Gov’t seeks dead BOC officer’s wealth

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the filing of forfeiture proceedings against a deceased Bureau of Customs (BOC) officer who was found to have amassed unexplained wealth.

The ombudsman’s decision upholds the findings by the Department of Finance-Revenue Integrity Protection Service (DOF-RIPS) of the unexplained wealth of former operations officer Prudencio Macaranas, who died on Jan. 10, 2007.

Macaranas’ P22.8 million is more than 13.4 times his aggregate salary as a BOC employee from 1974 to 2004, the DOF-RIPS said yesterday.

According to the ombudsman, Macaranas’ administrative liabilities for grave misconduct and dishonesty warranted his dismissal from service. However, in view of his death, the penalty of forfeiture of retirement benefits was imposed upon him.

 â€œThe ombudsman’s resolution directing the filing of the forfeiture case on Macaranas’ unexplained wealth sends an unequivocal message to all government officials: the consequences of corruption transcend generations. The best inheritance is not wealth but integrity,” Undersecretary Carlo Carag, head of the DOF Revenue Operations and Legal Affairs Group, said.

Luxurious real estate properties and expensive motor vehicles and jewelry formed the bulk of his acquisitions, the DOF-RIPS said.

Out of his P26.1 million net worth, Macaranas had underdeclared assets of P4.39 million, the DOF-RIP said.

The tax records of the Macaranas couple also showed that their income from other lawful sources was only P881,943 while earnings from their purported family business, Steadfast Air-Sea International Inc., amounted to P667,323.43 for 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, and 1996 to 2004.   

The ombudsman also found Macaranas guilty of violating Republic Act 6713, the code of conduct and ethical standards for government personnel, after the DOF-RIPS established that his brokerage firm caused a conflict of interest with his job as a BOC officer.