Cagayan de Oro revenue officer flunks lifestyle check

MANILA, Philippines - A revenue officer of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) who has been in public service for 29 years and now assigned in Cagayan de Oro City, flunked the reinvigorated lifestyle check of the Department of Finance (DOF) as part of efforts of the Aquino administration to eliminate graft and corruption in the government. 

The DOF’s Revenue Integrity Protection Service (RIPS) has filed criminal and administrative cases against BIR revenue officer III Alexander Go Fuentes before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Fuentes, who started serving the BIR in 1981 and is now assigned at the Bulua branch in Cagayan de Oro City, was charged with multiple violations of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act as well as RA 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.  

Investigation showed that the assets and net worth of Fuentes continuously and substantially increased over the years after he acquired several expensive properties as well as motor vehicles.

The BIR employee was able to acquire P10 million worth of properties, including a steel-truss garage, a 500-square-meter residential property, a six-door apartment, and a three-story office building, but was only valued at P90,000 for tax purposes.

Investigators also found out that Fuen­tes was able to acquire several vehicles, including a 2007 Toyota Fortuner, 2007 Toyota Avanza, 2005 Toyota Hi-Lux, 2005 Isuzu Forward, 1997 Isuzu Truck, another Toyota utility vehicle, a Fuso Canter, and two Honda motorcycles.

“The acquisition of these luxury vehicles are questionably disproportionate to his lawful income,” the DOF said in the complaint.

The DOF said the acquisition of several expensive properties as well as motor vehicles could not be justified by Fuentes’ monthly income of P18,147 a month or P217,764 per year.

Fuentes also failed to declare the true value of his property renovation costs as well as the acquisition of other motor vehicles made in 1996, 1999, 2008, and 2009. He did not file his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth from 1982 to 1986.

Fuentes is facing six-month preventive suspension for his alleged unexplained wealth and possible dismissal from government service if found guilty of amassing unlawful wealth, perjury and falsification.

Finance Undersecretary Carlo Carag said the government would continue to file cases against corrupt officials of the DOF, BIR, and the Bureau of Customs.

“Change does not happen overnight but we are serious in curbing corruption in the revenue-generating agencies under the DOF and we continue to invite the public to help us in our drive,” Carag said.