Difference between revisions of "Sarangani News"

Jump to navigation Jump to search
→ → Go back HOME to Zamboanga: the Portal to the Philippines.

Sarangani News (view source)

Revision as of 16:05, 30 March 2012

9,805 bytes added ,  16:05, 30 March 2012
→‎Pacquiao eyes suit vs BIR execs for harassment
Line 43: Line 43:
----
----
<!--- DO NOT EDIT ABOVE THIS LINE --->
<!--- DO NOT EDIT ABOVE THIS LINE --->
==Pacquiao told: Submit tax records or face jail time==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2012/03/30/pacquiao-told-submit-tax-records-or-face-jail-time-213928
*Friday, March 30, 2012
:by  Virgil Lopez/ECV/Sunnex
MANILA -- Sarangani Representative and Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao can get away with contempt charges filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) if he can submit documents in connection to the huge drop in his tax remittances.
Pacquiao, who has since cried foul over the case, was challenged by BIR Commissioner Kim Henares to do just that after the agency pushed for a “realistic assessment” of his tax liability.
“The sooner he submits, the sooner this controversy will die down. We haven’t mentioned of any liability yet, that’s why we are investigating him,” Henares said Thursday.
“We have to see the gravity of the violation. As of now, we are not even talking or thinking of tax evasion. We are only asking him to submit the documents,” she added.
Henares belied Pacquiao’s claims that he is being harassed by the BIR after its regional office in Sarangani claimed he rebuffed the agency’s summons in March to submit certain documents pertaining to his tax returns.
The Sarangani lawmaker’s failure to obey summons from the BIR prompted Regional Director Rozil Lozares to file the case, citing Section 266 of the National Internal Revenue Code.
Penalties for this offense could range from a fine of P5,000 to P10,000 and imprisonment of one year to two years.
Lozares said the tax bureau issued a subpoena duces tecum (or subpoena for production of evidence) in January directing Pacquiao to present income-related documents but the lawmaker supposedly failed to appear before them.
Pacquiao said he should no longer be taxed for earnings from his fights abroad consistent to the Philippines-US tax treaty but Malacañang surmised that the investigation will have something to do with his local endorsements.
In the BIR’s list of top 500 taxpayers, the eight-division world champion ranked first in 2008 for paying P125 million but he tumbled down to 113th place in 2010.
“Why the sudden drop?” Henares asked.
Taking the cudgels for Pacquiao is Senator Ramon Revilla Jr., who criticized BIR for showing disrespect to “someone who we all consider as a contemporary hero.”
"If the BIR is certain that Manny committed an error, then just take the necessary actions and file the necessary charges. Why announced it on the papers?" Revilla said.
The senator also advised Pacquiao to take the issue “with a grain of salt” and direct his attention to the upcoming fight against Timothy Bradley on June 9.
But Henares said that Pacquiao should blame himself for the adverse publicity that this controversy brought him, including supposed loss of endorsement deals abroad, saying publicity was fueled by his own camp.
The BIR chief said the BIR in Koronadal City never made mention of him during press conference of its tax campaign.
But the local press got wind of Pacquiao’s failure to obey summons and inquired from the regional director, who was forced to confirm it.
==Peeved, Pacquiao wants to pay taxes elsewhere==
*Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/168733/peeved-pacquiao-wants-to-pay-taxes-elsewhere
*2:31 am | Thursday, March 29th, 2012
:by  Aquiles Z. Zonio, Inquirer Mindanao
GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Boxing sensation and Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao now plans to transfer his tax registration to either Manila or Laguna in protest of what he perceived was harassment done by a regional director of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) against him.
In a text message,  Pacquiao’s chief of staff Franklin Gacal Jr. confirmed the plan, saying: “We will definitely transfer.”
When the Philippine Daily Inquirer asked where, Gacal said “Laguna or Manila.”
In 2010, Pacquiao transferred his tax registration from Pasig City to Central Mindanao.
But BIR regional director Rozil Lozares, whom Pacquiao accused of railroading the charges against him,  was unfazed by the planned transfer.
“It’s not a problem. It’s his prerogative where he wants to pay his taxes. But, he can’t do it right now because he has yet to settle his problem with us. If he complies with the requirements, then he can write a letter to the BIR stating the reasons for the transfer. Then, we will evaluate,” Lozares said.
Top taxpayer
Lozares admitted that Pacquiao was one of the top individual taxpayers in the country. He, however, refused to divulge the exact amount of taxes being paid yearly by the boxing icon.
In his 2010 statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), Pacquiao declared his assets at P1.13 billion ($26.3 million) and no liabilities, making him the country’s richest lawmaker.
“The transfer of his tax registration to other place, if ever he can do it, will not affect our revenue collection target,” Lozares said.
But Lozares added that Pacquiao should also expect a backlash on his image and political career.
“The local taxpayers may question why he is paying his taxes somewhere else when he is living and conducting most of his businesses here,” he said.
Lozares said Pacquiao was given three letter-requests and a subpoena before a legal action was initiated against him.
The BIR log book showed that lawyer Francisco Gacal, a member of Pacquiao’s battery of lawyers, appeared before the BIR office on February 7 but failed to submit the required books of accounts and accounting records being asked by the BIR.
On March 1, the BIR filed a criminal case before the Prosecutor’s Office of Koronadal City against Pacquiao.
“If Mr. Pacquiao is not hiding something, then he should submit all the documents required by the BIR. He is a lawmaker and we expect him to respect the law. We are just doing our mandate under the RA 2484 or the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC),” Lozares said.
The BIR official said Pacquiao was just wasting his millions by hiring topnotch lawyers to defend himself.
“All he has to do is to submit his financial records and books of accounts then we will withdraw the case filed before the City Prosecutor’s Office at Koronadal City,” Lozares said.
==Pacquiao paid less than P7M in taxes for 2010: BIR==
*Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/03/28/12/pacquiao-paid-less-p7m-taxes-2010-bir
*03/28/2012 10:58 AM | Updated as of 03/28/2012 2:03 PM
:by  David Dizon, ABS-CBNnews.com
MANILA, Philippines – Sarangani congressman and 8-division boxing champ Manny Pacquiao paid less than P7 million (approximately US$162,999) in income taxes for year 2010, the chief of the Bureau of Internal Revenue said Wednesday.
BIR Commissioner Kim Henares declined to give the exact figure of Pacquiao’s tax payments for 2010 but told ABS-CBNNews.com that “it is lower than P7 million.”
She confirmed that the boxing champ paid P7 million in taxes in 2009, from a high of P100 million in 2008.
Pacquiao earlier declared assets at the end of 2010 at P1.13 billion ($26.3 million) and no liabilities, making him the wealthiest member of the House of Representatives.
Forbes.com magazine estimated he spent $7 million in his election campaign in 2010 while also earning $35 million for his two fights against Joshua Clottey and Miguel Cotto.
Pacquiao has accused the BIR of harassment after it sued the boxing champ for contempt for failure to submit copies of his endorsement contracts and TV deals. He urged the BIR to fire Cotabato Revenue Regional Director Rozel Lozares for filing a case against him.
His lawyer, Abraham Espejo, claimed the boxing champ lost several endorsement deals in the United States because of the tax case.
The BIR chief, however, said she cannot fire Lozares since he followed correct procedure in asking for Pacquiao’s contracts.
“[Pacquiao] has a book of accounts so he has to present that. He also has endorsements so he has to submit his contracts. He has a TV show. He has to submit his contract for that. He said he paid the [Internal Revenue Service]. Then show us the receipts,” Henares told radio dzMM.
Henares said she is surprised that Pacquiao is making a fuss over the tax case when he could just easily submit copies of his contracts. Among the documents the BIR is asking for are Pacquiao’s contracts for his 2010 fights against Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito.
Pacquiao also reportedly owns a shopping mall, a building-for-rent, restaurant, beauty salon, convenience store, and a water refilling station in General Santos City.
The BIR filed charges against Pacquiao early March after the boxer allegedly snubbed the agency’s summons to submit certain documents. Pacquiao was charged with violation of Section 266 of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC), and if convicted, he can be fined as much as P10,000 and imprisoned for two years.
Henares denied that Lozares held a press conference to announce the filing of a tax case against Pacquiao.
“We had a kickoff ceremony in Koronadal for our tax campaign, which had a presscon afterwards. The media were the first to know about the filing of the case and they asked…It wasn’t a press conference just for Pacquiao,” she said.
She also rejected Pacquiao’s claim that Lozares should have sent the BIR’s summons to Sarangani, where he is congressman, instead of General Santos City.
She said Pacquiao has yet to transfer his tax residency status to Sarangani.
Henares is also puzzled by Pacquiao’s claim that he does not know the person who received the BIR’s summons.
“If he did not know the person who received the letter, how could he be sending his lawyer and his accountant to our office? That means he knows the person,” she said.
==Pacquiao eyes suit vs BIR execs for harassment==
==Pacquiao eyes suit vs BIR execs for harassment==
*Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=791384&publicationSubCategoryId=63
*Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=791384&publicationSubCategoryId=63
Line 89: Line 226:


His lawyer Abraham Espejo, also dean of the New Era College of Law, explained that BIR executives behind the case filed against the boxing champ are liable for causing undue injury to the boxing champ following the pullout of several product endorsements.
His lawyer Abraham Espejo, also dean of the New Era College of Law, explained that BIR executives behind the case filed against the boxing champ are liable for causing undue injury to the boxing champ following the pullout of several product endorsements.


==Sarangani receives transparent accountable governance award==
==Sarangani receives transparent accountable governance award==
Retrieved from "http://zamboanga.com/z/index.php?title=Special:MobileDiff/308613"

Navigation menu