September 2014 said that the Office of the Ombudsman denied the motion for reconsideration filed by Carlos.

The DOF’s Revenue Integrity Protection Service (Rips) had investigated Carlos “for violations of Section 7 of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and Section 8 of the RA 6713 Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees,” according to the 2014 press statement. Rips investigates erring revenue officers.

“In a decision dated January 24, 2013, the Office of the Ombudsman found that Carlos had unexplained wealth and had most likely falsified his SALN, an official document, constituting perjury. The Ombudsman found probable cause to charge Carlos for violation of the provisions of RA 1379, a law forfeiting in favor of the state ill-gotten wealth of public officials,” the DOF had said.

“Carlos, whose last gross annual salary was P210,480, was found to have an incongruent amount of assets and properties. Over 10 years, a period in which he would have earned a total of P2.46 million in income, he has acquired a disproportionately high amount of assets totaling P9.36 million. Among some of his assets are a property in Manila worth P1.1 million and a farm lot [in Batangas] worth P4 million which he bought in cash,” according to the DOF.

In 2014, “Carlos defended himself by claiming to have total liabilities of P7.54 million in explaining his wealth,“ but according to the DOF, “the Ombudsman found the claim dubious, as he failed to present creditors or any supporting documents, especially given that he claims to have P5 million in loans.”

“The Ombudsman declared then in 2013 that Carlos’ unexplained wealth can be forfeited in favor of the state under RA 1379,” the 2014 DOF statement said.

On Sunday, Finance Undersecretary Gil S. Beltran said his staff confirmed to him that Carlos was a former DOF employee.

CCTV images of unidentified gunman. (Photo by LYN RILLON / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

In a text message to the Inquirer, Sheila N. Castaloni, director at the DOF’s revenue office and former head of the One-Stop-Shop Tax Credit and Duty Drawback Center, also confirmed that Carlos was “dismissed from the service because of not declaring his assets in his SALN, and I think graft and corruption also.”

But Castaloni said she did not know Carlos personally because he was already dismissed from the DOF before she was appointed in the office.

On its website, the DOF explained that the One-Stop-Shop Tax Credit and Duty Drawback Center “was established as the government’s response to the mounting complaints being aired by the private sector over the countries highly chaotic and inefficient tax credit and duty drawback system.”

Also, the center “was formed primarily to serve as one of the governments pillars in its export promotion and investment generation drive by making the various tax credit and duty drawback incentive programs readily accessible to legitimate exporters,” the DOF added.

Tax credits are refunds that exporters can claim as an incentive for the duties they pay for imported raw materials.

Instead of cash refunds, the government issues tax credit certificates, which companies can use to settle tax obligations. JE/rga

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