City councilor pays P2 million in business taxes

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Councilor Rodrigo “Bebot” Abellanosa yesterday paid the city P2 million for the business taxes of his Asian College of Technology along Leon Kilat and P. del Rosario Streets to show to the public that he is a law-abiding citizen.

City treasurer Ofelia Oliva earlier sent a demand letter to Abellanosa asking him to settle his tax obligation to the city, which the city official paid P328,670 sometime last January.

The records showed that even after he had paid P328,670, Abellanosa still has a balance of P1,082,879 for his business tax obligation for 2007 up to 2009.

However, because the city councilor again paid P2 million in check to the city treasurer’s office yesterday, the more than P900,000 will just be credited to his tax obligations for the years 2002 to 2007.

Oliva said the city treasurer’s office did not have an assessment of Abellanosa’s business tax for the period from 2002 to 2007 because its accounting department failed to provide the City Hall with its financial statement.

“Ang pagpabayad namo og buhis walay pili kay bisan gani ang mga balay-patigayon nga gipanag-iya sa mga opisyal sa City Hall among gipadad-an og demand letter,” Oliva told The FREEMAN. – Rene U. Borromeo/MEEV   FREEMAN NEWS)