Tax credit scam witnesses clear task force of extortion attempt

Presidential Task Force executive director Alan A. Ventura produced yesterday various documents, including a letter from the lawyers of tax credit scam witnesses, spouses Felix and Rosita Chingkoe, clearing and exonerating the task force and Finance Undersecretary Inocencio P. Ferrer Jr. of the alleged extortion attempt on Felix Chingkoe for the grant of immunity from suit.

Ventura is the operational head of Special Presidential Task Force 156 created to investigate and gather evidence against the perpetrators of the tax credit scam that occurred in the One-Stop-Shop Center of the Department of Finance from 1994 to 1998.

Felix Chingkoe is the brother of one of the main accused in the cases, Faustino Chingkoe. The former complained that the task force asked money from him for the grant of immunity from suit sometime in March 2003.

Ventura said that the letter dated Nov. 12, 2003 from the lawyers of spouses Felix and Rosita Chingkoe to then Finance Secretary Jose Isidro Camacho cleared beyond reasonable doubt the task force of the alleged extortion attempt.

Issued after eight long agonizing months after the alleged extortion attempt in March 2003 and after numerous newspaper articles against the task force, Ventura stated that the said letter was obviously prepared after the spouses Chingkoe consulted with their most trusted lawyers to state comprehensively and in detail their complaints and frustrations against the task force.

Ventura added that the Office of the Ombudsman and other government officials were even furnished a copy of the letter to ensure that the whole world would know about their accusations.

According to Ventura, the most evident and glaring thing about the spouses Chingkoe’s letter, as prepared by their lawyers was that there was absolutely nothing about the alleged "extortion".

"If there was indeed an extortion attempt, then the lawyers of the Spouses Chingkoe would have already mentioned it in the letter considering that the letter was sent in November, 2003 or almost eight months from Felix’s alleged receipt of text messages in March, 2003. This letter is the strongest proof or evidence "beyond reasonable doubt" that Felix and Rosita Chingkoe fabricated the alleged "extortion" by the Task Force", Ventura said.

Ventura explained that it was impossible for any member of the task force to have attempted to extort money from Felix for the grant of immunity since as early as June 13, 2002, the task force already strongly reiterated its recommendation to then Ombudsman Aniano Desierto to grant immunity to the Felix and Rosita Chingkoe as government witnesses in the tax credit scam.

However, Ventura noted that the spouses Chingkoe tried to mislead Secretary Camacho, the Ombudsman and other government officials who were copy furnished with said letter, by deliberately failing to mention in their lawyer’s letter the strong recommendation of the task force dated June 13, 2002 reiterating the task force’s plea to the Ombudsman to grant immunity to the said spouses.

Ventura added that he even accompanied the spouses Chingkoe together with the task force lawyers to the Office of the Ombudsman in June or July 2003 for them to be personally interviewed by the officials therein.

According to Ventura, the task force’s recommendation may or may not be approved by the Office of the Ombudsman so any member of the task force was not in a capacity to promise immunity to anybody. Besides, if the task force already made the favorable recommendation as early as June 13, 2002, Ventura asked, why would the task force still demand ‘payment’ only in March 2003.

Current Ombudsman Simeon V. Marcelo inhibited himself on any matter involving the tax credit scam as early as July 11, 2003.