BIR official slain outside QC office

An official of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) was killed by motorcycle-riding gunmen near his office on West Avenue, Quezon City, as he was about to report for work on Wednesday morning.

Alberto Enriquez Jr., chief of the assessment section of BIR Revenue District Office No. 28, was shot at 7:29 a.m. in the parking lot of Ambianza Apartelle, which was adjacent to the BIR office in Barangay Phil-Am, the police said.

A report to Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, director of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), said the 49-year-old Enriquez had just alighted from the driver’s side of his white Hyundai Santa Fe, when the suspects arrived on a motorcycle and stopped nearby.

Footage from a closed-circuit television camera showed the BIR official opening his backseat door to get his uniform when the backrider approached and shot him in the face. Enriquez sustained a gunshot wound on his right temple and died on the spot.

The clip also showed the assailants fleeing toward Edsa, with only the motorcycle driver wearing a helmet. Police later recovered a 9mm bullet casing as well as two cell phones from the crime scene.

The investigator on the case, PO3 Elario Wanawan, said cash worth over P57,000 was found in a bag on the vehicle’s backseat. The money was turned over to Enriquez’s family, he said.

In a press conference, Eleazar announced the creation of Task Group Enriquez to investigate the killing. “We will be looking at his work place to determine whether the motive behind the killing was work-related or personal,” he said, adding that robbery had been ruled out since there was no cash or valuables stolen.

The probe would also check if Wednesday’s attack had any connection to the case of another BIR official who was ambushed by gunmen on a motorbike also in Quezon City last year, Eleazar said.

On Nov. 21, 2016, then BIR Makati office director Jonas Amora was shot dead near the corner of Topside Road and Katipunan Avenue. The attack also wounded his driver. A month later, the QCPD arrested the suspected gunman, Alan Manalo, a 43-year-old Batasan Hills resident.

Quoting Leonora Ruizol, revenue district officer of BIR RDO 28, Eleazar said Enriquez had not spoken of any work-related problems lately.

As chief of the assessment section, Enriquez was not directly involved in any tax case investigation, according to Marina De Guzman, BIR regional director for Quezon City.

“He oversees the duties and responsibilities of revenue officers under his sector, who in turn investigate taxpayers which are issued letters of authority,” De Guzman told the Inquirer in a phone interview. “He just works in the office.”

In mourning, coworkers lit two candles on Enriquez’s desk, where documents awaited his signature. Rodel Buenaobra, assistant revenue district officer, described his slain colleague as “very professional” and always punctual.

“He’s very down-to-earth and accommodating to taxpayers. He would even accompany them to the offices downstairs even if he was already our chief,” Luane Martin said of her boss.

Enriquez usually parked his vehicle at the adjacent apartelle due to the lack of space in the BIR premises.

The BIR official was transferred to Quezon City from the Marikina revenue district office in March 2016 as part of the regular rotation of personnel, the Inquirer learned.

BIR Revenue Office No. 28 covers 20 barangays mostly in Novaliches.

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III condemned the killing and called for the immediate arrest of the perpetrators.

“To the family of Mr. Enriquez, my deepest condolences on their loss,” Dominguez said in a statement. “We strongly condemn the killing of Mr. Enriquez and call on the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation to find the perpetrators behind this heinous act and bring them to justice soon.” —WITH REPORTS FROM BEN O. DE VERA, PAULINE FAYE TRIA