Alvarez out to check excesses of some Cabinet men

While some officials of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) allegedly gave multinational Del Monte Corp. a sweetheart deal—asking it to pay a mere P100 million instead of P8 billion in taxes — they’re giving Mighty Corp., a homegrown company, a very hard time over its supposed P2 billion tax delinquency.

President Digong earlier said he wanted Mighty to pay the full amount to fund ill-equipped government hospitals.

But two Cabinet members are forcing the owners of the local tobacco firm to sell out to Japan Tobacco Corp. for P45 billion so it could pay the government.

The owners of Mighty prefer to sell to British Tobacco Corp.

This columnist, who is privy to the talks between Mighty owners and the Cabinet officials, asked one of the officials why they insist on having Mighty sold to Japan Tobacco.

The only answer the Cabinet official could give this writer was: “I cannot comment because talks are still ongoing.”

Something smells fishy here.

It’s a good thing Speaker Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez is having the two controversies investigated.

With the House of Representatives scheduling a hearing on the alleged sweetheart deal and Mighty’s predicament, some humility may be instilled in the swellheads in the Duterte government.

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Soldiers fighting the Maute and Abu Sayyaf terrorists in Marawi City have a legitimate grievance: Why should they fight side by side with the scum of the Philippine National Police (PNP)?

Why should the corrupt and abusive policemen be mixed with decent, law-abiding Army troopers and Marine soldiers?

Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, PNP chief, insults the people in Mindanao by sending his bad cops to the island where he comes from.

It’s all right if he dishonors himself by his wrong decision; that’s his problem.

But Dela Rosa should not disrespect his fellow Mindanaoans by throwing garbage at them.

The two Mandaluyong cops — PO1 Jose Tandog and PO1 Chito Enriquez — who were sent packing to Marawi City for beating up two men caught drinking in public, would run like hell should they come face to face with the Moro terrorists.

Policemen who kick and punch helpless civilians are craven cowards.

Dela Rosa, if he were wise, should have dismissed the two cops outright since their cowardly act against the two violators of a city ordinance — it was not even a crime punishable under the Revised Penal Code — was recorded on video.