• President Aquino says he might ask Interior Secretary Roxas to stay in his post a bit longer
• President Aquino lauds Bureau of Internal Revenue for good performance
• President Aquino hopes Senators Poe, Escudero would join administration’s ticket

The President however noted that he might ask Secretary Roxas to stay a bit longer.

“Well, there are several names pero at the same time, I might even prevail on him (Roxas) to stay in the post a little longer to finish a lot of the things that are being done,” he said when asked to name Roxas’ possible replacement, during a media interview following the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) 111th anniversary celebration.

“For instance, sa PNP (Philippine National Police) ‘yung kanilang ‘shoot, scoot and communicate’ na pag-a-upgrade ng kanilang facilities sa equipment, et cetera is ongoing. Nagpa-follow up ako doon sa informal settlers na issue, lalo na sa Metro Manila,” said the President.

“Marami talagang trabaho doon na, again, ang konsepto huwag nating patagalin ang pagdurusa ng ating mga kababayan… So, I’d like him to finish a lot of the things that can be finished before leaving the post and having the transition period.” PND (ag)

In a speech delivered before the agency’s officials and employees, President Aquino noted the BIR’s no-nonsense enforcement of tax laws and its steadfast implementation of priority programs to boost tax collection under the leadership of Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares.

“Dahil sa mabuting pamamahala, lampas-lampas pa sa inaasahan ang narating natin sa loob lang ng limang taon. Ngayon nga pong anibersaryo ng ating Bureau of Internal Revenue, kinikilala natin ang natatanging ambag ng isang ahensiyang kumakatawan sa episyenteng pagseserbisyo sa taumbayan,” said the President.

“Sa inyong nakitahak sa Daang Matuwid, talagang bilib na bilib ako sa inyo. Ngayon nga po, saan ka man bumaling, makikita ang mga kongkretong patunay ng inyong mga pagsisikap: mga kalsada at tulay na naipagawa at ipinapagawa; mga nakumpletong estrukturang deka-dekadang inabangan; ang mga sitiong napapailawan at nabibigyang-patubig. Ang nakikinabang sa inyong mga gawain: mga batang may tangan nang libro at may maayos na silid-aralan; mga benepisyaryo ng Pantawid Pamilya na kaya nang makapasok sa kolehiyo; ang pinakamahirap na 40 porsiyento ng ating populasyon na nakapagpapagamot nang libre sa mga ospital ng Estado,” he further said.

“Ang bunga ng lahat ng inyong pinagpaguran ay ang tuloy-tuloy na pag-angat ng ating bansa at ng kalidad ng buhay ng Pilipino. Sa inyong anibersaryo, buong pagmamalaki nating masasabi sa ating mga Boss: Naging posible ang pagbabago dahil talagang nakiambag kayo. Kay Commissioner Kim, at sa lahat ng kawani ng BIR, maraming-maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat,” he added.

For the past 10 years, the BIR has shown a sustained collection growth, raising P542.70 billion in 2005, P652.73 in 2006, P713.60 billion in 2007, P778.58 in 2008, and P750.29 in 2009.

Under Henares, the BIR collected P822.62 billion in 2010 and P924.15 billion the following year. In 2012, the agency posted a record collection of P1.058 trillion, followed by P1.217 trillion in 2013 and P1.335 trillion in 2014.

From January to June this year, the BIR collected P705.87 billion with a 9.74 percent growth over the P643.21 billion collected for the same period in 2013. The agency is eyeing a P1.657 trillion collection for the entire 2015.

The BIR contributes close to 80 percent of the total national government tax revenues. Majority of the tax collection is accumulated through voluntary payments. Among the implementing offices of the agency, the Large Taxpayers Service contributes at least 60 percent to the total revenue collection.

Among the BIR’s priority programs, the Run After Tax Evaders (RATE) remains the flagship program of Commissioner Henares. The program was initiated by the Department of Finance and the BIR in 2005 to probe and prosecute individuals and entities engaged in tax evasion and other criminal violations of the Tax Code.

From 2005 to July 2015, the BIR filed 507 RATE cases, with five convictions. From July 2010 to July 2015, the agency filed 380 criminal complaints with the Department of Justice, with a corresponding civil deficiency tax liability amounting to P68.52 billion.

The other face of the BIR’s uncompromising enforcement of tax laws is the Oplan Kandado, a program where the agency can suspend or close the business operations of a taxpayer for a period of not less than five days for failure to register, issue Value Added Tax (VAT) receipts or sales invoices, file correct VAT returns, or pay the correct VAT.

To date, the BIR has padlocked 1,663 business establishments with a revenue collection of P1.027 billion from 2009 to June 2015. Under Commissioner Henares, a total of 1,231 closure orders were implemented. PND (jm)

President Aquino stressed the importance of a unified group to sustain the government’s reform programs.

“We are still hoping. We still want to have that very unified group that will preserve the coalition as much as possible that can ensure the victory of the agenda,” President Aquino told reporters following the celebration of the 111th founding anniversary of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

“Sa maraming dayalogo namin, palagay ko maliwanag na maliwanag kung saan ako nagmumula, ano ang hinahangad ko. She (Poe) has stated it in several meetings, Chiz Escudero has also stated the same thing, (Interior Secretary) Mar Roxas has stated the same thing: We want what is happening to continue,” he said.

The President has held several meetings with Poe and Escudero, who have not bared plans to run in the 2016 elections.

President Aquino has endorsed Secretary Manuel Roxas II as the standard bearer of the Liberal Party for next year’s elections.

When asked who will be Roxas’ running mate, the President said nothing is definite yet.

“Kung sino, sa palagay ko dapat si Secretary Mar ang magsabi niyan. Until matapos ang filing ng ating mga kandidato, ‘yung pagpa-file ng kanilang certificates of candidacy, wala pa tayong pwedeng pag-usapan na tapos,” he said.

The President said that he will be involved in choosing the running mate of Roxas, “but at the end of the day, the presidential candidate should have full confidence in his running mate”.

“Hindi naman solely the decision of Mar. We are a party that prides itself on consensus building. So, we will still have the consensus building, pero kailangan naman nating bigyan ng due importance ang taong magkakaroon ng katrabaho na talagang tutulungan siya,” he added. PND (jm)