Customs officer may lose assets

Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo ordered yesterday the filing of a civil case against a Bureau of Customs official suspected of acquiring ill-gotten wealth.

If found guilty, chief operation officer Manuel Valencia’s questionable assets will be confiscated by the government, said assistant ombudsman Ernesto Nocos, spokesman for the Office of the Ombudsman.

Valencia allegedly managed to acquire five parcels of land in Parañaque City altogether worth over P625,000 in 1988 even though his annual income that year was only P47,000 and he had "no other legitimate income" that could explain the land acquisitions.

These figures do not include the cost of improvements made on the properties that government investigators estimated at P600,000, Nocos added.

Valencia’s credit card records further indicated that he "maintained an extravagant lifestyle and a lavish spending habit."

Nocos said Valencia incurred P400,000 in credit card expenses in 2001. He wracked up about P300,000 in 2000, 2002 and 2003.

"His current gross annual salary of 275,820 clearly cannot support such spending," Nocos said, adding that Valencia also kept two dollar accounts and dollar time deposits.

Last year President Arroyo implemented an austerity program, launched a simultaneous crackdown on tax evasion and corruption, and asked Congress for additional taxes to bridge a chronic budget deficit that analysts warn could become a fiscal crisis.

Rampant tax evasion, corruption, bloated state subsidies and protectionism have been blamed for the government’s fiscal woes.

Various international agencies have expressed concern about massive corruption in the Philippines, which analysts say has discouraged foreign investors.

In 2003, the Arroyo administration launched an anti-corruption campaign that included "lifestyle checks" on government officials.

Independent estimates suggest at least a fifth of the government budget is lost to graft.

Malacañang agrees with Hong Kong’s former anti-corruption chief that a "shame campaign" is needed in the fight against corruption.

Hong Kong’s former anti-corruption czar, Tony Kwok, earlier suggested that the government adopt a drive to publicly "shame" tax evaders as part of its anti-corruption drive.

Marcelo said this can be done after a conviction has been made. Kwok is a consultant in the Office of the Ombudsman.