MIKEY ARROYO, WIFE, BRAZILIAN MODEL CHARGED W/ TAX EVASION
MANILA, APRIL 9, 2011 (BUSINESS WORLD ONLINE) THE BUREAU of Internal Revenue (BIR) has filed tax evasion charges against the son and daughter-in-law of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, as well as a popular Brazilian model and actress. The BIR charged party list Rep. Juan Miguel "Mikey" M. Arroyo and his wife Ma. Angela M. Arroyo at the Department of Justice this morning for failing to file income tax returns (ITRs) and to pay taxes totaling P73.85 million.
The tax bureau discovered the Arroyos bought real estate properties, motor vehicles, jewelry, clothes and other personal items from 2004 to 2009, which Mr. Arroyo declared in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) for the years 2002 to 2009.
Despite their high income, however, the Arroyos repeatedly failed to pay income taxes. Mr. Arroyo did not file ITRs in 2005, 2008 and 2009, and Mrs. Arroyo, from 2003 to 2009 .
The BIR, in a statement said the two's failure to file returns constituted evidence of a "scheme" to evade the payment of taxes.
Brazilian model and actress Daiana A. Menezes, meanwhile, allegedly did not file ITRs from 2007 to 2009, despite being required to do so under the law as a resident alien deriving income from within the Philippines. Her tax liabilities was estimated at P983,658.07.
Ms. Menezes registered with the BIR to secure a taxpayer identification number. She listed her tax type as "not taxable," however, which the BIR said showed she intended to escape the payment of taxes.
The cases filed against the three constituted the 37th and 38th cases filed under the BIR's Run After Tax Evaders program. -- Diane Claire J. Jiao
FROM THE PAMPANGA NEWSPAPER, SUN-STAR
REP. JUAN MIGUEL 'MIKEY' ARROYO CRIES 'PURE POLITICAL HARASSMENT'
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Ang Galing Pinoy party-list Representative Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo described as "pure political harassment" the tax evasion cases filed against him and his wife Angela by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
Arroyo, the eldest child of former President now second district Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said the Aquino administration is behind the filing of tax evasion cases against him and his wife.
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The couple allegedly failed to file income tax returns from 2003 to 2009 and had a total tax liability of at least P 73.85 million, inclusive of interest and surcharges.
Arroyo said the move is another "political gimmick" of the Aquino administration.
"Everything in the country is going up like the prices of petroleum products, basic commodities, power rates and even the trust rating of the Vice President (Jejomar Binay), but it's not the same with the President (NoyNoy Aquino) whose trust rating has significantly gone down," he said.
"We live simple lives. We don't go around driving Porsche or Lexus," he said, obviously referring to President Aquino's recent purchase of a Porsche car that earned the President some public criticism.
Arroyo clarified that he is not against the government filing cases against supposed tax evaders.
"What I am questioning here is the lack of due process being employed by the administration," Arroyo said.
He said their rights were ignored because of the filing of tax evasion cases.
The BIR, in a letter dated April 5, required the congressman to submit various documents to the tax collection agency.
Arroyo said he received the notice of audit from the BIR just three days ago, saying he was given 10 days to submit some documents needed in the case.
"They said that I will be given 10 days to submit the documents, and then they filed a case against me two days after the receipt of the letter," Arroyo said.
The BIR alleged that Arroyo did not file his income tax return in 2005, 2008, and 2009 the years when he served as second district Congressman of Pampanga.
Arroyo added he has been "religiously" paying his taxes.
"Everything I own is in my SALN (statement of assets, liabilities and net worth). If I haven't been paying the right taxes, I could've easily paid the penalty," he explained.
Arroyo's counsel Ruy Rondain said in a statement that it doesn't make sense for Arroyo not to file an ITR.
"If he's going to evade his taxes, he shouldn't file a SALN to begin with," he said. (Chris Navarro)
Published in the Sun.Star Pampanga newspaper on April 09, 2011.
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