MANILA, Philippines ? Taxmen said Friday they want four Chinese construction company officials jailed and fined for scheming to avoid paying nearly $16 million in taxes.

The justice department is evaluating a criminal complaint lodged against the chairman, president and two Chinese officers of China State (Philippines) Construction Engineering Corp., along with two Filipino officers, they said.

The government will also seek an order to prevent them from leaving the country, said Estela Sales, deputy commissioner for the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

"They can get about 10 years in jail. This isn't just about paying back taxes," Sales told Agence France-Presse.

The complaint is part of an intensified Philippine campaign against tax evaders and smugglers in a country where both practices are widespread.