DOF exec quits, cites health reasons

Finance Undersecretary Emmanuel Bonoan has resigned from his post at the Department of Finance (DOF), citing health reasons.

Bonoan is head of the DOF’s Revenue Integrity Protection Service (RIPS) and the Run After Tax Evaders (RATE), a program that has led to the filing of over 20 tax evasion charges against various prominent personalities, including a member of the Arroyo Cabinet.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said that as of press time yesterday, Bonoan’s resignation letter had yet to reach the Palace. But Finance Secretary Margarito Teves confirmed to Palace officials the resignation.

"I suppose it (his resignation) will be accepted. We can say that," Bunye told The STAR.

In his resignation letter, Bonoan said his workload has been causing him health problems that made it untenable for him to continue working at the DOF.

However, Bonoan admitted in an interview that his reasons for quitting ran deeper, revealing that he had reached a "turning point" in July this year and has been trying to resign since.

Last June, the Arroyo administration was hit by the wiretapping scandal that triggered a spate of Cabinet resignations led by then Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin and Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima.

When interviewed in July after Purisima’s departure, Bonoan said he had no plans of resigning after serving three different finance secretaries under two different administrations.

This time, however, Bonoan said the job needed more clarity in its principles and vision.

"When serving the government, a long-term vision is necessary," Bonoan said. "Because you would have to give up what you would otherwise get working for the private sector, your satisfaction would come from being able to serve and hopefully help change things for the better."

"You have to be guided by a philosophy that doesn’t shift with changing winds," he said. "I have not had that kind of clarity, I no longer know what the guiding principles are."

Bunye dismissed reports though that Bonoan quit because of differences with Teves in management style. He said Bonoan’s reported reasons for resigning should be self-explanatory.

There were reports circulating that Teves wanted to bring his own men to the DOF and Bonoan was identified with former secretary Purisima.

Bunye said he could not comment on such reports.

Bonoan is one of the 2004 awardees of the annual The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) in public service. A graduate of the Ateneo Law School, he was recruited into government service by former finance secretary Jose Trinidad Pardo and was later promoted to assistant secretary by Jose Isidro Camacho.

During Camacho’s stint at the DOF, Bonoan worked with former undersecretary Cornelio Guison who laid the groundwork for the formal creation of the RIPS-RATE programs by launching a lifestyle check on government officials and employees with unexplained wealth.

After Purisima replaced Camacho, Bonoan was promoted to undersecretary and was formally designated to head the RIPS-RATE.

Since the beginning, Bonoan has been the force behind the DOF’s campaign against tax evaders, together with former revenue commissioner Guillermo Parayno.

Under Bonoan’s leadership, the RATE program went after personalities such as former agriculture secretary Arthur Yap, actor Richard Gomez, actress Judy Anne Santos, singer Regine Velasquez, businessman Jose Luis Santiago and several Filipino-Chinese businessmen.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) lauded the RATE program as a "courageous effort" to make an example of prominent personalities in an attempt to compel taxpayers to voluntarily correct their tax deficiencies.

Bonoan’s resignation had spurred speculations that the Arroyo administration was backing down from its RATE objective of compelling tax evaders to come forward rather than be singled out by the BIR and the DOF.

When pressed, however, Bonoan only said, "I have done what I can in terms of governance and revenue reforms. It’s now time to move on to other challenges."

At present, Bonoan is on medical leave but his resignation would be effective end of December.

"I have a month to wrap things up, after that I’m going on vacation and sleep through the mornings for the first time in years," he said.

Bonoan said going into private law practice was an option but he said he was keeping all possibilities open. "I have a month to chill," he said. — With Aurea Calica