Ex-BOC, BIR chief Parayno dies

MANILA, Philippines — Former Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) chief Guillermo Parayno Jr. died last Aug. 2.

Born on April 26, 1948, he was 75 and succumbed to a heart attack, according to earlier reports.

Officials and employees of the BOC, which Parayno headed during the term of the late former president Fidel Ramos from 1992 to 1998, remembered him as the one who “introduced anti-corruption reforms.”

He was known as the father of the bureau’s computerization program.

The Philippine Veterans Bank also remembered Parayno, who joined its board in 2013 and worked as vice chairman until his death.

“A son of a World War 2 veteran and himself a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, Parayno’s heart was close to veterans and military causes and championed their advocacies,” it wrote.

Business solutions firm e-Konek Pilipinas Inc. also mourned the death of its chairman.

“His sudden departure has left an immense void in our organization and in the lives of those who had the privilege of knowing him,” the firm wrote in remembering Parayno.

Describing him as an “exceptional leader and visionary,” e-Konek said Parayno’s “unwavering dedication, unparalleled wisdom, and profound insights were instrumental in guiding us through numerous challenges, and his commitment to excellence was an inspiration to us all.”

Aside from being BOC commissioner, Parayno also led the BIR as commissioner from 2002 to 2005 when he and other officials under former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, collectively called the Hyatt 10, resigned following the revelation of the “Hello Garci” election scandal.

It was under Parayno’s term that the BIR enabled more electronic services, as well as other measures against tax evaders, the BIR said on its website.

Parayno’s wake at La Funeraria Paz’s Narra Room at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque will be until today. His inurnment is scheduled tomorrow, according to e-Konek.