MANILA – A ranking official of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) was charged before the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court for failing the lifestyle check ordered on civil servants who are holding responsible and sensitive positions in government.
With the filing of the complaint, the Sandiganbayan directed the Bureau of Immigration to issue a hold-departure order against Danilo Duncano, the former BIR deputy commissioner.
The complaint against Duncano was filed after the office of the Ombudsman ruled that Duncano had committed grave misconduct and dishonesty in violation of the country’s Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
In addition, the Ombudsman ordered the forfeiture of Duncano’s retirement benefits, barred him from holding any position in government and cancelled his eligibility as a career civil servant.
Based on the complaint, Duncano was subjected to a lifestyle check, particularly on how his three sons, who were found to be unemployed and aged 24, 21 and 19,managed to purchase their own late-model cars and sport utility vehicles.
Such purchases, the Ombudsman said, were not reflected in Duncano’s statements of assets, liabilities and networth (Salns) from 2001 to 2002.
Under the law, civil servants, from the President down to the lowly government janitor, was required to submit their Salns every year mainly to determine whether they have enriched themselves while in office.
Records showed that while still a ranking BIR official, Duncano had an annual salary equivalent to $5,000.
Based on this, the Ombudsman pointed out that the purchase of the vehicles by his three unemployed sons indicated that Duncano and members of his family were living beyond their means.
In a separate development, a ranking woman official of the Bureau of Customs, identified as Marietta Zamoranos, the collector of the port of the Subic Freeport in Olongapo City, Zambales province in Central Luzon was charged in court for bigamy.
The filing of the complaint was ordered by Secretary Agnes Devanadera of the Department of Justice, who dismissed the second motion of Zamoranos to reconsider the decision.
According to Devanadera, the two motions of Zamoranos did not raise any new issues for her to change her decision.
“We have reviewed the evidence on record and found no cogent reason to reconsider our decision,†Devanadera emphasized.
In a resolution, Devanadera cited findings of a justice department panel which dismissed the defense of Zamoranos that her first marriage on July 30, 1982 was just ceremonial because she was earlier married in Islamic rites to the same man on May 3, 1992.
Zamoranos said she was divorced from her first husband on December 18, 1983 in accordance with Islamic law.
Records also showed that Zamoranos married for the second time in civil rites performed before a lower court judge in Iligan City in Mindanao on December 30, 1989.
Ironically, Zamoranos was accused of bigamy before the Department of Justice by her estranged second husband, also a customs bureau official.
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I know of another former BIR man, Retired Deputy BIR Comissioner Romeo S. Panganiban who is currently having a time of his life with his family in Philam homes QC and seem to have gotten away with their sins. They regularly travel abroad for a vacation, owns several real estate properties in Philam Homes QC alone, a private resort in Tarlac, owns several luxury vehicles (Range Rover, BWW X-Series, Mazda Tribute to name a few). He also was able send his dear son to a very prestigious “Ivy League” University in the USA (The Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania). O God,it’s been my long time dream to go to Wharton. A Wharton tuition (per credit) alone plus the cost of Board & Lodging, meals, allowances, books etc. etc. etc. would cost even the filthy rich family so so dearly. How can a BIR salaried employee with a salary of around P200K (more or less) a month can afford such a lavish lifestyle.
Would any concerned citizen here please go through the proper channels and report this individual and his family to the government agency that conducts a lifestyle check?