The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) was named by president elect Rodrigo Duterte as one of the three "most corrupt" agencies in the Philippines in a press conference held on May 23, 2016, with Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Land Transportation Office (LTO) making it to the list.
BIR officials and employees were naturally offended and personnel of the bureau indicated plans for a mass resignation on July 1, the first day of Duterte's six-year term.
BIR Commissioner Kim S. Jacinto-Henares already mentioned that she was looking forward to retiring on June 30. "Please don't ask presidential candidates if they will retain me," the Commissioner said during one of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) general membership meetings in March. "I wish the next BIR commissioner the best of luck," she added.
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| Kim Henares |
Henares herself said that she was hurt by Duterte's allegation. Deputy commissioner Lilia C. Guillermo, one of the three deputies of Henares, shares the same sentiments.
"If asked for a courtesy resignation, I will comply," Guillermo, who has been working at the BIR for more than three decades, said when asked if she will take the lead in mass resignation at the bureau. On the other hand, Henares said "I am hurting for my subordinates because I worked with them for six years and now their hard work is not being recognized."
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| Lilia Guillermo |
A ranking BIR official find Duterte's accusations against the bureau "below the belt," "uncalled for" and without concrete proof to substantiate the allegations.
BIR records show that it collected nearly P2 trillion in taxes last year, which was the first time the collection reached the one trillion-peso mark. "Do you think our country will survive without BIR?" Guillermo contested. The closest to the 2015 figure was in 2009 when the collection reached over P800 billion under then BIR officer-in-charge Lilian Hefti.
Duterte indicated a plan to abolish BIR, Customs and LTO. "I'm very sorry pero sabihin ko sa inyo, isa sa pinaka-corrupt na agency ang BIR, Customs, LTO -- iyang tatlong iyan... I-abolish ko na lang para wala na," he said.
Duterte nonetheless installed appointees in the three agencies: lawyer Cesar Dulay as BIR head, retired police director general Edgar Galvante as LTO chairman and former rebel soldier Nicanor Faeldon as Customs chief.
Henares said that she is ready to give advise to the incoming commissioner but said that she will only do so if asked as she doesn't want to be "presumptuous." She added that it would be hard to offer advice since she doesn't know what the priorities of Dulay will be in the agency.
Photo Credit: Rappler Bureau of Internal Revenue
Source: The Daily Tribune Inquirer
UPDATE:
BIR recently denied this report on mass resignation. BIR Public Information and Education Division chief Reymari De La Cruz wrote a letter to the Daily Tribune stating that they may have been hurt by the statements of President Duterte but this was not enough for them to leave their posts.
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