Ombudsman to intensify ‘lifestyle checks’ on BIR, BOC officials

The Office of the Ombudsman said Friday that it will be intensifying its efforts to monitor the lifestyle of officials under the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) amid reports that personnel were overcharging businesses for government services.

During his town hall meeting with members from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industries (PCCI), Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla stressed the importance of ensuring accountability from both agencies given their role in handling public funds.

“These are the two agencies entrusted with collecting the money that builds our roads, our schools, and our hospitals. That money belongs to the Filipino people. It does not belong to the officer who collects it,” Remulla said.

The Ombudsman revealed that there was information that reached their office of collectors that were billing than was prescribed under law, further stressing that the payments were not supported with receipts.

Remulla also mentioned that there were other reports that suggested that the BIR and BOC had more transactions without receipts than those that did.

“Let me be clear. There is no legitimate payment to the government that has no receipt. Every peso paid to the state must have a receipt. A payment without a receipt is not tax, it’s corruption,” he explained.

“Think about it, more funds are going into the pockets of the few than what goes to the government,” he added.

Dwelling into the broader implications of the issue, the Ombudsman explained that the next step for their office was to empower the people into learning to refuse paying for more than what was required for them.

Remulla said that without such ability, more and more businesses were going to become victims of the extortion that was taking place in the agencies.

“It is the responsibility of the government to make refusing safe. That is our job. Every business must build the courage to say no,” he stated.

Looking to effectively address the issue, Remulla would appeal for members of the PCCI to coordinate with the Ombudsman in order to bolster their respective businesses.

Remulla underscored that what their office was after was to instill confidence in the people that “playing by the rules will pay off” and that the government would protect their businesses from parties looking to abuse the system.

“An Ombudsman’s job is to protect the people. Today, I am telling you that protecting the people also means protecting the businesses that employ them, feed them, and build communities. So let us make honesty the easiest way to do business in the Philippines,” he stated.