COA acts on query over BIR rental

CEBU, Philippines - The Commission on Audit has acted on the query of a resident of Mandaue City over the supposed questionable rental practice of the Bureau of Internal Revenue in the city.

Dr. Danilo Dionson, son of the late city councilor Magno Dionson, questioned why BIR's City Revenue District Office No. 80, despite the bureau owning a 1,000-square meter lot, continues to rent office space one place after another.

The lot is now being occupied by squatters.

COA-7 Director Alicia Malquisto has informed Dionson that the matter has been forwarded to the concerned audit team. It is pending before the office of Elsa Equia, Audit Team Leader, for appropriate action since October 3, 2016.

 In his letter to COA dated September 29, Dionson cited a report in which COA questioned the rental practice of the Pag-IBIG office amounting to P1649 billion in over 30 years.

 "We ordinary citizens would kindly asked your good office to account how much BIR Mandaue paid for private offices also for the last 30 years," Dionson said. 

 On July 25, Dionson wrote President Rodrigo Duterte informing him that the bureau never utilized the 1,000-square meter lot donated by the Mandaue City government. Some 80 informal settlers have occupied the property for the past 23 years.

 Prior to the donation, BIR Mandaue rented offi-ces along M.C. Briones Street for several years then in Subangdaku, and eventually at the Mandaue City Public Market, which was damaged by the earthquake that struck Central Visayas in 2013. The office is back in Subangdaku.

 BIR Revenue Director Hermeno Palamine said earlier that the property donated by the city is not a conducive place to build a facility because it is near the jail and has very narrow access roads. The bureau also reportedly lacks the budget for construction.

Palamine said he is open to returning the property to the city in exchange for another lot.

 It was former BIR Commissioner Liwayway Chato who reportedly requested Mandaue City for the lot during the time of the late mayor Alfredo Ouano.

 On June 23, 1993, the Mandaue City Council authorized Ouano to look for an area to accommodate the request and the deed of donation was entered into and signed between the city and the BIR on February 23, 1994. (FREEMAN)