ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Bureau of Internal Revenue has cited two prominent politicians in southern Philippines as among its top tax payers and awarded them for their revenue contributions in the region.
Alert Alocilja, the BIR regional director for Western Mindanao, said among the awardees were Sulu Vice Governor Sakur Tan and Zamboanga City Mayor Beng Climaco. Tan was given two awards and Climaco got one during a ceremony here that coincided with the 111th BIR anniversary celebration on August 7.
Alocilja praised Tan for his tax payments and said other politicians who have business of their own or their family should emulate the vice governor, whose family operates several gas depots, among others, in the region.
The provincial government of Sulu under Governor Totoh Tan also was among the few provinces, including Zamboanga City honored by the BIR for their tax revenues.
“Sulu is one of the best (revenue) contributors and is also awarded as one of the highest tax payers in the province,” Alocilja told reporters before the start of the awarding ceremony.
Tan also thanked the BIR for the recognition awards and said he has been paying his taxes religiously even before he was not in public service for many decades now.
“Paying the correct taxes and religiously for that matter is our duty and the taxes also go back to us, to the people in terms of basic services and infrastructures, and many more and we have been very supportive of this effort and a strong advocate of tax collections,” Tan also told reporters on the sideline of the ceremony.
Tan, a known philanthropist, said he has been paying government taxes at least 40 million. “I would like these (awards) to set an example to other public servants. These also erase notion that our people do not pay taxes. We do pay for as long as we have the income. We pay for the income we make to government because we know the government will return this to the people in terms of important projects,” he said.
“Unang-una yun mga namumuno (sa gobyerno tulad namin) sila ang dapat maging model na nagbabayad ng buwis sa atin pamahalaang ng sa ganoon ay mabura rin ang impression at saka imahe ng mga pulitiko na sila ay hindi nagbabayad ng taxes o other income. Alam natin seryoso yun ating national government dito sa tuwid na daan kaya dapat tumulong tayo at nagpapasalamat nga tayo this is a way on our part as members of the community our way of thanking the national government for providing and knowing that the revenues and taxes that we pay are plowed back to us,” Tan added.
(Firstly, those in the government like us should be a role model in paying taxes to the government and this also erases the notion and impression that politicians do not pay taxes from other business they make. We know that the government is serious in its righteous campaign and that’s why we need to help the government as members of the community and this is our way of thanking the national government for providing and knowing that the revenues and taxes that we pay are plowed back to us.)
Among others who were also awarded were the provincial government of Zamboanga del Norte, Katipunan Bank, Winston Uy; the provincial government of Zamboanga del Sur and municipal government of Ipil in Zamboanga Sibugay, and Pagadian Best Emporium, Pagadian Chinese-Filipino Chamber of Commerce, RVSM Realty Development Corporation, Elena Tsang; Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Department of Education in Isabela City, Department of Public Works and Highways in the Muslim autonomous region and Sulu province; Benjamin Go, of the Garden Orchids Hotel, Mindanao State University in Tawi-Tawi, Al Tawi-Tawi Nickel Corporation and Abdelnoo Hadjirul.
The BIR also honored six of its employees who have been serving for at least two decades or more – Casan Azis, Barbara Mon, Liza Ocena, Marisyl Santiago, Janette Sarmiento and Luis Velario. (With a report from E. Dumaboc)
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